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What We Do
Sustainable Procurement
Sustainable procurement is an integral part of delivering sustainable business practices within projects and organisations. Integrating a sustainable procurement approach into your project or organisation presents an opportunity to provide better outcomes through reducing risk, adding value and encouraging innovation. Done well, sustainable procurement adds positive environmental, social and economic impacts throughout the whole lifecycle of an asset, goods and services. At a practical level it also encourages cooperation, buy-in and better communication between purchasers, suppliers and stakeholders. The steps to achieving sustainable procurement require an understanding that sustainability needs to be integrated as a holistic concept across a project or organisation, not as an add-on or afterthought to tradition business as usual practices.
Over the past three decades, many iconic companies that have publicly professed to be leading practitioners of sustainable behaviour have then been nailed to the wall over their ignorance, complacency or naiveté around what is happening in their supply chains. To be successful, all the elements of your supply chain sustainability program need to integrate seamlessly. For example; your policy, code of conduct, audit tools and audit approach all need to be consistent and complete before you can confidently roll out the program across your chosen suppliers.
Think Sustainability has expertise and experience in developing and delivering sustainable supplier policies and codes of conduct, as well as supplier sustainability audit programs. Previous clients include Westpac and Macquarie Bank. Paul also regularly runs courses on sustainable procurement on behalf of ISCA.
Sustainability training and culture change
Many business leaders state that sustainability is becoming a more strategic and integral part of doing business in Australia. There is a trend that more and more companies are seeking to align sustainability with their overall business goals, strategy, mission, or values - with more CEOs saying that sustainability is their “number one priority”. I honestly believe that those in leadership who profess the “sustainability is fully integrated in our business” sentiment are genuinely wanting to believe that sustainability, like safety, is embedded across the culture of their project or organisation. They can point to strategies and policies that seek to crystallize their sustainability objectives and targets, but somewhere between the boardroom and the front room the delivery falls short. Business leader surveys, such as those done by McKinsey, support this reality, with respondents clearly indicating the challenges they face in executing sustainability from the top down, particularly in the face of “competing” pressures of financial returns, turn-around times, plus a lack of performance incentives and internal accountability on achieving sustainability targets.
Think Sustainability has expertise and experience in evaluating and unpicking corporate culture to understand where the barriers and opportunities are in relation to getting everyone on the same page. We can then build capacity to address the barriers and realise the opportunities. Paul regularly trains on sustainable procurement, culture change, sustainability risk and management processes.
Infrastructure sustainability and IS ratings
The Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) is the peak body in Australia and New Zealand for enabling sustainability outcomes in the planning, design, construction and operation of infrastructure. Paul worked at ISC for almost 2 years as its Head of Market Capability and developed new strategies and tools (including virtual training and podcasts) to improve industry knowledge and capability in delivering sustainable infrastructure and in supporting professional development of sustainability practitioners. This includes new ways of delivering information and skills into the sustainability and engineering professions both for practitioners already in the field as well as those still in tertiary education. Paul also led ISCA's advocacy activities to promote sustainable practices and outcomes for the infrastructure sector, mapping a pathway to net zero carbon emissions, the social and economic returns of sustainability ratings, and managing the risks of modern slavery in infrastructure supply chains.
Prior to joining ISC, Paul led the sustainability team at Northwest Rapid Transit for 3 years, the principal contractor for the Sydney Metro North West (SMNW) rail link. Paul’s key accountability was to ensure the project delivered on over 500 sustainability requirements during design, construction and operation for its scheduled completion in 2019. This includes evaluating climate change risk evaluations and adaptions, life cycle analysis, energy consumption modelling, supply chain assessments, and sustainable workforce development outcomes. Paul achieved a ‘Leading’ ISCA score for the project, exceeding contractual requirement of 'Excellent'. He also achieved a ‘Platinum’ Sustainable Design Guideline score for project, exceeding contract requirement. In addition Paul successfully delivered a 4 Star Greenstar rating for the project, achieving contractual requirement.
Think Sustainability has expertise and experience in working on projects including complex multi-partner joint ventures, as well as climate change risk assessment and adaptation, sustainable supply chain management, sustainability strategy development, ISC, Greenstar and TfNSW Sustainable Design Guidelines, workforce procurement, community engagement and team development, leadership and performance management.
Think Sustainability has expertise and experience in working on projects including complex multi-partner joint ventures, as well as climate change risk assessment and adaptation, sustainable supply chain management, sustainability strategy development, ISC, Greenstar and TfNSW Sustainable Design Guidelines, workforce procurement, community engagement and team development, leadership and performance management.
