Assess your sustainability progress

Use the self-assessment checklist to determine your next steps: consider the indicators listed in the first column write down the specific actions that your business has taken or ways you have addressed each indicator assign one point for each specific example you write down areas where you cant list any examples require your focus.

Department of Environment and Resource Management

Business Sustainability Roadmap

The business case for sustainability
The case for business sustainability is clearcut costs, get ahead of competitors and importantly, help the environment. Queensland businesses embedding sustainability as a core part of their business are already capitalising on opportunities to improve profits, motivate employees and expand market opportunities. A sustainable business is resilient and adaptable to a changing and challenging business climate. The community now looks to the sustainability features of products and organisations when making business decisionsmaking the case for progression to a sustainable enterprise clear and compelling.

Sustainability actions
Commitment to sustainability
The push for sustainable outcomes has been supported and encouraged by senior managers in meetings, newsletters, annual reports, marketing Energy consumption, water consumption, waste and other environmental impacts are monitored. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.

Examples where this has occurred

Number of examples

A roadmap to sustainability
The Business Sustainability Roadmap demonstrates the way a business can progress on the sustainability journey and what new capabilities are needed to become a sustainable enterprise. It can also guide competency development and shape relationships with stakeholders including customers, suppliers, other companies and policymakers. The progression to a sustainable enterprise will be different for each business. How you use the Sustainability Roadmap will depend entirely on your business, its risks, operating environment, challenges and opportunities. The sustainability journey will not be completed as a series of separate parts. Usually businesses undertake sustainability initiatives in various areas of the roadmap before reaching a specific destination. Completion of Destination 3 provides the opportunity to promote and market your businesss sustainability credentials.

Using this guide

The roadmap provides a framework for businesses serious about taking up the sustainability challenge. It includes a number of features, including: destinations which represent milestones in the sustainability journeyas you satisfy the requirements of the next destination your sustainability performance and industry leadership increases a quick reference guide outlining important elements that need to be considered in evaluating your businesss position in regards to the key themes of engagement, footprint, innovation and systems a self-assessment checklist to give your business an overview of its progress in terms of business sustainability.

Eco-efficiency is implemented to reduce costs and environmental impact

Staff have been rewarded for recommending sustainability improvements. Ideas have been gained from outside sources and then applied to the business. The productivity of the business has been benchmarked (energy, water and waste per unit of production) against comparable businesses. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.

Embedding sustainable practices as business as usual

The business collaborates with suppliers of materials and services to enhance its sustainability. Sustainability goals have become embedded within financial procurement and measurement systems. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.

Influencing broader environmental performance

The business has set industry benchmarks for environmental performance. Products and services are designed with features that minimise environmental impact. Products have external environmental accreditation. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.

The Business Sustainability Roadmap

Industry leadershipinnovation and business preparedness

Destination 4 Value Creation Business widely Destination 3 Embedding Sustainability Destination 2 Implementation
Implement ecoefficiency and supporting systems. Sustainability considered as business as usual. Realisation of business value from sustainable practices. recognised as a sustainability leader.

Destination 5 Sustainable Enterprise

Sustainability leadership
The business achieves positive outcomes for the environment and the community. Ambitious sustainability targets are set to challenge the business. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3.

Sustainability score (sum of examples provided)

0 to 9 Business is an early starter on pathway to sustainability. 10 to 18 Business is showing initiative and willingness to change. 19 to 27 A highly motivated business using sustainable practices to advantage. 28 to 36 High performing business receiving wide recognition in respect to sustainability. If you fall within this category please contact us, wed love to hear your story.

The Department of Environment and Resource Management has a range of programs to help your business become more sustainable. Contact the Sustainable Industries branch on 13 QGOV (13 74 68). Alternatively go to www.derm.qld.gov.au for further information or email sustainable.industries@derm.qld.gov.au

Destination 1 Commitment
Management commitment to sustainability.

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Tomorrows Queensland: strong, green, smart, healthy and fair

Sustainable Industries

Business Sustainability RoadmapA quick reference guide

Destination 1Commitment
A leadership decision is made to reduce your environmental impact by committing to sustainability.

Destination 2Implementation
Employees are engaged. Eco-efficiency is implemented to reduce costs and environmental impacts. Systems and support are in place.

Destination 3Embedding Sustainability

Sustainable approaches and continuous improvement are business as usual, part of your culture and extended to your supply chain. External benchmarks drive performance.

