The primary purposes of Sustainability Matters are to improve the performance of New Zealand organisations from a sustainability, or "triple bottom" line perspective, and to advocate sustainability thinking and action.
Frequently this requires a change from "business as usual" to a different approach which not only reduces costs and improves financial performance but also results in much needed improved outcomes for people and our planet. We owe this to our children and to at least the next six generations i.e. seven generations.
The traditional measure of organisation success - financial outcomes - is an incomplete method of measurement and excludes key elements. These exclusions result in an "unbalanced scorecard".
Is this thinking new? No, far from it. Rachel Carson via her 1962 book "Silent Spring" was perhaps the person who more than any other alerted us to the need for changed thinking.
The thinking can be applied to entities of any size, in any sector, located anywhere.
Newsletters
As part of what we do a newsletter is published (usually) once very two weeks. It is four pages and is intended especially for chartered accountants** and those who use their services. It is distributed to subscribers by opt-in eMail. There is no ($) charge; donations are always welcome! By coincidence the newsletter is called Sustainability Matters.
** Because they have immense potential to influence others and to make huge positive differences to our world.
Sustainability Matters 13th September 2018
In this ‘supa-sized’ 6 page edition you can read about;
• Sustainability Working Group – Insights to 11th September 2001 action
• We Won’t Save the Earth With a Better Kind of Disposable Coffee Cup
• Global Soft Drink Firms Back Plan to Eliminate Packaging Waste
• Global Warming Visualisations
• How the World Measures Wellbeing
• Europe to Ban Halogen Lightbulbs
• World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm Opens in Irish Sea
• Technology Key for Energy Resilience
• Strengthening Communities
• Why the Topic of Modern Slavery is Coming to the Fore
• Two Job Vacancies
• Unlocking the Inclusive Growth Story of the 21st Century:
Accelerating Climate Action in Urgent Times
• An Environmental Ethic
• A Blueprint for Solving NZ’s Waste Problem
• People Fighting to Save the Planet
• Earth Photo 2018 Shortlist – In Pictures
• Act Now to Achieve Low-emissions Future
• Record Numbers as Finalists Announced for 2018 Sustainable Business
Network Awards
• Scotland’s Floating Turbine Smash Tidal Renewable Energy Records
• Sustainable Footwear Brand, Allbirds
• New Guidance Reporting Impact on the Sustainable Development Goals
• A New Blueprint for Business
• Practice of Destroying Finished Luxury Products to End
• India’s Largest City: Ban on Plastics Faces Big Obstacles
• How to Solve Our Paradox of Poverty and Plenty
• World Green Building Week 2018
• Court Quashes Trudeau’s Approval of Trans Mountain Pipeline
• Wide-Ranging Outcomes of Impact Investing
• Fighting Fire with Fire: California Turns to Prescribed Burning
• New Reporting Standard Offers a Holistic Approach to Water Stewardship
Across the Value Chain
• Seeing a Future in Improved Land.
• Sustainability Working Group – Insights to 14th August 2001 video-linked event
• A Powerhouse in Responsible Investment – Tessa Tennant Obituary
• Bottle Deposits – Coming Soon After Plastic Bag Ban?
• True to Label
• France to Set Penalties on Goods Packaged with Non-recycled Plastic in 2019
• Ensuring a Fit for Purpose Charities Act
• Changes to NZ’s Rubbish Strategy
• The World Is In a Plastic Pollution Crisis
• Think Resilience Guided Course
• Living the Change – Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future
• Sustainable Home Renovations
• New Act, New Approach, New Business
• Trust: A Cornerstone of Wellbeing – The Building Blocks for a Flourishing Society
• Plant-Based Butter Made from Chickpeas
• Half-price Solar for Victorians
• Should Rivers Have Rights? A Growing Movement Says It’s About Time.
Sustainability Matters 30th August 2018
In this edition you can read about;
• Sustainability Working Group – Insights to 14th August 2001 video-linked event
• A Powerhouse in Responsible Investment – Tessa Tennant Obituary
• Bottle Deposits – Coming Soon After Plastic Bag Ban?
