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FAQs
The services we provide are unique in the market in that we offer one-on-one consulting business services in sustainability development within professional service business providers. Here are some routinely asked questions in regard to our Net Positive Program, the answers to which should guide your way to being more informed about our service provision.
Why Sustainability?
In 2024 sustainability is a subset of quality assurance for your business – because it connects your business with the realities our society and our economies are facing and that has financial, legal and governance impacts. It is also worth noting that businesses that are not across this, voluntarily accept increasing business risk, and with the pace of change and disruption, this inherent business risk increases, year on year, until a point of no return. But the flipside of risk is opportunity. Embedding sustainability as a business strategy opens the door to competitive advantage, in increasing efficiencies and lowering cost, in engaging staff and enhancing workplace culture, in becoming an employer of choice and improving brand appeal in a burgeoning green economy upon us.
Why The Net Positive Program?
The Net Positive Program has been 3 years the making. It is the only program designed specifically for SME professional service businesses in Australia. In terms of outcome the program certifies a firm as Net Positive, with a ISO9001-mapped quality sustainability management system embedded within your business to turn sustainability into a process of incremental improvement - a business improvement process. We have benchmarked best practice using the brightest shining stars of sustainability from methodologies of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, being alumni members, from best practice advanced by the literature, peak-bodies and from best practice in industry - for example in the Architecture space we look to what is advanced as best practice by both the Australian and American Institute, the RIBA along with exemplars of best-practice from leading firms across the world. Let us be very clear about this, we’re not embedding sustainability just as a matter of philanthropy, not just a good will exercise – we’re using sustainability as a vehicle to drive business improvement and achieve competitive advantage, which is a totally different ball-park.
What does it mean to embed sustainability as a business strategy?
If you want meaningful, lasting change in business, change that is truly transformational then you need to embed, to effectively develop and implement business strategy. In 2024, we need conversations about climate, nature and biodiversity, about social equity to enter into decision making and policy. It's in a business' interest to do so, investors' interests and all stakeholders interests. You cannot do business on a dead planet. We benchmark industry best-practice and international standards to develop your unique business strategy dependent on your values and the direction you want to take your company to 2030 and beyond. The significance in benchmarking best practice is that the strategy and goals you set are developed within the framework of established industry best-practice, This all feeds into a quality sustainability management system in your business to turn sustainability into a process of incremental improvement - a business improvement process.
What are some of the benefits of embedding sustainability?
We’ve seen architects that have strengthened their tender applications by being able to speak to their ESG impacts and mitigation measures. And this has happened after just a few months into the program. We’ve seen an IT firm’s carbon neutrality opening doors to corporate contracts – corporate clients are increasingly interested in dealing with sustainable suppliers. We’ve seen a law firm provide a testimonial that embedding sustainability and implementing a philanthropic poverty program as being one of the most inspirational things they had done to impact corporate culture. In fact, what the literature is suggesting is that when leaders commit to their organisation becoming a part of the solution in real terms, not just ad hoc measures like buying biodegradable coffee cups for staff, but introducing sustainability as a value that the firm will propagate in all it does, when leaders do that, staff rally behind perhaps the greatest cause of our generation, and engagement drives improved innovation, brand loyalty and even profitability. And this is not just theoretical research, we’re seen this in our client’s staff bodies, as we survey staff in terms of their engagement as they go through the program. It’s a kin to the rallying against a common enemy - think the US or Britain in World War 2 - comradery goes up, people give more than a damn and that is percentage points in engagement (and in small firms it is not just a few percentage points). That is a noticeable impact and noticeable improvements in engagement and productivity, esp if there is that shift across your entire staff body.
What does Net Positive certification mean?
Net Positive: A New Standard in Sustainability for SMEs Relevant organisations that have successfully achieved the milestones of our Net Positive Program will be certified as abiding by the standard below. We are in a consultation phase with the development of the standard which will be launched later in the 2024. The Net Positive professional service provider will operate differently from the norm today. It will, for instance, eliminate more carbon than it produces, rely solely on renewable energy and sustainably sourced materials, create zero waste, and design all processes and outputs for full circularity. Additionally, it will replenish and purify all the water it uses. As a people-centric company, it will ensure that everyone in its value chain earns a living wage. The company will promote extensive opportunities for inclusion across all races and abilities, achieve gender balance in management, and ensure pay equity. Through its services and purpose-driven initiatives—not merely through philanthropy—it will contribute to the well-being of consumers and communities. Organisations that display the Net Positive logo will have been through a rigorous sustainability management audit that has assessed their ability to create policy that has been mapped to international conventions that demonstrably move the needle on sustainability and account for their emissions responsibly. This necessarily means they have benchmarked what best practice in sustainability represents in their industry and have used that framework in which to develop their policy settings, such that their policy in turn represents best practice. This is the starting point of every Net Positive company, as sustainability needs an ecosystem of implemented best-practice to thrive and flourish.
What other certifications are available?
In regard to claiming carbon neutrality we can use ISO14068 or section 2 of the Australian (Climate Active) Carbon Neutral Standard for Organisations to self-certify as is completely valid using the Australian standard. We can also register your carbon neutral claim under section 3 of the Australian (Climate Active) Carbon Neutral Standard for Organisations, which will allow you to use the Climate Active logo under license for your marketing purposes. This also comes at an additional cost. There is also the new ISO14068, which is particularly relevant if you are an international business. Built upon and replacing PAS 2060 (carbon neutrality), ISO 14068-1 specifies principles, requirements and guidance for achieving and demonstrating carbon neutrality through quantifying, reducing and offsetting your carbon footprint. We can also arrange for ISO14068 certification at an additional cost.
Why shouldn't I just wait for government regulation to come in?
Yes, you absolutely can. And in that event, you are a laggard. But there is a rapidly narrowing window of opportunity to take a first mover advantage in a burgeoning green consumer economy, to transform your business into a sustainability leader, authentically and holistically. There is a low-carbon economy taking shape around us as we speak, and you can not only snap into this regime with minimal disruption over time but at the same time join the movement to enable climate resilient development. Why move now? Because sustainability is no longer just a matter of reputation and trust, but an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. And put simply, businesses that move now get incremental improvements in competitive advantage month on month, over time. So, when the laggards begin to move on the back of government regulation in a few years, they will be competing against vastly more competitive players who have taken that first mover advantage, now.
Can I do this with the resources I have?
If you are a smaler firm, we provide one-on-one support throughout the journey and work closely with either the directors or a sustainability lead. The Net Positive Program is delivered in 9 touchpoints tracking over 4 to 6 months with work being done behind the scenes, which may involve 2-3 hours a week for smaller firms. All materials and learning resources are provided. We suggest a process of delegation by setting up a steering committee which involves your staff and attracts staff engagement buy-in. Ultimately the workflow culminates in a KPI dashboard by which you will navigate the success of your sustainability journey into the future, and manage for incremental improvement by dealing with gaps and celebrating milestones met.
How much will this cost?
The cost involved depends on your needs, the size of the firm and the amount of work required. Prices also fluctuate from time to time so please contact us for a quoted rate. But to put some perspective on the Net Positive Program cost, it would be less than a tenth of the cost to hire someone full-time to try to do this for you who most usually will have a tenth of the expertise. It is also useful to consider the Cost of Inaction, the lost opportunity of incremental improvement to your business and the competitive advantage it brings month on month, over time.
Let's Work Together
We are a boutique consultancy with limited capacity - please contact us to plan towards the fulfilment of your sustainability development needs.