Establish sustainable work contexts

Before you can assess whether your organisation is compliant in areas of sustainability, you first need to understand what sustainability is.

What is Sustainability in the Workplace?

In 1987, the term sustainability was explained by the Bruntland Commission Report as focusing on ‘how we use our world and its resources now and the impacts that it will have on ourselves, but mostly on future generations and the health of the world’.

Sustainability can involve all aspects of one’s life including thinking and acting in a sustainable way throughout the daily routines, processes, practices and systems of an organisation. In other words, always consider how the actions of the business impact the planet.

Environmentally sustainable management means that you are aware of how your business affects (or has the potential to affect) the environment and that you take actions that lead to continuous improvement toward minimising your environmental footprint.

The word sustainability is commonly discussed and implemented at many levels around the world, but what does it really mean? Many people describe sustainability in several ways and have different feelings and attitudes about its relevance, need for existence, importance and how to be sustainable.

To be sustainable, it is important to know what sustainability looks like in action.

Benefits of workplace sustainability

Sustainability is considered the long-term goal, whereas environmental responsibility refers to the short-term thoughts, actions and operational processes developed by an organisation to become sustainable in the long-term. Sustainable development supports the changes, pathways and steps we take to become sustainable or the development that supports the present needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

As well as being environmentally responsible, making your business more sustainable has many benefits, including:

• Cost savings: Sustainable practices lower costs by minimising energy, water, wastage and materials.
• Business reputation: Customers and other stakeholders are eager to see and use businesses that support environmentally responsible practices and may be more likely to support your business when you work sustainably.
• Resource recovery: Reducing, reusing and recycling can be economically more profitable and is also an important element for economic and environmental sustainability.
• Work health and safety: Workplaces can see improved health and safety by reducing the use of hazardous substances and minimising waste.
• Legal compliance: Businesses that work towards meeting environmental protection laws will be deemed compliant.

Business commitment to sustainability

Two terms are commonly used to describe the ways in which businesses can demonstrate and measure their commitment to sustainability:

1. Environmental, social and governance (ESG)
2. Corporate social responsibility (CSR).

Environmental, social and governance

ESG is a framework based on quantifiable assessment measures for sustainable business practices. Using ESG as a strategy to develop or monitor sustainable practices involves setting measurable goals and using clearly defined performance metrics to determine whether the goals were achieved.

ESG strategies and assessments encourage businesses to act ethically. ESG strategies cover the following three areas:

1. Environmental: policies and procedures related to energy and water use, emissions and climate change, and the management and treatment of animals.
2. Social: policies and procedures related to interactions with stakeholders other than investors, such as employees and community relationships.
3. Governance: policies and procedures related to board and executive diversity, and compensation, and ethical accounting and financial reporting (Lutkevich B 2023).

Corporate social responsibility

CSR is a business model that aims to improve the environmental and social conditions for everyone through ethical corporate behaviour. Although more qualitative than ESG, good CSR improves morale and maintains good brand reputation (Lutkevich B 2023).

Components of sustainability

While sustainability can be applied to almost every aspect of a business, the three core pillars of sustainability are generally accepted as:

1. Economic (profit)
2. Social (people)
3. Environmental (planet).

Together, the three pillars are often referred to at the triple bottom line to show that there are three equal priorities to improve the overall economic value of a business.

DD: please reproduce the following image in the SOE style. Please number each segment of the Venn diagram and include all text below the image.

Economic pillar of sustainability

Economic sustainability balances making a profit with impacts on people and the environment.

DD: please reproduce the following image in the SOE style, but style horizontally and order Profit – People – Planet

Businesses cannot afford to behave unsustainably. If they use up all natural and human resources, then they cannot continue to function. Instead, economic sustainability ensures the organisation can continue to function and grow. Economic sustainability also brings several benefits to businesses, including reducing:

• energy waste, which increases savings
• staff turnover through better social practices (Prysmian Group n.d.).

