SPRING 2009 32 GREENFLEET NEWS - EdITIoN 10

Dude, where's my green car?

A visit to recent motor shows revealed that the car industry has a long way to go before environmental considerations are more than just a marketing quirk.

At the Seoul Motor Show in April (which I attended courtesy of Hyundai), visitors appeared more interested in pretty young models rather than the basic vehicle features, let alone their environmental credentials.

Back home at the Melbourne International Motor show in March, the Greenfleet team discovered a general lack of knowledge about environmental features of vehicles by manufacturers’ representatives. Basic information about vehicle emissions was displayed on less than half the vehicles on show. A number of vehicle manufacturers tried promoting new concept cars as the ‘most efficient model’ on Australian roads, while using data from different tests from around the world as their grounds for comparison – comparing apples with oranges as it were.

So don’t be taken in by the glossy advertising, scratch a little below the surface and check out the environmental facts and figures. When you are looking for a new vehicle remember the following vital points:

Fuel economy is not the only contributor to greenhouse gas emissions when you •drive – fuel type is just as important. All vehicles sold in Australia must display a sticker that details both fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions per kilometre, based on a standard Australian test. So emissions per kilometre travelled, shown as g CO2-e/km, is the best way to compare the greenhouse performance of any vehicle (e.g. the best performer currently listed on the Green Vehicle Guide generates 104 g CO2-e/km).

Check out the federal government’s Green Vehicle Guide •(www.greenvehicle.gov.au) to take the hard work out of comparing vehicles’ environmental credentials.

Choose the most efficient vehicle for the job – small cars and hybrids are likely •to be good for stop-start city driving, while turbo-diesel models may be more appropriate for longer distances.

LPG is often cheaper to run but only saves about 10% • CO2-e compared to most ULP vehicles when vehicle fuel efficiency is factored in.

And regardless of the car you choose:

Drive efficiently, drive smoothly – gentle acceleration and braking; remove •unnecessary items from the car; keep the car well maintained; use the air-conditioning sparingly.

Remember to offset any emissions you do create with Greenfleet.•

Sara Gipton

CEO Greenfleet

While the Seoul Motor Show provided plenty of eye candy for visitors, the basic features of the vehicles and their environmental credentials were notably absent.

Greenfleet conducted a supporter study in June among both our individual and corporate supporters. The survey was completed by 902 individual supporters and 113 corporate supporters, with the results offering some interesting insight into our supporters and their thoughts.

Vehicle offsets are still the most popular emissions offset, with 99% of individual supporters and 96% of corporate supporters offsetting their vehicle emissions. Air travel emissions are offset by 19% of individuals and 14% of corporate supporters, while 16% of individuals and 15% of corporate respondents offset their gas, electricity, etc.

Our supporters understand that climate change should not be treated in isolation of other environmental issues. While the main reason for individuals to offset their emissions is to reduce their carbon footprint (68%), almost half (48%) are generally concerned about climate change and 38% cited the revegetation benefits of planting native forests.

The same trend was seen in the corporate survey, with 78% of respondents saying their organisation’s main reason for offsetting is to reduce their carbon footprint, 49% saying their organisation is generally concerned about climate change and 33% citing the revegetation benefits of planting native forests. In addition 31% say they hope to demonstrate their green credentials to customers and industry.

Most individuals and corporate supporters have taken our AVOID, REDUCE and finally OFFSET message onboard, as 95% per cent of the individuals and 92% of the corporate supporters say they are taking action to avoid and reduce emissions.

Turning off lights and appliances at the switch is the most popular way for individuals to avoid and reduce emissions (84%), followed by waste reduction (80%) and using less air conditioning and heating (68%).

For organisations the methods are slightly different. Waste minimisation programs (reduction and recycling) are the most popular method for corporate supporters to avoid and reduce emissions (72%), while 59% are running behaviour change campaigns (ie. turn off lights when leaving room) and 54% have invested in more efficient fleet vehicles.

The majority of corporate respondents (71%) also say that their organisation is encouraging staff to AVOID, REDUCE and OFFSET their emissions outside of work.

