Part 2: Management and accountability
Environmental management
FaCS and ecologically sustainable development
FaCS has adopted a triple bottom line (TBL) approach to considering ecologically sustainable development in the way it thinks, acts and makes decisions.
The first FaCS TBL report covering the 2002–03 year provided an environmental performance baseline and made a number of commitments for FaCS to work towards better understanding and improving performance in targeted areas. The second FaCS TBL report provides environmental performance information for the 2003–04 year and progress against these commitments.
Measures to minimise FaCS' environmental impacts
In 2003–04 FaCS implemented a number of initiatives designed to improve the environmental performance of its operations. These included:
- a new property services contract that includes provisions to improve environmental data collection and reporting as well as the environmental performance of leased buildings
- a new cut paper contract with a supplier who meets FaCS' environmental standards and requirements
- a new contract for the supply of printers and photocopiers with a supplier who meets FaCS' environmental standards and requirements
- entering into the Greenhouse Challenge Agreement with the Australian Greenhouse Office, FaCS has agreed to report greenhouse emissions resulting from its operations and to implement measures to reduce these emissions
- commencing an arrangement with Cartridges 4 Planet Ark to recover and recycle or remanufacture all used printer toner and ink cartridges
- working towards implementing an environmental management system (EMS) and gaining ISO 14001 certification on two sites
- leasing an electric–petrol hybrid car for ministerial courier functions.
A full description of these initiatives, along with environmental performance data, can be found in the FaCS TBL report for 2003–04.
FaCS triple bottom line reporting
FaCS has adopted TBL reporting for the second consecutive year as a way of considering and recording the wider economic, social and environmental implications of its decisions and actions.
Once again, the indicators used in preparing the TBL report are drawn from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the guide to reporting against environmental indicators published by the Department of the Environment and Heritage. The second TBL report tracks progress made in meeting commitments made in the first, published in October 2003, and makes new commitments (or renews commitments) to improve performance in a number of areas. In this way continuous improvement is monitored and areas needing more attention are identified.
Both the Child Support Agency (CSA) and Centrelink worked closely with FaCS in producing these reports.
Summary of impacts
The areas of greatest impact for TBL reporting are:
- electricity consumption
- transport
- paper consumption
- waste and recycling
- water consumption.
Further details can be found in the FaCS triple bottom line report, available online at:
www.facsia.gov.au, by emailing TBL@facsia.gov.au or by writing to the Assistant Secretary—Resource Management Branch, PO Box 7576 Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610.| 2002–03 | 2003–04 | % change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total direct energy use | 23 930 380 megajoules (Mj) | 33 587 376 Mj | (a) |
| Total greenhouse gas emissions | 2.65 tCO2 –e/employee | 2.37 tCO2 –e/employee | –11% |
| Total paper consumed | 87.6 tonnes | 95.2 tonnes | +8.7% |
a Cannot be compared because of the increase in available data.