Social pillar of sustainability

Humans need to have the desire and understanding to support the impacts of corporations or the world on people and society. Social sustainability seeks to improve the quality of life and provide high-quality education for all people and societies. It supports community development and equal opportunity. While laws govern societies, our ethics and morals determine social sustainability.

Social sustainability includes the conservation of cultural beliefs, cultural practices, heritage and culture as its own entity. The aim is to ensure that the existence of different cultures and their unique set of beliefs, morals, methods and collection of human knowledge will exist in the context of the future.

In business, social sustainability is about valuing the relationships with employers, employees and other stakeholders and the social value of the organisation’s processes and methods. These should be an important part of any business strategy and may include areas such as:

• Human rights
• Fair work
• Living conditions
• Health, safety and wellbeing
• Inclusion, diversity and equity
• Work/life balance.

According to the UN Global Compact, aiming for social sustainability can help businesses in several ways, including:

• Unlocking new markets
• Helping retain and attract business partners
• Becoming the source of innovation for new product or service lines
• Raising internal morale and employee engagement
• Improving risk management
• Improving company-community conflicts.

Environmental pillar of sustainability

When people hear ‘sustainability’, most will think about environmental sustainability. Environmental sustainability involves the balance between natural resource use and conservation to ensure the long-term quality and availability of natural resources.

Natural resources include:

• clean air and water
• fossil fuels, such as oil and natural gas
• building materials, such as sand and rock
• fertile soil
• plants and animals.

Environmental sustainability is reliant on action; talking about it does not make it better supported and build a healthier, more sustainable world, though it does engage more awareness. Sustainability involves small steps that build to big steps and, by exploring humans’ perceptions and treatment of the environment, observing how they have altered and threatened the very survival of humanity, demonstrates the need for our workplaces and future generations to embed responsible responses as soon as possible.

Sustainable development goals

There are 17 goals that were developed to be the international standard and benchmark against which every country and every workplace can compare themselves. Watch the following video (2:58 min) for an overview of the 17 UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Select each SDS goal to learn more about them.

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Watch the following video, Stocktaking | What it will take to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? | United Nations (3:09 min), to learn more about the progress of the SDGs since they were agreed upon in 2015.

Individual ecological footprint

An ecological footprint estimates how the world can biologically produce or reproduce the earth’s resources within the ratio of how much we use. It refers to how much of an impact—i.e. footprint—we leave behind due to our effect on the world and the changes we make.

Legislation, standards and policy guidance for businesses

While every individual contributes to sustainability, developing policies and procedures for entire businesses to follow tends to have a greater impact.

Australia has over 50 legislations that are relevant to environmental sustainability today and many of these are under review at the time of production of this content. In 1999, the Australian Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwth) was set forward (and commenced in 2000), providing 'a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places defined in the Act as matters of national environmental significance'.

They inform that the objectives of the EPBC Act (Cwth) are to:

• provide for the protection of the environment, especially matters of national environmental significance
• conserve Australian biodiversity
• provide a streamlined national environmental assessment and approvals process
• enhance the protection and management of important natural and cultural places
• control the international movement of plants and animals (wildlife), wildlife specimens and products made or derived from wildlife
• promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources
• recognise the role of Indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity
• promote the use of Indigenous peoples’ knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in cooperation with, the owners of the knowledge.

In 2013, an amendment occurred which embedded the importance of ‘making water resources a matter of national environmental significance, in relation to coal seam gas and large coal mining development’.

The Environment Protection (Vehicle Emissions) Regulations 2013 aim to minimise the negative effects of noise and emissions from motor vehicles by providing compliance information on air emissions (grossly polluted vehicle rule and diesel emission standards) and noise standards (noise tests and engine speeds) for vehicles on the road.

Learn more about the role of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) in administering the EPBC Act by reviewing the Our role in protecting the environment under the EPBC Act webpage.

You can also explore more resources specifically related to climate change, including Australia’s climate change strategies and Emissions reporting, at the DCCEEW Climate change webpage.

Local sustainability legislation

It is important to note that each state and territory will also have their own coinciding legislation and codes. Use the hyperlinks to view each of the following examples.