More than half (56%) of the corporate supporters say they strongly agree that organisations need to take action beyond the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and further 43% agree with the above statement.

When asked if their organisation intends to take voluntary action beyond CPRS to reduce its carbon footprint, 39% of respondents strongly agreed and 56% agreed with the above statement.

The results show that our individual and corporate supporters share similar motivations and commitment to taking action against climate change. In many cases individual supporters had extended their offset to their business and corporate supporters were also offsetting their personal emissions.

Greenfleet is especially pleased to discover that our AVOID, REDUCE and OFFSET message is reaching all our supporters and we encourage you to continue finding new ways to take action on climate change. We welcome your feedback about our program at anytime, simply email us at info@greenfleet.com.au

Contact Greenfleet

Postal address: GreenfleetPO Box 16011Collins Street West VIC 8007

Individual supporters and enquiries: 1800 032 999 Business supporters and enquiries: 03 9642 0570

Greenfleet supporter, what are your thoughts?

At the end of April, one month after the last fires were put out, the first signs of recovery were clearly visible against the blackened ground at Labertouche.

Email: info@greenfleet.com.au Web: www.greenfleet.com.au

SPRING 2009 32 GREENFLEET NEWS - EdITIoN 10

Victoria is slowly recovering from the aftermath of this year’s bushfires. While the affected communities have started their road to recovery, so have the trees that surround them.

Since the last flames were put out in March, Greenfleet has been actively assessing planting sites to determine the impact of the bushfires on our forests.

Our initial assessments indicated that less than 1% (or 50 hectares) of Greenfleet forests were impacted by fire. Further assessments have been undertaken and we can now confirm that the fire-affected area is limited to 48 hectares.

In total the fires affected three Greenfleet sites in Victoria:

• 22hectaresinBarfold,plantedin2005;

• 18hectaresinKyneton,plantedin2008;

• 3hectaresinBaynton,plantedin2008;and

• 5hectaresinLabertouche,plantedin2005.

The sites have been monitored over the winter months and will be replanted in early spring if they don't show adequate signs of recovery.

We will continue to give you updates on monitoring and recovery processes and we wish all the best to the people in the affected communities who are now working hard to rebuild their lives.

Rising from the ashes

A lot has happened at O’Sheas Crossing since Greenfleet first inspected the site in late 2003.

The site, which belongs to Seqwater, is a part of the Brisbane River and the old Stanley River catchments, upstream of Wivenhoe Dam structure, in south east Queensland.

The 32 hectare site had been heavily grazed in the past, compacting soils and altering natural runoff and water filtration processes. While the soil structure has always been good, the long grazing period has prevented vegetation's natural regeneration.

The site was originally direct seeded in 2004. This planting style suited the site’s long history of low rainfall, but when the site suddenly experienced a period of high rainfall, along with the presence of highly competitive weeds, germination suffered. Pasture grasses, although expected in the climate, meant that seedling establishment was difficult as these weeds competed for moisture, light and nutrients.

In October 2007, Greenfleet replanted the site using seedlings and conventional site preparation methods consisting of ripping, spraying, planting and follow-up weed maintenance. Seqwater takes care of site maintenance, which includes plenty of weed management, but little watering is needed due to very favourable rainfall conditions.

The site was originally open forest with Black Tea-Tree and Forest Red Gum the dominant species. Greenfleet returned these species to the area, along with a selection of less dominant species to reflect the original species mix. The trees were also planted to mimic the original planting patterns.

Thanks to the selection of locally indigenous species, intensive site preparation and planting at the optimum time, the seedlings had grown from an average height of 20cm in October 2007 to an average of 90cm tall when they were checked again in mid-December 2007.

Since then the growth rate has continued to be fantastic due to good rains and soil conditions on the site. In April 2008, the trees were in excellent condition, with approximate height of 1.5 to 1.8 metres.

The latest inspection took place in April 2009 and showed that O’Sheas Crossing is currently one of the best sites that Greenfleet has planted in the recent years. The survival rate is greater than 90% and the trees are in spectacular health with an average height around two metres.

Greenfleet plans to conduct an interim carbon measure on the site in the next few months and will compare the modeled carbon yields with on-ground measurements.

