I am writing this blog entry from the lovely Brunei on the island of Borneo. I am participating in the 2011 Global Sustainability Summer School (GSSS) organised by IBM and The University of Brunei Darussalam (UBD). The GSSS brings together fifteen international researchers, students and professionals and fifteen local Bruneian participants for a 2 week series of sustainability lectures and activities. The GSSS is an element of Brunei’s 2035 vision to diversify for a post-oil and gas economy.

The participants in the programme come from various sustainability-related fields such as: clean energy, climate change science, green building, systems thinking and complexity, sustainable fishing, corporate social responsibility etc. This strong interdisciplinary focus has been enriching and it has been interesting to be one of the two participants in the programme coming from a ‘business sustainability’ background. Our current global environmental problems are entrenched in such complex ecological and social systems that they demand a concentrated and holistic approach.

I work with clients to develop multifaceted sustainability strategies which don’t just focus on ‘carbon’. There are many other elements that should be integrated into the strategy – even if we consider only the environmental aspects of sustainability. Organisations themselves are complex systems operating in even more complex economic and social systems. To solve the challenges companies will inevitably meet on their sustainability journey all functions of the business need to be involved.

In engaging in the discussions and activities at the GSSS thus far, I have already gained a revitalised understanding as to why it is so important that we continue to work to reduce the impact of our industrial activities. Over the last 4 days I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to presentations from eminent speakers around complex systems thinking, climate modelling and clean energy. I am excited about the programme over the next 10 days which includes debates around technology and innovation and a weekend field visit to the pristine rain forest in Kuala Belalong!

This month, the Green Growth Advisory Group launched it’s discussion document ‘Green Growth – Issues for New Zealand‘. The discussion document introduces three topics for discussion:

1. Leveraging our ‘clean and green’ reputation in global markets
2. Smarter use of innovation and technology
3. SME transition to lower carbon economy

There has been criticism from senior business leaders on the watered down stance of the Green Growth Discussion Document. I think it is a step in the right direction and it is good to see that the Government seems to be beginning to listen to warnings and criticism regarding the 100% pure and clean & green branding of New Zealand. We certainly have a lot of catching up to do.

I am particularly interested in the third discussion document issue ‘SME transition to lower carbon economy’. The comments raised in the discussion document in terms of the growing requirements on NZ SMEs to adopt environmental management practices is something that we have known for some time. The discussion document also touches on the difficulties that New Zealand SMEs face in transitioning towards the ‘lower carbon economy’.

A few of the vast range of certification programmes and schemes

One of the key problems that SMEs face is the question about what environmental programme or certification scheme is the right one for them. There are a whole range of different sustainability and environmental labels, membership programmes and certification schemes in New Zealand alone. Owners and Managers in SMEs are focused on delivering their products and services and keeping their business alive from one day to the next. They are not sustainability experts. It is no wonder that companies are confused.

The choice of the ‘right’ environmental certification scheme will be specific to each individual organisation. It depends on many factors such as:

• What industry is the company operating in?
• What resources are available to the company?
• What are competitors doing?
• What are the demands on the company from external stakeholders (such as Government, customers, local community)?
• What are the existing capabilities and systems of the organisation?

For example, it is unlikely that a small rural cafe will need to implement a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) and get it certified to ISO 14001 standard. A more appropriate starting point might be to get started with the free envirostep tool and later progress on to Eco-Warranty certification. On the other hand, a small manufacturing company supplying goods to a Government department or overseas customer may well need a more in-depth system in place. Other companies operating in specific markets may need to gain product certifications such as Environmental Choice or CarbonZero.

An EMS is a good starting point from which other initiatives can be developed. Typically I would suggest that companies starting out on the sustainability journey undergo a ‘baseline assessment’ for their company. The baseline assessment would include:

• A stakeholder analysis to understand the expectations of customers and the market and to engage external partners to pool resources and knowledge.
• A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis to identify for example existing capabilities of the organisation and impending legislative trends.

It is a good idea to build this knowledge foundation to ensure that the organisation’s approach to sustainability and environmental management are in line with the available resources and market requirements of the business. This basis can easily be developed internally by SMEs, however for those companies with more resources at their disposal there are of course external experts that can provide support.

On another note: I am excited to attend the Global Sustainability Summer School in Brunei this month. The theme of the event is Technology for Sustainability and I intend to write some blog entries to report on my experiences.