State or Territory	Sustainability Acts, Codes and Guidelines
Australian Capital Territory	Environment Protection Act 1997
	Environment Protection Authority
New South Wales	Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997
	NSW Environmental Legislation
Northern Territory	Environment Protection Act 2019
	Environmental protection legislation
	Environmental assessments
Queensland	Environmental Protection Act 1994
	Information for business and industry
South Australia	Environment Protection Act 1993
	Environment protection legislation
	Codes of practice
Tasmania	Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994
	Information on environmental policies and legislation
Victoria	Environment Protection Act 1970
	Environmental legislation
Western Australia	Environment Protection Act 1986
	Environmental legislation
	Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016

Licenses and Permits

Each business is different and has different uses of the Earth’s resources and hence, impacts on these. Many businesses need specific licenses or permits to allow their business to operate.

Principles

The following Environmental Principles (2020) were created in line with the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (Cwth) and Australian Environmental policies. The principles are:

Principle	Definition	Woekplace example
Ecological integrity and maintaining biological diversity (Biodiversity)	Conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration. This includes protecting all life forms; plants, animals and microorganisms understanding their intense interconnection in terms of each other’s survival.	SME to provide basic examples for each principle
Integrating environmental, social and economic considerations in decision- making	Environmental factors should be included in the valuation of assets and services (economy), including those generating pollution and waste. Users of goods and services should bear these costs. Environmental goals, having been established, should be pursued most cost-effectively, by establishing incentive structures, including market mechanisms, which enable those best placed to maximise benefits or minimise costs to develop their solutions and responses to environmental problems.
Precautionary behaviour	Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation. In the application of the precautionary principle, decisions should be guided by careful evaluation and assessment of risk (risk management) to avoid, where practicable, serious or irreversible damage to the environment.
Equity for each generation and between generations	The present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment are maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations (quality of life).
Waste minimisation	All reasonable and practicable measures should be taken to minimise the generation of waste and its discharge into the environment.
Democracy and governance	The process of informing participation and transparency of communities in situations of potential impact on actions.
Involving the community	Collaboration and involvement of communities’ work towards long-term goals for sustainability.
Continual improvement	Continual improvement is required for sustainability processes including the containing, and minimising use of natural resources and production of damaging elements such as plastics and reviewing the impacts of elements, such as waste and environmental pollutants.
Emissions	Actively identify and implement (where practical) improvements to minimise the production of greenhouse gases through our everyday activities.
Consumption	Actively identify and implement (where practical) improvements to minimise consumption and promote efficient use of energy, water, paper and other material inputs.
Transport	Consider environmental factors when purchasing and using fleet vehicles and travel sustainably when practical.
Infrastructure	Ensure all new capital works programs and office relocations incorporate comprehensive environmental sustainability principles.
Compliance	Comply with all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and policies.
Monitoring	Monitor and review your environmental performance against annually reviewed targets. Improve the quality of data collected and reported.
Communication	Communicate our environmental performance to all staff and stakeholders while encouraging participation and feedback.

Policies

When developing a workplace sustainability policy, it is important to tailor it to the needs of your organisation. Several policy templates are freely available online and you can sometimes access the policies of similar businesses as a point of comparison.

For example, review and compare the partially completed template Environmental Sustainability Policy from the Institute of Community Directors Australia with the final policy from Goolwa Children’s Centre.

Diverse Thinking About Sustainable Practices

In any workplace, there will be different views about sustainability, its relevance and importance in the business world. It is important that all stakeholders understand the broad benefits of engaging in environmentally responsible practices, both in a business and environmental sense. Variations in views may be due to experience, interest, education, generational influence and culture. For example, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a slightly different take on sustainability given their intrinsic and spiritual connection to the earth, land, water, air, community, flora, fauna and ecosystems:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use practices to read the environment and provide what the earth needs for survival, which is ultimately the survival of their communities. They have always used sustainable practices in their everyday management of the land and understand the interconnectedness and interdependence of all life forms. Some common examples include placing plants where needed to sustain environments, using fire for controlling ecosystems, and knowing when to fish, hunt and harvest. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people consider the regeneration and cycles and patterns as law, and interrupting this is seen as an act against the laws of nature. They are always considering a sustainable concept known as the survival of seven generations.

