Sustainability and climate change governance survey

In 2011, NCSI conducted an online Corporate Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change Governance Survey. The survey was aimed at Australian senior and executive corporate managers and looked at current Australian corporate practices and aspirations concerning environmental sustainability and climate change.

NCSI has developed a detailed report based on the information uncovered by the survey, which attracted over 100 respondents from across 22 industry sectors.

It is clear from the survey results that most organisations have completed early steps in sustainability management with 75% of organisations having a dedicated environmental team.The survey confirms 65% of respondents are measuring their carbon emissions. Reporting is less common than measurement, with 55% of respondents reporting their carbon emissions.

There was a high number of organisations that had completed energy-efficiency and reduction plans. Energy-efficiency measures have been implemented by 81% of respondents. A quarter of the respondents that had implemented energy-efficiency measures had not undertaken an energy audit. Fewer than a half of the respondents with energy-efficiency measures have set targets for carbon emissions. There is a small but significant portion (21%) of organisations that are offsetting carbon emissions.

Organisations have also started looking at sustainability more broadly across their supply chain with 44% of respondents reporting procurement policies that give preference to environmentally preferable products, services and suppliers. With less than half of the respondents implementing sustainable procurement policies, this is expected to be an emerging focus area.

Full details of the survey report are available at: http://www.ncsi.com.au/Corporate-Environmental-Sustainability-Climate-Change-Survey-2011-Report.