Sustainability business program's 40% growth

'If money grew on trees" by Jeff Hemmer; image courtesy of: Flickr/JeffHemmer  

VECCI has recorded 40 per cent growth in its sustainability program as businesses reach tipping point for action on climate change

Victoria’s peak business group, VECCI, believes Victorian business’ attitudes towards climate change have shifted from concern to tangible action, evidenced by a 40 per cent surge in participation in its sustainability program, Grow Me The Money.

More than 1,300 businesses have undertaken the program over the last three years, with Victoria’s leading sustainable businesses recognised for their carbon saving measures through the Grow Me The Money Awards for Action that have been announced.

The inaugural awards recognise participants’ innovative, creative and committed sustainability strategies. Entrants were asked to submit detailed action plans outlining key activities, targets, implementation dates and projected savings outcomes.

Announcing the 10 winners at an awards luncheon, Erin Simpson, Manager Products and Services, VECCI Sustainability Services said, “These winners are outstanding examples of Victorian businesses that are proactively tackling climate change in simple, achievable, low cost ways.

“Each winner submitted exceptional action plans that demonstrated real creativity, leadership and a holistic approach to business sustainability,” she said. “What’s especially pleasing is the diversity of businesses that entered, the imaginative but achievable actions they’ve set and the progress they’ve made on their sustainability journey.”

The winners are:

1-4 employees: Grassroots Productions, Able Plastics

5-15 employees: Organic Angels, Third Ecology

16-30 employees: McManus Real Estate, Australian Business Arts Foundation

31-99 employees: Express Promotions, Isuzu

100+ employees: Blake Dawson, The Body Shop

Ms Simpson added, “Despite the uncertainty surrounding carbon trading legislation, Victorian businesses are showing how achievable it is to reduce their carbon footprint – and save money - through simple, clever sustainability actions.

“With an improving economy and rising business confidence, organisations are looking to the future, and sustainability is top of mind as a business priority, as these winners have shown,” Ms Simpson said.

Grow Me The Money is a 12 step online program that helps SMEs become more sustainable and save money. So far, program participants have achieved an average 15.4 per cent reduction in their carbon footprint, and $6,600 in bottom line savings.

Recent analysis by VECCI found that businesses can deliver one-third of Australia’s 2020 emissions reduction target of 138 million tonnes (or 5 per cent below the 2000 level) by undertaking a sustainability program such as Grow Me The Money to achieve on average emissions cuts.

A snapshot of the winners:

Lara-based real estate firm, McManus Real Estate, has halved paper usage in the office, reduced energy heating/cooling related energy use by 15 per cent and reduced energy use from lighting by 30 per cent. It is also educating tenants and landlords on sustainability initiatives through an updated property inspection checklist incorporating measures such as installing shower heads, waters tanks, and energy efficient lighting, and via ‘green tips’ in its monthly newsletter. It has also developed a drought tolerant display garden in its head office to showcase water conservation measures to customers and the community.

Express Promotions, a printing, finishing and consumables business, remotely installs self-checkout software into libraries, reducing energy emissions for these installations by 80 per cent and achieved $12,000 in savings. It uses locally sourced couriers who package deliveries with reusable felt blankets instead of non biodegradable materials such as plastic bubble wrap or foam sheets.

Isuzu Australia Limited, Australia’s truck market leader, has introduced an office recycling program, ‘delamped’ secondary office areas, and introduced ‘Cool Biz’ whereby staff dress appropriately for the revised summer air conditioning temperatures now set at 24 degrees. It is also investing in new lighting technologies and coupled with a range of other initiatives expects to save around 20 per cent in energy during 2010. The company also plans to roll out green accreditation throughout its 70 dealership network through participation in Grow Me The Money.

Grassroots Productions, a full service event management company specialising in sustainable events including eco-weddings, has incorporated a Green Policy into contracts with suppliers which formalises environmental standards and ethics. It has also implemented the best practice Sustainable Event Management System across to monitor and measure event waste, carbon and other environmental impacts for all events. It has also created a green supplier database and green purchasing supply list.

Grow Me The Money is an online program designed to help small-to-medium sized businesses become more sustainable and save money. Participants are provided easy-to-use online tools via a personalised web account; given support and advice specific to their business; and learn from the experiences of others businesses through the online forum and networking events.

Businesses can join the Grow Me The Money online program by visiting their website here.