Ron (Deganadus) McLester, Executive Director and Special Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Initiatives, explains the sustainability concept of Seven Generations in the following video (2:35 min).

First Nations sustainability concepts

Concept	Explanation
Mother Earth as a Life-Giving Force	In many First Nations languages, Mother Earth is depicted as a living person. If the inhabitants of this world continue to desecrate her, then she will no longer be a life-giving force.
Laws of Nature	There was a time and season for all life-sustaining activities. Animals were not killed during their reproductive cycles.
Life-Sustaining Elements of the World	Air: The essential element of humans and all life forms. It also involves how one thinks and speaks. Earth: Provides food and many other life-sustaining materials and resources. Fire: Provides heat and light. The Sun is fire. Water: Cools and nurtures, makes life and growth possible. Balance among the four basic elements, the innate capacities of humankind and the life-sustaining elements of nature make it possible to live well and comfortably.
Interrelationships and Interconnectedness	Take no person, animal, or thing for granted. Everyone and everything has a role and a place.

Legal duty and codes of practice

Each state and territory has individual requirements regarding business licensing, operations, sustainable practice and environmental responsibility to ensure the prevention of environmental harm, nuisances and contamination. Each business will have a legal obligation and duty to these conditions, which apply to all businesses. Non-compliance can result in offences set by the jurisdictional environmental authority (EA).

View your state or territory’s environmental code of practice and EA for more information.

The following are hyperlinks to some examples of state-based guidelines.

• Business Queensland:
  • Meeting environmental obligations and duties
  • Environmental codes of practice for industry
• EPA Victoria:
  • Understanding your environmental obligations
• DCCEEW:
  • National Waste Policy

Determine legislative and regulatory requirements relevant to the work area

As discussed previously, there are several pieces of legislation, regulations and standards relating to sustainability. To determine the aspects that apply to your business and specific work area, you must be able to accurately analyse these types of documents.

SME input required here.

Your turn!

How to assess organisational compliance

Once you have identified the compliance requirements, legislation, regulations, standards and codes of practice that are relevant to your organisation and specific work area, you must then assess the extent to which the business is compliant.

While the exact process of determining organisational compliance will depend on the business and the practices you are investigating, the following are the general, broad steps you would take.

1. Identify all compliance requirements for the practice, including relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
2. Collect data on environmental efficiency and sustainability of the current practice.
3. Analyse data and identify areas for improvement.
4. Consult with stakeholders and external sources for best practice sustainable processes.
5. Develop efficiency targets and methods to monitor progress.
6. Implement the new operational practices and procedures.
7. Assess the outcomes of the new processes using the monitoring tools and method developed.

The Australian Government provides support and general guidance for environmental management in business. Explore the Manage your environmental impact webpage for more details and relevant links.

Data Collection and Audit Practices

There are many methods for assessing how the business is managing environmental systems and working sustainably.

These may include:

• Conducting internal audit on each commodity that uses paper
• Manual estimates
• Power meters
• Measuring by using recycling records to determine the change per month
• Reviewing purchase orders over a period of time
• A comparison of the bills by the energy provider
• Using a waste contractor to weigh the waste amount or calculate by volume
• Getting an external independent audit.

Every workplace will have competing priorities, including when it comes to sustainability development. The organisation may have mission statements, procedures and policies regarding their priorities for sustainability, just as they have for other areas, such as WHS. These support the knowledge, streamline implementation and awareness of KPIs and targets for sustainable actions and requirements in practice.

Depending on the business, different directions may be evident; these might relate to costing procedures, approvals and sales systems.

SME input required here.

For example, stage gating systems may be implemented to decide whether the target is related to a particular product, product range or all areas of the business and how the customer or client has driven or encouraged the goals. A stage gating system is a business road map that is designed to move a new product or project from idea to launch. Breaks or ‘gates’, where the leadership assesses and approves each phase, are included in the plan. Concept, development, industrialise and launch phases are common phases in the stage gating system. In between these stages, there will also be costings approvals, where the business will assess the costs and benefits of implementing sustainable strategies.