Destination 4Value creation

Your products and services have external environmental accreditation. The environmental impacts of your products and services are minimised over their lifecycle. Triple Bottom Line reporting is used.

Destination 5Sustainable Enterprise

Your organisation is restorative: creating net benefit to shareholders, community and environment. You are a leader in sustainability who inspires others. You create the future.

Set the sustainability agenda

Engage staff

Engage stakeholders

Engage customers

Sustainability leadership

Engagement

Gain executive commitment Develop a sustainability vision statement Set a strategic direction Communicate the benefits and
engage staff

Create staff awareness of your commitment

to sustainability

Promote your sustainability vision to

stakeholders

Promote your sustainability commitment

externally

Take a leadership role in the sustainability

of your community

Encourage and reward staff involvement Create skilled teams that look for opportunities for improvement Celebrate achievements.

Engage suppliers and work in partnership to improve performance Invest in and develop staff skills.

Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability by seeking credible ecolabelling for your products and services Show others in your value chain how
to improve their own sustainability performance markets.

Create partnerships to improve your

community and environment

Take a lead role in driving

sustainability within your business.
Set the vision

Inspire others to take action Create the future.

Identify and engage new and emerging

Implement eco-efficiency improvements Create sustainable supply chains Set new industry benchmarks Contribute to the environment

Measure your environmental footprint

Identify material flows and inputs to

measure waste, water, energy and material inputs measure these material flows

Prioritise opportunities according to Implement short payback efficiency

measures

SMART (simple, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound) objectives

Take responsibility for the environmental Incorporate sustainability requirements

into your procurement policies

impacts in outsourced operations and your supply chain

Reduce the whole-of-life impacts your Close resource loops and look for
industrial ecology opportunities across the business

products or services have on communities and the environment

Ensure that your business and its

Identify and apply tools and processes to

activities contribute in a net positive way to enhancing communities and the environment customer needs through services rather than physical products.

Footprint

Shift business operations to meet

Identify opportunities for improvement.

Identify and reduce toxins and hazardous

substances from processes and operations.

Reduce adverse environmental and social

impacts resulting from procurement and distribution activities substances in your supply chain performance benchmarking.

Insist on minimum environmental impact Eliminate toxic and hazardous substances

from your products and supply chain waste streams.

Identify and reduce toxic and hazardous Implement ongoing supply chain
Encourage innovation Plan for long-term innovation Collaborate to innovate

Identify beneficial use of by-products or

Shape the future

Innovative design

Identify future innovations

Research what innovation is taking

Innovation

place in your sector. What information is available? Who are the leaders? take stock internally

Encourage ideas from inside and

outside the business to understand how innovation can be applied innovative technologies and benefits.

Problem solve with suppliers Work with others to create sustainable

products and services innovation.

Invest in research for major changes to

products and services such as biomimicry

Ensure that innovations enhance your

future sustainability position

Identify how your business innovates and Motivate staff to contribute ideas.

Scope out longer-term investments in Prioritise innovations according to costs

Look for inspiration in cutting edge ideas, Extend the durability of your products Design the environmental impacts out of
your products.

Develop a framework for collaborative

Strong partnerships

Seek simplicity in design Promote and participate in open-source

innovation and knowledge

Identify market trends and plan and

develop products and services for the future.

Measure for accountability

Build systems for ongoing management

Integrate sustainability systems

Report sustainability performance

Reflect and continuously improve

Include environmental accountabilities Identify and ensure compliance with

environmental obligations required data

and responsibilities in role descriptions

Identify appropriate environmental Develop a system for performance

measurement and rewards

management and industry benchmarking systems for your business

Implement appropriate environmental Implement life cycle assessments for

products or services product life cycles

management and industry benchmarking systems

Implement sustainability and/or corporate

social responsibility reporting

Set ambitious targets and goals across all

components of sustainability

Ensure reporting includes the

Systems

Develop systems to measure and capture Assign a budget and resources Incorporate sustainability direction in
strategic planning processes.

measurement of product impact, lifecycle impact and business impact sustainability reporting.

Keep your focus on the future and

continual improvement as your journey continues.

Develop systems to reinvest cost Incorporate sustainability

into decision-making processes.

savings in initiatives that deliver further improvements

Increase profits

Extend your footprint to account for Align accounting, procurement and

production systems with sustainability goals business by using scenario planning.

Seek external validation for your

Make long-term planning core to your

Gain recognition