BWD Strategic

How can we rethink climate resilience and land use from the ground up?   Today, 5 December, is World Soil Day—a day to recognize the vital role #soil plays in supporting life on Earth. We spoke with Dr Anders Claassens from Loam Bio (loambio.com/au/) to explore the science behind healthy soils.   "Understanding the vital role fungi play in soil function is crucial for #agriculture. At Loam Bio, we're pioneering fungal inoculants that boost soil vitality and enhance carbon sequestration. Our breakthroughs are equipping farmers with innovative tools to nurture their land and optimize crop yields. This World Soil Day, let's recognize the unseen heroes beneath our feet and their contribution to securing a better future." — Dr Anders Claassens, Mycologist, Loam Bio   Let's appreciate the remarkable work happening beneath the surface and commit to protecting our soils—for healthier ecosystems and a more resilient planet.   Read more about World Soil Day here: https://lnkd.in/gtywhiu #WorldSoilDay #SoilHealth #Sustainability

🌍 How Do Environmental and Social Factors Affect Financial Performance? 💰 Business success is “inextricably linked” to environment and society – quote from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) itself! In the video below, we explore this question using two key examples: 💧 Water – a critical resource for many operations. Company A extracts groundwater to support its operations. If the company doesn’t use this resource wisely, it might deplete the source, increasing costs to operate and decreasing the productivity of its operations.   👩💼 Skilled Workers – essential for innovation and growth. Company B invests in employee training. The company operates in a highly competitive market and depends on its highly specialized workforce. Investing in employee training can help develop the company’s workforce, reducing recruiting costs and increasing employee retention. These examples highlight how dependencies on environmental and social factors directly impact financial performance—and this applies to every business. Sustainability isn’t just about compliance. It’s about embedding these considerations into your long-term value-creation strategy to unlock competitive advantage. Now is the time to move beyond regulatory checkboxes and turn sustainability into a strategic initiative. 📬 Share this video with others to help raise awareness of the linkages between the environment, society, and business. 🔗 Want more info? Check out the ISSB guidance linked in the comments. #Materiality #Sustainability #FinancialPerformance

“Climate crunch time is here. We need global mobilization on a scale and pace never seen before – starting right now” Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. The recent UNEP Emissions Gap Report warns that if current policies continue, we could see a catastrophic temperature rise of up to 3.1°C this century. The cost of inaction will be severe, with every increment of warming resulting in escalating climatic hazards – a reality underscored by the devastating floods in Spain. Scientists have warned us about these risks for decades. So why, despite growing discourse and guidance, are we struggling to meet our existing climate commitments and turn talk into meaningful action? The path forward demands rapid changes in government and corporate policy, supported by genuine public participation. A significant barrier to this participation lies in the contentious and mixed messaging surrounding climate change, including its causes and severity. For many, the frequent, fearful portrayals of climate change can result in climate change anxiety and eco-paralysis – a sense of powerlessness that prevents meaningful action. Protection Motivation Theory suggests simply recognizing the threats posed isn’t enough to inspire positive change; people also need to hear practical solutions and understand how they can make a difference. Strong self-efficacy, the belief in one's own ability to succeed in specific tasks or challenges, has been described as a mediator of climate change anxiety and driver of pro-environmental behaviors. Similarly, communities with higher levels of collective efficacy are more likely to undertake mitigation and adaptation actions, set higher goals, and mobilize better resources – increasing their chances of success in the face of threats. Raising public awareness about climate change risks is essential, but to achieve the urgent mobilization needed, we must enhance people's confidence in their ability to act on that knowledge. Those of us with sustainability communication roles can focus on: • Pairing the challenges with solutions-focused messaging to empower individuals and mobilize action • Using authoritative scientific information and the influence of trusted community leaders to guide understanding • Steering clear of technical jargon to make messages accessible • Engaging with diverse demographics • Utilising targeted storytelling that resonates with audiences, considering their economic, social, and cultural identities #ClimateAction #ClimateChange #Sustainability