Data collection

Data collection is the process of finding out numerical information about various sustainability practices or environmental impacts. Some common areas to audit include:

1. Emissions, such as greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide
2. Consumption patterns, such as of utilities or finite consumables
3. Waste production, such as type and amount of disposable items.

Emissions

SME input required here.

Emissions is a term used to account for all harmful gases, such as greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, produced directly or indirectly by a business and its activities.

Greenhouse gases are substances that move into the atmosphere and trap heat against the Earth’s surface in a process called the greenhouse effect. Increases in amounts of greenhouse gases increase the amount of heat that the atmosphere can trap, causing the enhanced greenhouse effect and contributing to global warming. Even tiny increases in the planet’s overall temperature cause climate change - where long-term, consistent weather conditions and patterns are shifting and becoming unpredictable.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the main greenhouse gases and is produced by the burning of wood, petroleum, oil and natural gas.

Monitoring and reducing CO₂ emissions is a critical step in reducing global warming and climate change.

The Clean Energy Regulator provides several spreadsheet templates to help businesses calculate their emissions, solid waste and wastewater production.

Consumption patterns

SME input required here.

Consumption patterns are the trends in the types of items and the number or amount of each consumable that is used in a particular process or by a business as a whole. To determine consumption patterns, you can collect data from purchasing histories or stock inventories. You may discover consumption trends can change cyclically - for example, electricity usage may be higher in winter months than in summer.

Waste production

A waste audit examines the types and amounts of items that are thrown away – typically over 24 hours. The disposal systems are evaluated in terms of the effectiveness of source separation. The items are classified according to relevant requirements of the workplace, for example as recyclable, landfill, or compostable. Specific types of waste are then measured in terms of number of items or by weight.

Waste audit data includes information about:

• Waste diversion rate – the quantity of waste that is diverted from landfill, such as by upcycling, recycling or composting.
• Capture rate – the quantity of recyclable materials that make it into the recycling program successfully. In other words, checking the amount of recyclable materials that end up going to landfill.
• Contamination rate – the quantity of non-recyclable materials that are disposed of in recycling bins and recyclable materials that are disposed of in the incorrect recycling bin. Highly contaminated recycling loads cannot be recycled and so will end up in landfill (Brown 2022).

Waste audits are a great way to identify where staff education is required to support correct waste disposal.

In summary, an environmental audit is a management system where a tool is used to systematically, objectively and periodically evaluate and document environmental performance in the workplace in line with set outcomes or requirements. This assesses risk, controls and improves areas within the workplace. You might like to create your own audit or self-assessment checklist relating to areas of your business’s environmental impact, using the environmental principles as a guide.

Analyse the data

Once you have collected your data, you need to analyse it to draw conclusions and identify areas for improvement.

EMS and reliable data

It is beneficial to have an environmental management system (EMS) to collect and analyse your data. This ensures consistency in how processes of measurement and analysis are conducted. More reliable conclusions can be drawn if you consistently use the same approach to collecting data. Long-term trends can be accurately determined if you collect data from the same work areas in the same manner over several periods. you could compare results from the same department over different months or years or compare the data from different departments or processes. Using graphs to present data can make trends visually clear, making them easier to understand and share with stakeholders.

Analyse Data

After collecting data, you should analyse it and review your organisation’s practices and strategies in line with the environmental principles. You may wish to analyse such areas as:

• General waste
• Hazardous and chemical waste management
• Land requirements
• Energy use
• Vehicle use
• Water use.

Areas for improvement are easily identified where the data does not meet the sustainability requirements or targets. If you have long-term data or historical audits to analyse, you can determine trends or patterns in the data. The trends may show improvements, no change or a decline in sustainability. You can use trend data to monitor the progress of sustainable work practices.

Analysing numerical data requires several techniques, depending on the type and source of data involved. Some common calculations required for analysing sustainability data include:

1. measuring water and electricity use
2. calculating metric measurements
3. calculating quantities
4. calculating ratios
5. financial calculations.

