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 29th September 2016
In this edition;
• Sustainability Group Events
• Climate Change and Business Conference 2016
• Heavy Lifters at Mangere Marae
• Fresh Focus Needed on Climate Change Governance
• Dilmah’s Philosophy of Caring and Sharing: A Conversation with Merrill Fernando
• The TTIP is Not a Free Trade Agreement
• ‘White Helmets’ of Aleppo – Two Stories
• Charity Begins With a Home
• 2016 Quality of Life Survey – NZ
• Recycling Flip Flops from Kenya’s Ocean Shores
• Innovative Use of Cat Advertising in London Tube
• SEC Probes Exxon over Accounting for Climate Change
• Risk and Return: Two Workshops to Help You Sell the Benefits of Risk-based Training – PLUS – Simple Test to Rate Your Risk Appetite
• An ‘Unexpected’ Outcome of Climate Change and Weather Events
• Today I Learned: Bees Could Help Save Elephants – By Scaring Them
• Water Footprinting Workshop
• Zero Tillage
• Risk Based Approach to Natural Hazards Under the RMA
• Sustainability Reporting Gives Local SMEs the Chance to Go Big
To see the newsletter click here.
Sustainability Matters 15th September 2016
In this “super-sized” edition;
• Sustainability Group Events
• National Strategy for Environmental Education for Sustainability
• Government Seeking Views
• Accounting Body CEO’s Call for Low Carbon Future
• Ever Thought of Working for UNPRI?
• Smart Water Networks Not a Pipe Dream
• Bougainville – Owners Walk Away
• Beating Weeds Saves Our Biodiversity
• Finalists Announced for 2016 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards
• Supporting Credibility and Trust in Emerging Forms of External Reporting: Ten Key Challenges for Assurance Engagements
• Banks Pump Billions into Deforestation-linked Firms in Southeast Asia: Study
• Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development Goals
• River Conference Planning Underway
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• Dow Jones Sustainability Indices Additions, Cuts Announced
• New Integrated Human Governance Report
• New Zealand Green Building Council Announces New Chief Executive
• The Hysteresis Effect and what It Means to Politics
• Exploring How and Why Trees ‘Talk’ to Each Other
• Total Plastic Ban in Karnataka
• Global Initiatives and UNDP Launch the Responsible Business SDG Centre
• Sick Oceans, Disease for Humans, Animals that’s Global Warming
• Named and Shamed: The Top Funds Blocking Climate Action
• The Rodale Institute’s 30-Year Farming Systems Trial Report
• 167 Tiny Maps Tell Major Change Story
• California Passes Toughest US Greenhouse Gas Laws
• Soil & Health and BioGro Merge: New Era
• A Preference for Permaculture
• Revolutionising Reporting: Why Care?
• Fossil Fuel Investments Out at Otago Uni
To see the newsletter click here.
Sustainability Matters 1st September 2016
• Sustainability Group Events
• Three Cities: Seeking Hope in the Anthropocene– Rod Oram
• I Spend My Time Writing About the Economy, But the Climate Data Hits Me Right in the Gut
• Britain’s Plastic Bag Use Drops 85% Since 5p Charge Introduced
• The Emergence of Regenerative Capitalism
• Opportunities to Consult in Japan!
• When You Want to Make the Future Happen, How Do You Make Every Word Count?
• Team Manager, Low Carbon Living
• We’re Under Attack from Climate Change – and Our Only Hope is to Mobilise Like We Did in WWII
• IFSWF Auckland 2016
• Contact’s 2015-2016 Sustainability Report Audited
• New Glue: A New Zealand Solution To a Sticky Problem
• Is the Environment a Moral Issue?
• World’s First Climate Refugees Scramble for New Home
• Toxic Chemicals Found in Drinking Water of 33 States
• How We React to Climate Change, Told Through the 5 Stages of Grief
• Energy – ‘Solar Tax’ Debate Exposes NZ Energy Fault Lines
• NZX Consults on Corporate Governance Best Practice Code
• Quote of the Week
• Taking Nature Into Account
• National MPs Join Green Climate Group
• Pressure Mounts to Reform Our Throwaway Clothing Culture
• Divergent Views – Nuclear Plant Closure
To see the newsletter click here.