Sustainability communications, GRI reporting and assurance
Paul has 30 years’ experience in corporate communications and reporting, undertaken 40+ assurance engagements, written award-winning sustainability reports, and contributed to sustainability and integrated reporting standards. Paul has worked for a range of industry bodies in relation to corporate reporting and stakeholder communications including the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the George Institute for Global Health. Paul is a former GRI-certified trainer in sustainability reporting, and is an Lead Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (LCSAP) in assuring sustainability reports. Paul also participated in the Management Disclosures Group during the revision of the GRI Guidelines. Paul was also part of the Technical Collaboration Group for the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC).
Paul has delivered the following projects in relation to Sustainability communications, GRI reporting and Assurance:
- Australian Institute of Company Directors Sustainability Reporting 2022
- Senex Energy Materiality Assessment 2022
- Charter Hall sustainability reporting 2021 -2022
- Investa sustainability reporting 2021
- Seven Group Holdings sustainability reporting 2021
- Select Mutual Banking Sustainability Report Development 2015
- Sydney Airport sustainability reporting 2015
- Charter Hall sustainability reporting 2015
- Fuji Xerox Australia report materiality process 2012 – 2014
- Newcrest sustainability report development 2011 - 2013
- Telstra sustainability report assurance 2009 – 2013
- Citic Pacific Mining sustainability report development 2011 – 2013
- Nestle Oceania sustainability report development 2011
- Hydro Tasmania annual report assurance 2008 – 2011
- Henry Davis York sustainability reporting 2008 – 2011
- Stockland Sustainability report assurance 2007 – 2010
- Westpac sustainability report assurance 2007 – 2009
Think Sustainability has expertise and experience in developing and delivering stakeholder communications and organisational reporting on your sustainability performance, as well as delivering training in sustainability reporting and providing report assurance against AA1000. Paul also regularly writes and blogs on sustainability reporting, integrated reporting and report assurance issues.
ESG risk management
Paul has worked in sustainability strategy and risk management for 11 years, both as a consultant and also in infrastructure. Paul is a keen advocate for materiality as an essential part of business risk management. Materiality has a key role to play in equipping businesses to anticipate and cope with a changing world, including the recent global derailment caused by COVID-19. It can help them to better recognise opportunities, to achieve or enhance competitive advantage, to better embed resilience within their business model, and to build capabilities and reputation around inclusiveness, responsiveness and accountability.
Materiality has already delivered much to businesses in terms of identifying key issues for their reporting. It provides their stakeholders with greater confidence that critical issues are being addressed and that the key performance indicators in your report are those most relevant to your business. Yet the real power of materiality is its adaptability. It is this capability that leads on to what I believe has the greatest potential in terms of its application in business improvement. Materiality shares a lot of common ground with strategic planning, risk management and BCP, but they are not one and the same. Materiality is as much focused on identifying opportunities as it is on uncovering risk. Materiality also has the added benefit of applying an external lens on the business through its emphasis on stakeholder inclusivity, something not typically core to internal planning or risk evaluation processes.
Think Sustainability can help your organisation with positioning materiality as part of the input process into strategy development, business decision-making, and risk management. Through materiality, we can help your business to identify opportunities that deliver longer term value to the business, to better uncover and manage key business risks, to focus limited business resources on what matters most, and to better measure performance by zeroing in on the critical indicators.
Modern slavery
There are now nine million more people living in modern slavery than five years ago. A report released by Walk Free and the UN's International Labour Organisation and International Organisation for Migration found that around 28 million people around the world are in forced labour, with 22 million in forced marriages. This is despite an increased awareness and response by governments and companies to this pernicious and insidious practice.
In the timespan of this latest finding, the Australian government passed into law the Modern Slavery Act in 2018 which, amongst other things, compels larger businesses in Australia (with annual consolidated revenue of A$100 million or greater) to disclose annually their risks and responses in relation to modern slavery. However, whilst a step in the right direction, modern slavery statements in and of themselves do not necessarily mean that the risks being evaluated and the actions being taken by companies are effective and appropriate.
Whilst the Act requires a specific Statement on modern slavery each year, that should only be part of your organisation’s overall response to this insidious practice. Making that statement a driver for change in your policies and practices will pay dividends for your business in terms of its supplier relationships, its employee engagement, its management of risk, reinforcing values and building your business’ reputation as a socially responsible organisation.