BWD welcomes intelligent, motivated, and purpose-driven individuals to join our paid internship program, and we're delighted to share that Linley Lai joined BWD Strategic this month as a design and innovation intern. Linley says: "My internship at BWD has been an incredible opportunity to learn more about sustainability and how design plays a role in communicating strategy for social and environmental change. It’s been great being able to develop my professional practice under fantastic mentors in a team that is enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and setting up learning experiences in areas I’m curious about.” 🌱 Linley has recently completed her final semester of Visual Communication and is currently undertaking further studies in Creative Intelligence & Innovation at UTS to complement her design skills. She has a keen interest in the ability of design to encourage sustainable social and environmental change. Outside of university, Linley enjoys exploring the city, local art markets, parks and museums. She especially loves walks with friends, finding cosy bookshops and bakeries, and doing something crafty on weekends. 🥖✂️📚✨ #Internship #LifeAtBWD #MeetOurTeam

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, here are four simple tips to help make your holiday a little more sustainable: 1. Bring Containers for Leftovers If you're heading to a friend's or family member's house for the meal, bring your own containers for leftovers. You know there will be plenty to take home! 2. Load Up on Veggies When filling your plate, opt for more vegetarian or vegan dishes. Not only does this reduce your carbon footprint, but it also leaves you more room for dessert—talk about a win-win! 3. Host a Leftover Party Don’t let that leftover turkey go to waste! Try turkey salad sandwiches, turkey noodle soup, or any creative dishes to use up what’s left. And for the extras you can’t finish, freeze them to avoid spoilage. 4. Make Recycling Easy for Guests Hosting this year? Ensure your recycling, trash, and compost bins are clearly visible and easily accessible. This helps reduce contamination and makes clean-up a breeze for you and your guests. Small changes can add up to a more sustainable holiday. The BWD Strategic team wishes you all a happy and eco-friendly Thanksgiving! #HappyThanksgiving #Sustainability #ZeroWaste

In Australia’s mandatory climate reporting future, how should you manage the separation of #climate and non-climate sustainability content? The answer starts with knowing your audiences, what they want to know, and how they like to access your sustainability information. Reviewing the reasons behind your existing reporting suite structure is the next step, before exploring ways to reshape and package #sustainability content to meet the (some times diverse) needs of your key stakeholders. Find out more about each of these steps in ‘Finding your reporting suite sweet spot’, an article in our latest edition of Sustainability Insights (p. 24-25): https://lnkd.in/gzEh_fPA #MandatoryReporting #ClimateReporting

Did you know that business travel accounts for around 10% of an SME’s carbon footprint? Reducing scope 3 business travel emissions is critical to achieving your overall emissions reduction targets. Along with the City of Sydney and City of Melbourne, BWD Strategic is excited to co-host the free upcoming CitySwitch national webinar and face-to-face workshops for current and prospective CitySwitch members. These events will demystify scope 3 travel emissions, explore tools and methods you can employ within your business to capture and quantify emissions, and provide practical ways to set and achieve realistic targets. The online webinar will be held on Wednesday, 27 November 2024 from midday to 1:30pm AEDT. You will learn about different scopes of emissions, how to develop your own internal business travel policy, the dos and don’ts of target setting, and how to promote the use of electric vehicles. Face-to-face workshops will be held in Sydney on Thursday, 5 December 2024 from 8:45am to 11am AEDT and in Melbourne on 12 December 2024 from 8:00 to 11:00am AEDT. They will include advice on creating an internal business travel policy for your organisation, feature panel discussions with experts, and offer networking opportunities with industry professionals and your CitySwitch peers. We are excited to hear from the following industry professionals and sustainable travel leaders throughout the campaign: · Misha Cajic, CEO & Co-Founder of Avarni [webinar and Sydney workshop] · Jessica Richmond, CEO & Co-Founder of Sumday [Melbourne workshop] · Amy Hogan, Head of ESG & Sustainability at Transurban [webinar] · Charlotte Twigg, Sustainability Manager – Sustainable Transport at Transurban [Sydney and Melbourne workshops] · Amy Dennis, Sustainability Project Manager at the City of Sydney [webinar] · Kyle Bolto, CEO & Founder of Ohmie Go [webinar and Sydney workshop] For facility managers, sustainability officers, office managers, and anyone looking to understand more about green travel, these events are not to be missed! To register for the free webinar or face-to-face workshops, please click the relevant link below: National webinar: https://lnkd.in/gN9HmCRQ Sydney workshop: https://lnkd.in/gZXjwV7E Melbourne workshop: https://lnkd.in/gYNazM97