Sustainability Matters 18th August 2016
• Sustainability Group Events
• Thirty Million
• Introduction to Permaculture
• Energy Landscapes: An Aerial View of Europe’s Carbon Footprint
• Just How Ethical are Socially Responsible Investments?
• A Thank You to Donors to Sustainability Matters
• Communicating in an Age of Authenticity: The Two Essentials for Business Success
• Design Thinking 101
• Restoration of an Urban River
• Trends and Opportunities – 2016 and Beyond
• Solar Thermal Collector
• ‘Limits to Growth Revisited’ Report Published
• How a Simple, Fun Smartphone Game Could Solve Some Serious Social Problems and Save Taxpayers Millions
• Two People Achieve 2,000 tonne Rubbish Clean Up
• The Littlest Big Problem You’ve Never Heard Of
• A Transparency Report
To see the newsletter click here.
Sustainability Matters 4th August 2016
• Sustainability Group Events
• It’s Time to Get Rid of All the Green Crap in Politics
• Which Diet Makes Best Use of Farmland? You Might be Surprised
• Best-practice Reporting Workshop
• Do You Derive Benefits from Sustainability Matters?
• Global Forced Displacement Hits Record High
• The Bottom Billion: Can We End World Poverty? → Saturday 6th August
• This Changes Everything Study Guide: Free Online
• Sticker Shock: The Soaring Costs of Germany’s Nuclear Shutdown
• Benefits from Reducing Water Consumption: A Case Study
• Philippines ‘Rattles the Cage’ of Climate Change
• The Natural Capital Protocol
• A ‘Powerful’ Submission
• Measuring Natural Capital in Business Just Got a Whole Lot Easier
• The Trickle-down Effect in Green Buildings Hasn’t Worked; Time to Move On
• Chernobyl Into a Massive Solar Farm
• Sustainability Reporting Growing in Asean, But Quality Lags
To see the newsletter click here.
Sustainability Matters 24th July 2016
• Sustainability Group Events
• How a Small Country School is Turning a Profit From the Land
• The Crisis of Rising Sea Levels – Water’s Edge
• Example of a UN Global Compact (UNGC) Report
• Do You Derive Benefits from Sustainability Matters?
• Michael Bloomberg Heading Global Taskforce on Climate Change
• The Art of Making Social Impact Interesting…
• A-CSEAR Conference 2016 – Call for Papers
• M&S Publishes its 2016 Plan A, and connected Annual and Human Rights Reports
• A Decent Life for Everyone On a Fabulous and Finite Planet – Prosperity Without Growth
• Fair Tax Mark
• Refugees, Migrants and Integration – What Level of Support Can they Expect?
• Can TV Weather Presenters Influence Our Thinking About Climate Change?
• Thought of the Week
• What will Church Leadership on Climate Change Look Like?
• Self-heating House – Auckland, NZ
• Time for a Better Capitalism
• Ten by Ten: Climate Change
To see the newsletter click here.
Sustainability Matters 7th July 2016
• Sustainability Group Events
• ACCA and CA ANZ Agree Landmark Strategic Alliance
• A ‘Magnificent’ Collection of Articles
• Government Releases Foreign Trusts Inquiry and Steps to Strengthen International Tax Rules
• Do You Derive Benefits from Sustainability Matters?
• How Accountants Can Help Save the Planet …..
• Cracks Appear in the Neo-liberal Consensus
• Getting Your Strategy Sorted
• The Master
• Our Children’s Trust Initiative Growing
• India’s ‘Plastic Man’ Turns Litter Into Paved Roads
• Care Provision Fit for a Future Climate
• G20 Nations Fail to Agree Phase Out of Fossil Fuel Subsidies
• Bonuses Paid Coal Executives while Rank-and-File Gets Health Benefits Cut
• Support: Growing Your Small Business
• EU Muddling on Glyphosate Fuelled Brexit Populism
• Don’t Demonise Those Who Help Avoid Tax Legally
• Something to Think About
To see the newsletter click here.