Measuring water use

Water usage is measured in kilolitres (kL). 1 kL is 1 000 litres. Every residence and business place has a water meter that measures the amount of water that is used by the premises. To calculate water usage, you need to know how to read the water meter. The following video, How to read your water meter and check for leaks (2:06 min), is an easy guide to help you measure water use.

Three methods can be used when measuring water in the workplace.

Method 1: Water bill

Read your water bill. The water bill will tell you exactly how much water has been used within a specific period.

Method 2: Calculator tools

You can calculate your daily average water usage using an online calculator tool, such as those provided by Sydney Water. The tool allows you to enter calendar dates or number of days in a period, total water usage amount or water bill information to calculate the average amount of water used each day in the period you are looking at. You can also do these calculations yourself.

For example, assume that your total water usage for a billing period of 30 days was 5.25 kL and you want to know what your average daily use is. Simply divide the total usage by the number of days in the billing period. Remember that 1 kL = 1 000 L!

$$\begin{aligned}\mathsf{Average\;daily\;usage}\;&=\;\frac{\mathsf{Total\;amount\;of\;water\;used}}{\mathsf{Number\;of\;days\;in\;period}}\\\\&=\;\frac{5\,250}{30}\\\\&=175\;\mathsf{L}\end{aligned}$$

Method 3: Meter measurements

First, read the water meter to calculate the volume of water used each day in the period you wish to calculate. You should read the meter at the same time each day during this period.

To document your measurements, it is best to create a table. You may wish to do this digitally or with pen and paper. Make sure to plan the number of columns and rows you will need and include appropriate headings and units.

The following table is an example of a record of water meter readings over four days. The first day you record the reading is Day 0, because you can’t calculate the usage for this day. It just gives you a starting point for the measured usage.

Day	Time	Water meter reading (kL)
Day 0	8 am	5 250
Day 1	8 am	5 500
Day 2	8 am	6 012
Day 3	8 am	6 020
Day 6	8 am	6 040

Next, calculate the difference between consecutive days to get the total usage for the previous day. Then add all the daily usage amounts to calculate the total usage for the period. Examples of these calculations have been demonstrated in the following table, using the data collected in the previous table.

Day	Calculation	Total daily water use
Day 1	(Day 1 reading) - (Day 0 reading) 5 550 - 5 250 kL	= 250 kL
Day 2	(Day 2) - (Day 1) 6 012 - 5 550 kL	= 462 kL
Day 3	(Day 3) - (Day 2) 6 020 - 6 012 kL	= 8 kL
Day 4	(Day 4) - (Day 3) 6 040 - 6 020 kL	= 20 kL
Total usage for this period		250 + 462 + 8 + 20 = 790 kL

Finally, now that you have the total water usage for the period, you can calculate the average daily usage using the same equation from Method 2.

$$\begin{aligned}\mathsf{Average\;daily\;usage}\;&=\;\frac{\mathsf{Total\;amount\;of\;water\;used}}{\mathsf{Number\;of\;days\;in\;period}}\\\\&=\;\frac{790}{4}\\\\&=197.5\;\mathsf{kL}\end{aligned}$$

While this method takes longer, it allows you to determine the days you are using the most amount of water. From these calculations, you can see that the most amount of water used was on day two.

Measuring electricity

Electricity is measured in Watts (W). The equivalent three methods can be used to measure electricity as to measure water usage:

Method 1: Electricity bill

Reading your electricity bill. The electricity bill will tell you exactly how much electricity has been used within a specific time.

Method 2: Calculator tools and devices

Calculate the energy use or annual running cost of any appliance within the workplace using an online appliance electricity cost calculator, such as the one provided by Reduction Revolution. The electrical cost calculator allows you to work out how much electricity is being used by one appliance over a year.

You can also buy an appliance power meter. A power meter is a device that plugs into the wall socket and the appliance is then plugged into the power meter. The power meter measures the amount of electricity (energy) used by the appliance that is plugged in.