Have you noticed? There’s a global shift toward standardized sustainability disclosures, and it’s gaining momentum fast. According to recent reports from the IFRS Foundation and the Financial Stability Board (FSB): - 30 jurisdictions are working to integrate the ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) Standards into their legal or regulatory frameworks. - These jurisdictions represent over 40% of global market capitalization and 57% of global GDP. - Over 1,000 companies have already referenced the ISSB standards in their reports (October 2023 to March 2024), marking a clear shift from the TCFD framework to the new standards. - 19 out of 24 FSB member jurisdictions have regulations, guidelines, or strategic roadmaps in place for climate-related disclosures. - 17 jurisdictions have set or proposed mandatory or voluntary disclosure requirements based on the ISSB standards and the TCFD recommendations. This is a pivotal moment for businesses. Understanding and adapting to these evolving regulations isn’t just about compliance—it’s about turning sustainability disclosures into a strategic advantage. Proactively aligning with these standards allows companies to not only meet regulatory requirements but also build trust with stakeholders, improve transparency, and position themselves as leaders in the sustainable economy. The shift is happening now—how is your company preparing? Check out the full reports in the comments. Graphic source: IFRS Foundation

Members of our Brisbane team recently enjoyed a day out of the office, volunteering at Green Thumb Farm in the picturesque Samford Valley, outside Brisbane. Our hosts, Susanne Engelhard and Ian, guided us through a wonderful session connecting with #nature. In honor of their many pearls of wisdom, we went looking for a collection of gardening quotes. Our top three: 1. "Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them" (English writer, A.A. Milne) 2. "Do not spread compost on the weeds" (William Shakespeare, in Hamlet) 3. "We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses." (Abraham Lincoln) Do you have a favorite? Or one we've missed? Leave it in the comments. Green Thumb Farm is a non-profit community organization that operates a Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. To see the latest news, find more details about their produce, or explore opportunities to get involved, visit: https://lnkd.in/gsd_JUX2 #VolunteerWork #BWDBrisbane

Any business can articulate how it creates value. But how many can pinpoint where they lose value? What we gain is tangible, what we lose is invisible. As sustainability professionals, we tend to see #circularity deprioritized on the sustainability to-do list. The end goal of circularity is seen as too ambitious, or the journey to get there, too hard. With this framing, the case for a circular economy never stacks up. But what if circularity was reframed as the means, not the end? As a principal driver of value? The evidence shows that circularity can: 1. Increase profitability by reducing costs. 2. Bolster resilience through diversifying revenue streams and reducing dependencies. 3. Reduce #emissions through decreasing demand for raw materials and energy requirements. 4. Reduce impact on #nature through minimizing dependencies on natural resources. The first step of circularity is to map your #valuechain. This allows your organization to identify where it is losing value e.g. in surplus packaging, heat loss, etc. Additionally, consider the negative environmental and social impacts that occur as a result of the production, use, and disposal of your product. Our advice? Don't deprioritize circularity. By viewing it as a driver of value creation, you can unlock new opportunities for growth, resilience, and #sustainability.