Greenfleet is turning back the clock at O’Sheas Crossing

Contact Greenfleet

Postal address: GreenfleetPO Box 16011Collins Street West VIC 8007

Individual supporters and enquiries: 1800 032 999 Business supporters and enquiries: 03 9642 0570

Greenfleet supporter, what are your thoughts?

Bushfires have been part of the Australian landscape for millions of years.

Indigenous people used fire to their benefit to manage the land and as a hunting aid, but the pattern of bushfires has been altered enormously by the influx of immigrants into Australia.

Nowadays bushfires are considered a tremendous threat to local communities, and it is easy to forget that the effects on plant life can actually be more beneficial than detrimental in some instances.

Much of Australia’s vegetation has evolved with fire and curiously, like the vegetation in other harsh dry environments, it has developed characteristics that promote the spread of fire. In addition, many Australian plants have evolved to survive the effects of a bushfire and some plants actually benefit from it.

Wattle, banksia, eucalypts and the grass tree are amongst common Australian plants that have some ability to adapt to or benefit from fires for future regeneration. Some plants have reserve shoots which grow after fire and others have seeds which are either fire-resistant or triggered by fire.

Many eucalypts have a substance called kino in their bark which aids in the resistance to heat penetration and ensures their survival – even after very intense fires. Moreover, following the recovery of tree crowns, eucalypts may grow, for a number of years, more vigorously than they did before the fire.

Bushfires – a natural part of the Australian bush

The latest inspection took place in April 2009 and showed that O’Sheas Crossing is currently one of the best sites that Greenfleet has planted in the recent years. The survival rate is greater than 90% and the trees are in spectacular health with an average height around two metres. "

"

At the end of April, one month after the last fires were put out, the first signs of recovery were clearly visible against the blackened ground at Labertouche.

Email: info@greenfleet.com.au Web: www.greenfleet.com.au

Cover image: The cover image was taken by Greenfleet CEO Sara Gipton at the King Lake National Park on June 20th, almost three months after the bushfires swept through the area.

SPRING 2009 54 GREENFLEET NEWS - EdITIoN 10

Sustainable transport - are we there yet?

National Geographic and the international polling firm GlobeScan conducted their second annual Greendex study in January this year, measuring and monitoring consumer progress toward environmentally sustainable consumption in 17 countries around the world.

The transportation sub-index of the study measures things such as the ownership and driving of motorised vehicles, frequency of air travel, use of public transport, and the frequency of walking or cycling as one’s primary means of transportation.

In 2008 Australian consumers were 13th out of 14 countries and this year’s ranking leaves us at 15th out of 17. The list was topped by Chinese, Argentineans and Indians indicating their transport choices are the most environmentally sustainable, while Canadians and Americans joined Australians at the bottom of the list.

Our unsustainable transport practices are also reflected in Australia’s latest National Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which shows that emissions from transport grew 27% between 1990 and 2007, and contribute almost 15% of Australia’s total greenhouse emissions.

When measuring the frequency of driver-only vehicle trips, Australians rank third-worst, after only the French and Americans, with 54% driving alone every day or most days and 21% doing so at least once a week. While there’s a 7-point drop this year in the percentage of Australians driving alone daily, the number is still alarmingly high and could easily be reduced by making a conscious effort to take other forms of transport, car pooling, and better planning of any unavoidable trips by combining tasks.

Only 8% of Australians use public transport every day or most days, putting us near the bottom of the list, ahead of only Canadians and Americans. This number has dropped by three points since last year, along with the percentage of people who use public transport at least once a week (now at just 7%) – we know you'll agree with the team at Greenfleet, that this trend is alarming and needs to be reversed immediately.

Almost half (45%) of Germans opt to reach their destination by walking or cycling ‘all the time, compared to just 21% of Australians. While this is an improvement of 4 points over last year’s figures,this increase does not balance out the trend away from public transport.

The survey suggests the biggest obstacle for people using public transport is the lack of availability, which sends a clear message to transport planners all over Australia - the available services aren’t meeting consumer demands. Whether this is perception or reality, there is much work to be done by public transport operators and planners to improve the appeal of public transport over the convenience of car travel.