• True to Label
• France to Set Penalties on Goods Packaged with Non-recycled Plastic in 2019
• Ensuring a Fit for Purpose Charities Act
• Changes to NZ’s Rubbish Strategy
• The World Is In a Plastic Pollution Crisis
• Think Resilience Guided Course
• Living the Change – Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future
• Sustainable Home Renovations
• New Act, New Approach, New Business
• Trust: A Cornerstone of Wellbeing – The Building Blocks for a Flourishing Society
• Plant-Based Butter Made from Chickpeas
• Half-price Solar for Victorians
• Should Rivers Have Rights? A Growing Movement Says It’s About Time.
Sustainability Matters 16th August 2018
In this edition you can read about;
• Sustainability Working Group – Insights to 14th August 2001 video-linked event
• New Zealand to Ban Single-use Plastic Bags
• The Reporting Exchange
• A Healthy Economy Should be Designed to Thrive, Not Grow
• Resilience and Future Wellbeing: Discussion paper
• Timber Mill Uses Wood Waste to Flip $1m Loss into $500,000 Profit
• Leading Businesses Back Study on NZ’s Plastic Packaging System
• The Big Questions – What is New Zealand’s Future?
• Sustainability Knowledge
• SBN Leadership in Sustainable Business Course
• Fossil Free Acceleration Tour
• Regenerative Qualities of WholeTrees©
• New Guidance for Companies to Report Their Impact on the SDGs
• Modern Slavery Act 2018 – Australia
• Rivers in the Sky: How Deforestation Is Affecting Global Water Cycles
• Supply Chain Sustainability School Australia
• What if Economic Growth Isn’t as Positive as You Think?
• Captured Plastic Recycled into Floating Parks
• Meet the Growing Source of GHG Emissions
Sustainability Matters 2nd August 2018
In this edition you can read about;
• Sustainability Working Group – Insights to 17th July 2001 meeting
• New Government Indicators – Significant Announcement
• Investing for Wellbeing Panel: Balancing Commercial and Social
Outcomes: Keynote Speech
• Reserve Bank Governor – Climate Leaders Coalition Briefing
• NZ Companies, Councils, Not ‘Walking Talk’ on Climate Risk
• Submissions – Proposed the Zero Carbon Bill
• The Upcoming Zero Carbon Bill: What it Means for NZ Organisations
• 16 of the World’s Leading Banks Collaborate to Tackle Physical Risks of
Climate Change
• Preparing for Stronger Refrigerant Regulations
• Researchers Use 36 years of Bike Race Footage to Illustrate Belgium’s
Changing Climate
• Carrots n’ beets Strengthen Concrete
• Bamboo Can Power Sustainable Development
• Barefoot is Best for Kids’ Bodies and Brains
• Rice Farmers are Substituting Ducks for Pesticides
• Electronics Recycling About to Get a World-wide Shake-up
• Economic Development NZ 2018
Sustainability Matters 19th July 2018
This edition is 6 pages rather than the usual 4 as was expected at the time of the most recent (19th June) edition.
Several stories merit greater length than they would usually receive;
• Sustainability Working Group – Insights to 17th July 2001 meeting
• 60 Leading Kiwi CEOs commit to Climate Action
• Demystifying the ‘Alphabet Soup’ of Reporting Frameworks
• Annual Earth Building Conference
• 25 Years Ago I Coined the Phrase ‘Triple Bottom Line’ – Time for a Rethink
• Government Dialogue on Natural Capital
• ‘Global Warming is Happening’ – Defence Adds Climate Change Issues
to its Strategy for the First Time
• New Book Promotes Kiwi Success
• Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference
• SBN Members Step up to Show Us Your Lunch Box!