Method 3: Meter measurements

First, read the electricity meter to calculate the amount of energy used each day in the period you wish to calculate. You should read the meter at the same time each day during this period.

To document your measurements, create a table with the appropriate number of columns and rows. Don’t forget to include headings and units where necessary.

The following table is an example of a record of electricity meter readings over four days. Remember that Day 0 is to work out the starting point for the measured usage.

Day	Time	Electrical meter reading
Day 0	8 am	2 500 W
Day 1	8 am	3 500 W
Day 2	8 am	3 750 W
Day 3	8 am	4 080 W
Day 4	8 am	5 000 W

Next, calculate the difference between consecutive days to get the total usage for the previous day. Then add all the daily usage amounts to calculate the total usage for the period. Examples of these calculations have been demonstrated in the following table, using the data collected in the previous table.

Day	Calculation	Total daily energy use
Day 1	(Day 1 reading) - (Day 0 reading) 3 500 – 2 500 W	= 1 000 W
Day 2	(Day 2) - (Day 1) 3 750 – 3 500 W	= 250 W
Day 3	(Day 3) - (Day 2) 4 080 – 3 750 W	= 330 W
Day 4	(Day 4) - (Day 3) 5 000 – 4 080 W	= 920 W
Total usage for this period		1 000 + 250 + 330 + 920 = 2 500 W

Finally, now that you have the total electrical usage for the period, you can calculate the average daily usage using the following formula.

$$\begin{aligned}\mathsf{Average\;daily\;usage}\;&=\;\frac{\mathsf{Total\;amount\;of\;electricity\;used}}{\mathsf{Number\;of\;days\;in\;period}}\\\\&=\;\frac{2500}{4}\\\\&=625\;\mathsf{W}\end{aligned}$$

As with calculating water usage, this method of measuring usage provides more detail around differences in usage across the period being examined.

How to calculate metric measurements

SME input required here.

How to calculate quantities

To measure water and energy usage, you measure the flow of the resource into the workplace as a whole or to a specific appliance. However, many resources are used in discrete units, such as reams of paper, cans of dog food or the number of bolts.

To measure the usage of these types of resources it can be easier to examine ordering invoices or record every time a new packet is opened.

For example, to calculate the average amount of paper used per person, per day you need to find out the total amount of paper used during a certain period. You can do this by recording the amount of paper that is used over a period, say a month, and then dividing this number by the number of days in the period. This will give you the daily average usage of the resources. Then divide the daily average usage by the number of personnel who use that resource to calculate the average amount per person, per day. You can then use figures like these to compare work areas or compare efficiencies of different procedures.

SME input required here.

How to calculate ratios

SME input required here.

How to calculate financial information

SME input required here.

Areas for improvement

Based on your data analysis and sustainability requirements, you should be able to identify areas for improvement. Some key organisational systems and procedures that relate to environmental and resource sustainability improvements include:

1. Supply chain, procurement and costing strategies
2. Quality assurance
3. Recommendation development and seeking approvals
4. Sales strategies and operations.

Supply chain, procurement and costing strategies

SME input required here.

Supply chain

The supply chain describes all the steps and logistics processes involved in obtaining all raw materials, converting them into products and distributing them to the end users. An efficient supply chain can minimise environmental impact by reducing the distances required to transport materials and by minimising waste.

The Supplier Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) can be used to help identify areas of improvement in the supply chain.

Download a copy of the SAQ from Ceres to learn more about it and use it in your own supply chain assessments.

Procurement

Procurement is the process of obtaining physical items and services that are required for the business to function. For example, sustainable procurement may involve choosing a local supplier rather than an international competitor to reduce transport emissions and to support local industry.

Costing strategies

Costing strategies are used to determine the best price for the products and services your business provides. Effective costing strategies must ensure the business can continue to successfully produce the product or deliver the service sustainably while maintaining an attractive price for customers.

Quality assurance

SME input required here.

Recommendation development and seeking approvals

SME input required here.

Recommendation development

Seeking approval

Sales strategies and operations

SME input required here.

Sales strategies

Sales operations