Visit www.nationalgeographic.com/greendex for more information about the Greendex and to calculate your own Greendex score.

Better still, dust off that old bike and get fit while you get where you're going. Page 5 is dedicated to pedal power and highlights plenty of great initiatives to make cycling more appealing for your daily commute.

Australians are still among the least sustainable transport users, according to the latest Greendex study.

Cycling is good for the environment, as well as for the body and soul. More and more workplaces are now encouraging staff to switch the mind numbing peak-hour traffic jam to a breezy ride to work.

Cycle-friendly workplaces boast higher morale, lower absenteeism and greater productivity. They also enjoy reduced operating costs and demonstrate environmental responsibility. So it is easy to see why the two-wheel commute is becoming more and more popular.

While people make their own decision whether or not to ride to work, the workplace has a significant role in making the decision a bit easier. Whether your organisation employs two people or 2,000, there are three easy and cost-effective steps to make the workplace cycle-friendly.

Step 1: Build the culture

Live by example. Regular cyclists are your best resource when it comes to creating a cycle-friendly culture as they can provide valuable information and tips to new riders. Seeing your boss cycle to work is not going to hurt either.

Relaxing your organisation’s dress code, especially on Fridays, can encourage staff to cycle. Flexible working hours can also be an incentive for employees to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work.

Step 2: Improve facilities

If your workplace doesn’t already have bicycle facilities, it’s worth conducting a survey among staff to map out your needs. Even if you already have bicycle facilities, you might learn that the storage area that catered for all your cycling staff five years ago is now struggling with double the demand.

Secure bicycle parking is one of the most important elements of encouraging riding to work. There are many parking devices available that are space efficient and allow cyclists to lock bicycles at ground or wall level.

Good-quality changing rooms and shower facilities are a must for cycling staff. These facilities should be secure, lockable and located in well-lit locations close to bicycle storage areas. They should also include toilets and non-slip floor surfaces. Alternatively, you could negotiate with an adjoining building or a nearby gym or club for your employees to use their facilities.

Step 3: Consolidate & innovate

There are many ways to strengthen the cycling culture at your workplace.

Create an information pack for staff that includes details on bicycle facilities at work and nearby cycling routes. If some staff members are not confident about riding to work, organise on-site training workshops for cycle proficiency and bicycle maintenance.

Provide incentives such as frequent rider programs, reimbursements, salary packaging or interest free loans to help staff buy or upgrade their bicycle; or buy a pool-bicycle or a fleet of bicycles for local trips within 5km for work purposes.

For more cycling tips, visit www.ridetowork.com.au and www.cyclingpromotion.com.au

This article has been adapted from Bicycle Victoria’s The Cycle-Friendly Workplace guide (updated in July 2008). Visit www.ridetowork.com.au to access the full guide.

SPRING 2009 54 GREENFLEET NEWS - EdITIoN 10

Cycle friendly workplaces Ride to Work on Wednesday 14 October

If you have been eyeing your bicycle with a guilty conscience lately, here’s a good reason to dust it off and enjoy a different kind of trip to work.

With National Ride to Work Day on Wednesday 14 October rolling around quickly, it’s time to get your registration in for this fun and friendly event.

The aim of National Ride to Work Day is to ‘encourage new riders to discover the many benefits of riding to work and motivate regular riders to increase their frequency of riding.’ While the primary motivation for people to ride to work is exercise, the event also shows the significance that cycling has on preventing carbon emissions.

Last year’s National Ride to Work Day participants (who indicated that they would otherwise have travelled by car) saved 73 tonnes of CO2 equivalent on the day.

Get your workplace involved in National Ride to Work Day and put on a breakfast for your hungry cyclists to celebrate their achievements.

Human bicycle at Ride to Work breakfast in Hyde Park, Sydney.

Brisbane makes riding to work easy

Celebratingitsfirstbirthdayrecently,theKingGeorgeSquareCycle Centre opened its doors in June 2008, providing facilities for 420 cyclists right in the heart of Brisbane's CBD and making commuter cycling easy, convenient and comfortable.

