To be a sustainable organisation, we must reduce our impact on the environment. To achieve this, we need to integrate sound environmental practices into all our functions.
To this end, during 2008–09, we:
- developed our Environmental Action Plan 2008–09 with plans to endorse it along with the Environmental Strategy 2009-12 by the end of 2009.
- extended our Environmental Management System to a third Canberra site
- reduced the energy used per person for office light and power by 15 per cent (but our central services energy use increased)
- increased our use of GreenPower
- introduced software changes to save computer energy use
- markedly increased our use of video conferencing
- added another Green Lease Schedule
- slightly reduced our overall water use in the ACT
- cut our paper use in half
- trialled organic waste recycling at a third Canberra office site
- decreased our air travel.
While we made some progress in reducing our organisation’s impact on the environment, the number of vehicles in our fleet increased, as did our associated fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions and our use of central services energy.
We still face challenges to further reduce our travel, paper and water use, and minimise our waste.
Environmental Action Plan 2008–09
In 2008–09 we developed our Environmental Action Plan 2008–09. This is scheduled for endorsement by the end of 2009.
Through the Greening FaHCSIA Program we continue to improve our use of resources such as energy and water, and to minimise our waste.
The program also integrates these practices into our day-to-day operations by providing effective staff communication, education and advice alongside the improved practices.
The Environmental Strategy 2009–12 is expected to be endorsed at the end of 2009 along with the environmental policy. Objectives in the policy will be reflected in the Corporate Environmental Management System, which is scheduled for completion by June 2010.
This work is carried out under the guidance of the Sustainability Steering Committee and will be endorsed by our Executive Management Group.
More details are in Attachment 3: Environmental Action Plan 2008–09 .
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