Sydney, Australia: Australian business leaders believe their organisations are committed to sustainable change but acknowledge they are yet to fully embed strategic and governance plans into practice their ambitions to drive transformative change, the first ever survey on Australian business sentiment has revealed.
The Business Mindset Survey, to be launched today by the Business Council for Sustainable Development, shows that while there is a commitment to implement sustainable practices, their actions are not matching their beliefs.
The BCSD Australia survey investigated the beliefs and practices that shape the way Australian business performs as it seeks to remain sustainable in a rapidly changing business environment. The anonymous survey, which was circulated to over 7,000 Australian national and global companies operating in Australia, focused on all sectors around Australia who want to make a positive long-term impact towards net-zero, natural loss and addressing inequality.
“From the Business Mindset Survey, it is very clear that Australian businesses recognise how critical it is to take action towards implementing sustainable practices. The survey shows that while there is still so much to be done before businesses across the country are fully committed to making a positive difference, they are actively pursuing strategies that lead to long-term transformative change,” said Andrew Petersen, CEO of BCSD Australia.
An online event will discuss the results on Thursday, June 9 at 12:00pm. Our guest commentators are:
Ross Letz, Head of Sustainability at ImpactInstitute
Sue Brown, Executive Group Director Sustainability at Worley, and
Rachel Alembakis, Managing Editor of FSC sustainability
You can Register here.
-ENDS-
For all media enquiries please contact:
Leigh Murray, Spotlight Communications, +61 473 658 807
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About BCSD Australia
BSCD Australia is an Australian coalition of over 70 private and public organisations advocating for progress on sustainable development. Its mission is to be a catalyst for innovation and sustainable growth in a world where resources are increasingly limited. The Council provides a platform for companies to share experiences and best practices on sustainable development issues and advocate for their implementation, working with governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations.
BCSD Australia’s members include leading Australian businesses, from all sectors, who share a commitment to economic, environmental and social development, public sector enterprises institutions, business and industry non-government organisations and community organisations, which in turn represent more than 100,000 Australian employees.
Some Survey Findings
· On the question of whether an organisation considers all social and environmental costs and benefits when assessing its costs of capital, market valuation, and the price of goods and services, 37% of respondents agreed, while 27% disagreed.
· Results also showed that 49% of business leaders believe their organisation anticipates and prepares for change, and then adapts rapidly to ensure the business can thrive over the long-term. Of the respondents, 33% disagreed.
· 46% disagreed with the question on whether their organisation supports the capacity of its surrounding communities and ecosystems to heal, grow and evolve - rather than merely mitigate the negative impacts of social and environmental risks on business continuity or revenue. Only 20% of respondents agreed with this question.
The survey followed the release of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Vision 2025: Time to Transform report, outlining a framework to guide business action through nine transformation pathways covering the areas of business activity that are essential to society: energy; transportation and mobility; living spaces; products and materials; financial products and services; connectivity; health and wellbeing; water and sanitation; and food.