• Indian Start-up is Turning Trash into Treasure
• Women Will Drive Transition to Electric Cars
• Ireland World’s First Country to Divest from Fossil Fuels
• Minister Promises to Extend Scope of Social Value Act
• Krill Fishing Industry Backs Massive Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary to
Protect Penguins, Seals and Whales
• Senate Inquiry says Ban All Single-use Plastics by 2023
• Crushed Porcelain from Old Toilets Transformed Into a Valuable Resource
• Trees That Count
• True to Label: Measuring Value in the Non-profit Sector in Aotearoa
New Zealand
• Incentivizing Sustainability Reporting by SMEs Through Policy: A Primer
• A Different Type of Ambulance
• Too Far Too Often – Energy Transfer Partners’ Corporate
Behaviour On Human Rights, Free Speech, and the Environment
• Climate Change and Agriculture: The Investment Implications
• Tourism and Sustainability
• Not Bowling Alone: How American Grassroots Communities are
Collaborating to Realise Effective Change
• Certified Sustainable Beef in Canada
Sustainability Matters 21st June 2018
This edition is 7 pages rather than the usual 4 firstly because there is so much going on.
Secondly, because of family activities it is unlikely there will be an edition on 5th July;
• Sustainability Working Group – Meeting and video-link facilities
• Zero Carbon Bill Consultation Opens
• Low-emissions Economy – Submissions in Response to Draft Report
• Mexico has Found a Beautiful Way to Clean its Polluted Air
• Investing for Wellbeing: Balancing Commercial and Social Outcomes
• Treasury Seeks Feedback on Proposed Living Standards Dashboard
• NZ’s First Ever Circular Economy Summit
• Auckland Council Green Bond Offer
• Child Car Seats – 8,000 recycled
• I’m Natural Not Plastic
• Event Series on Child Poverty, Wellbeing and Human Capital
• Entries Open for ‘Oscars of Sustainability’!
• New Zealand Waste
• Ecoware has Produced its First Comprehensive Sustainability Report
• Three Surprising Resource Implications From the Rise of Electric Vehicles
• Exploring the Impacts of Shareholder Activism on Sustainability:
A Shareholder Activism for Sustainability Report
• Beyond Paper and Promises: Assessing the Impacts of Corporate Pulp
and Paper Commitments on Forests and Frontline Communities
• Wellbeing and Public Policy Conference
• British MPs Want Big Companies to Report on Climate-change Risks
• Cornfields Could Play a Role in Recycling Old Electronics
• Thousands of RMA Breaches – Many Fewer Prosecutions
• Liquid Air Storage Technology Challenges Long-duration Battery Storage
• Resilience
• First of Its Kind Loan: Barclays’ Borrower Pays Less if Sustainability
Targets Are Met
• Organisational Fit for Purpose
• Recycle Yoghurt Pouches to Win Upcycled Prizes
• Researchers Map Environmental Conflicts
• What Are We Innovating For?
• Call for Papers: 17th A-CSEAR Conference
• An Alphabet of Reading Accessibility Issues
Sustainability Matters 7th June 2018
This edition is 5 pages rather than the usual 4 because there is so much going
on and secondly because the edition due 5th July may not be produced on account of family activities at that time;
• Sustainability Working Group – Meeting and video-link facilities
• If Humanity has Changed the Climate by Mistake, Can We Change it With Intent?
• Low-emissions Economy – Draft Report
• It Takes Passion and Vision to Create Change
• Systems Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Personal Resilience
• Expert Panel Critical of Government’s Climate Change Planning
• A Healthy Economy Should be Designed to Thrive, Not Grow
• Beyond GDP: Measuring New Zealand’s Wellbeing Progress
• Conscience and Resistance
• Feeding Cows Seaweed Cuts 99% of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Their Burps
• Integrated Reporting Training
• Top Tips for Finance Teams
• Resilience Reader: Essential Resources for an Era of Upheaval
• Seismic Thrift: Welcome to the Shopping Centre for Recycled Goods
• Plastic Waste In to Homes Costing US$280
• 2018 End of Childhood Report
• Food Index Calls Meat and Fish Companies Worth $152 Billion ‘High Risk’
• “Backward, Forward, Outward, Inward” the Four Dimensions of Materiality Assessment
• The Muddling of Price and Value
• Kiwi Couple Launch Green Businesses in Indonesia to Protect Sea Turtles
• We Are On Course to Double the Combined Effort of 11,000 Years in the Next 25 Years
• Alternative Protein Reports Published
• Rebooting Recycling – What can Aotearoa Do?
• Divesting from Fossil Fuels – 890 Institutions