Sustainable business practice
New Zealand businesses of all shapes and sizes are tackling a wide range of sustainability challenges in their everyday work.
These cover social, environmental and economic matters of interest to clients, staff and other stakeholders in the business. Sustainable practice has become “business as usual” for many, rather than the exclusive concern of those operating on the global stage or at the very green end of the spectrum.
As a member of Business New Zealand’s Major Companies Group, I hear many CEOs now talking about social licence to operate, meaning the responsibility of business to society (customers and local communities) and expectation that the businesses will operate within acceptable parameters, not merely within the law. Collective approaches are becoming more common, in which businesses engage closely with communities to reach agreement on expectations. Allocating and protecting the quality of water are increasingly handled through co-governance approaches.
In this edition of Discovery we look at some of the readily available sustainable practice tools developed by Landcare Research specifically for New Zealand businesses. These tools help businesses know where they stand, they ensure integrity in the actions taken by businesses and reduce risk around the claims businesses make. We also offer insights into the early thinking and research around new sustainability topics that are starting to hit the business horizon.
The Enviro-Mark® management system is a good example of a tried and tested approach to reduce environmental impacts and communicate results in a simple and honest way to customers and other stakeholders. The examples in the article are high profile NZ companies, but rest assured, many smaller businesses in manufacturing and services also enjoy the benefits of the Enviro-Mark programme.
Enhancing sustainable practice in-house often leads companies to consider their supply chain. This is particularly important for those operating on the international stage, where evidence of emissions or a product footprint can make or break a deal. The article about product stewardship tackles this challenge and looks at what happens when a product is used or disposed of – and the end-of-life questions.
society (customers and local communities) and expectation that the businesses will operate within acceptable parameters, not merely within the law. Collective approaches are becoming more common, in which businesses engage closely with communities to reach agreement on expectations. Allocating and protecting the quality of water are increasingly handled through co-governance approaches.
Credible science underpins Landcare Research’s tools, advice and services for business and we often hear from our clients how important this is to them. Our science also helps us to uncover new opportunities for NZ businesses to keep up with international developments in areas such as water management, ecosystems services, biodiversity and sustainable land use.
Outlined in this issue are the concepts of ecosystems services and natural capital and why your business needs to understand what they mean. Landcare Research is working with the Sustainable Business Council and others to make this information and tools more readily available.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Discovery and welcome your questions, feedback and ideas on the topics we present here, or your own challenges with sustainable practice.