collaborations, connections and change: the ungc, gri, prme & grli (plus business school...

Improving the sustainability of UniversitiesAustralian International Education Conference 2013

Dr Carol Adams Director, Integrated Horizons

Professor, Monash Sustainability InstituteTwitter @ProfCarolAdams

www.drcaroladams.net www.integrated-horizons.com

http://www.drcaroladams.net/

http://www.drcaroladams.net/


Collaborations, connections and change: the UNGC, GRI, PRME & GRLI (plus business school accreditation)

• Increasing corporate take up of the UNGC Principles requires know how and aptitude

• UNGC signatories can comply with COP requirements with a GRI report• Education is material to a University’s sustainability performance

(adopting a materiality approach to sustainability performance management)

• PRME approach becoming more significant in business school accreditation

• GRLI developing the tools for implementing PRME• Practical Guide to the UNGC for Higher Education suggests using GRI

• See Adams and Petrella (2010), Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal

Why should Universities care about sustainability?

Pressing local and global issues with far reaching consequences – Universities have a key role in solving them

Influence future leaders and parents The sector should be leading – not lagging (International) students like it Provides a reason for working across functions and

disciplines Reputation Reduce costs and risks


How do Universities become more sustainable?

President/VC and Board/Council support and involvement

(Pro-active) leadership Buy-in from responsible senior managers Engage with stakeholders –

especially staff, students and local communities Define and communicate your sustainability vision

and mission Goal and target setting, planning, culture, policy


Cultural and institutional challenges

Inertia, resistance (from lack of know-how and resources)

Unimaginative leadership Lack of opportunity/expectation to make cross

boundary/discipline connections Those wanting change have difficulty influencing the

decision makers (making the business case) Aligning values Funding mechanisms, performance measurement

systems, planning processes, recruitment processes


The context – sector benchmarking and policy

University sustainability reports available from university websites and www.corporateregister.com

People and Planet’s Green League table of UK universities http://peopleandplanet.org/greenleague

College Sustainability Report Card for North American Universities www.greenreportcard.org

Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education www.aashe.org

Environment Association for Universities and Colleges www.euac.org.uk Australian Government’s National Action Plan for Education for

Sustainability www.environment.gov.au/education/nap/index.html


http://www.corporateregister.com/

http://peopleandplanet.org/greenleague

http://www.greenreportcard.org/

http://www.aashe.org/

http://www.euac.org.uk/

http://www.environment.gov.au/education/nap/index.html


Target Setting Short, medium, and long

term Targets aim to promote

continuous sustainability improvement

Quantified targets established against KPIs

Actions to be undertaken in order to achieve the targets

Report extracts in this presentation are from La Trobe University’s Creating Futures report


Targets for change

Sustainability KPIs environmental, social

and economic operations, curriculum

and research tool for measuring, and

being accountable for, sustainability progress


Environmental quantified targets

Actions and follow up

All targets require clear actions with nominated person(s) responsible

Regular reporting on actions



Award winning reports

UNGC COP at Advanced Level Global Reporting Initiative’s

sustainability reporting guidelines

Externally assured to AA1000AS Include educational and

research measures

Awards for Responsible Futures & Creating Futures

Best First Time report’ award - ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards 2011

Best First Time sustainability report - CorporateRegister.com Awards 2011

Finalist – Australasian Reporting Award, Sustainability reporting award. Judges comment: – clearly demonstrate that sustainable development is a

core business strategy– gives specific targets for the short term,

medium term and long term– identifies areas of poor performance

Creating Futures ranked 5th in the CorporateRegister.com Awards 2012 beating experienced MNC reporters plus 5th for relevance and materiality, 8th for honesty and openness and 2nd for credibility through assurance.



The PRME SIP report Educational and research components Includes actions against each of the PRME initiative’s Principles

which adds in detail processes used as well as outcomes achieved.

Measures must reflect actual achievements; otherwise will the report will be seen as “greenwashing”.

Reporting leads to actions which drive change.

SIP = Sharing Information on Progress


Why PRME is important

a framework for continual improvement. a forum for discussion of educational values. an important link to integrate processes to outcomes

of responsible management. a framework to drill down into how responsible

management can be achieved.


Important reporting issues

Identify key issues for your institution, sector, country Negative impacts SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,

Realistic, Time-based) Process Assurance (incl. approach, benefits, response) Short hard copy report with better use of web

technology for detail


The role of reporting guidelines or regulation and audit

Not required to report and not audited = not important

If not reported, data is not collected and/or performance is not monitored

If not reported, there is no accountability and no incentive to improve performance.

If not audited, data collection systems remain basic/inadequate

Sustainable procurement is the process of acquiring goods and services that: Meet users’ needs Deliver long term value for money Maximise social and economic benefits Minimise damage to the environment and

health.Buying a Better World Forum for the Future (2007)

What is sustainable procurement?


http://www.forumforthefuture.org/project/buying-better-world-sustainable-procurement/overview



Sustainable Procurement is a process whereby organisations meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities in a way that achieves value for money on a whole life basis in terms of generating benefits not only to the organisation, but also to society and the economy, whilst minimising damage to the environment.Procuring for the Future UK Govt. Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2011)

What is sustainable procurement?


http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb11710-procuring-the-future-060607.pdf

Is your boss committed to strengthening sustainable procurement?

Does your university have an agreed focus on sustainable procurement? Is it part of an agreed operational plan?

Is it included in your position description in any way? Is it included in a procurement policy? Does it encompass goods, services, infrastructure and

energy? Do you publicly report targets, actions and achievements

against them?

Where are you at on sustainable procurement?



What can HR do?

Reinforcing the message and improving performance through:• Job descriptions• Job advertisements• Internal cultures, leadership styles• Staff induction/ Training• Performance appraisal

Thank you@ProfCarolAdams


collaborations, connections and change: the ungc, gri, prme & grli (plus business school...

Documents

sustainability vision

sustainability accounting

advancement of sustainability

consequences universities

universities care

higher education

north american universities

gri reporteducation