Features of the centre include secure electronic swipe card access; double-decker bike racks; shower, change room and locker facilities for 150 females and 270 males; and even a

clean towel is provided each time you visit.

While you pay for the service, it is cheaper than public transport or driving and you can save on a gym membership because you're exercising during your daily commute. There are membership options to suit everyone from everyday users, to casual one-off visitors.

FindoutmoreabouttheKingGeorgeSquareCycleCentreand join up at www.cycle2city.com.au

Pedal Power

As a part of the Melbourne Earth Hour Concert in March, the Future Spark Team Challenge called on schools, community teams and companies in Melbourne to generate ‘pedal-powered’ energy for the concert during the week leading up to the event. Each team was allocated an hour to generate as much energy as possible, by pedalling four bicycles hooked up to custom made electricity generators.

Greenfleet took part in the challenge and, with the help of some friends, contributed 463Wh for the event.

A total of 132 teams took part in the challenge, generating 62.25 kWh (kilowatt-hours) of energy for the concert. The

Earth Hour concert used 44.61 kWh and the leftover energy was used to help power the restaurants and lighting at Melbourne’s Federation Square.

Visit www.futurespark.com.au for more information.

Get on your bike - or someone else's!

Bike sharing - European cities have been doing it for a while now and it's just becoming popular in Australia. Here are a couple of the programs around:

Darwin City Council workers now have the option of riding bicycles to meetings instead of driving council vehicles. As a part of promoting the Activate NT program, the council has purchased six bicycles that are available for staff to use for work and travelling to meetings. The council also encourages staff members to take the bicycles for a spin during their lunch break to get some fresh air and exercise.

“These simple things like riding a bike across the city helps the environment, reduces congestion and is a healthier alternative to the problem of getting from A to B,” Lord Mayor, Graeme Sawyer said.

The bicycles have been so popular that Darwin City Council is now considering increasing the number of bicycles available.

Monash University is offering a bike share program to Halls of Residence students at its Clayton Campus. The scheme has been developed to encourage use of sustainable transport options and allows students living in accommodation in the north-east corner of the campus to ride to classes or activities.

The recycled bikes have been fitted with a locking system similar to those used on shopping trolleys and students involved in the scheme receive a free helmet, lock key, lights and parking map to get them started.

For more information on sustainability initiatives at Monash visit the Facilities and Services website at www.fsd.monash.edu.au/green

Register as an individual or a workplace at: www.ridetowork.com.au and find all the information you need to participate on 14 October.

Last year an estimated 110,000 people and 3,700 workplaces participated in National Ride to Work Day and the organisers are hoping even more people will join in this year. But don’t just get on your bike; remember to register as well, as this assists the organisers when working with employers, councils and state governments for better facilities and infrastructure for bike riders.

Supporter news

6 GREENFLEET NEWS - EdITIoN 10 SPRING 2009 7

Time and money impede greening at home

The inaugural Green Home and Motoring Index found that time, money and ignorance are the major barriers to Australians doing more at home to reduce their environmental impact.

The environmental impact study, commissioned by AAMI in conjunction with Greenfleet, shows that Australians don’t mind reducing their greenhouse gases as long as it doesn’t cost them anything.

According to the results, 37% of householders will only reduce their environmental impact if it doesn’t cost anything, 12% will only do so if it doesn’t take too much time and 5% are not at all concerned about their impact on the environment.

However, there are some households who are willing to take extra steps in order live a more environmentally friendly life as 28% of householders will go to ‘any length’ to reduce their environmental impact.

“While uncertainty about household finances has clearly impacted some people’s enthusiasm for being environmentally friendly, our research shows most Australians are taking significant action to reduce their environmental impact,” AAMI Corporate Affairs Manager Mike Sopinski said.

The study shows the importance of educating people on how to reduce their environmental footprint, as 18% of householders say they would like to reduce their environmental impact, but don’t know how.

“Household efforts appear concentrated on reducing water and energy consumption, which has been made possible through widespread use of more efficient appliances, and through a basic change in attitude and behaviour that is seeing us using less of our resources,” Mr Sopinski said.

Up to 65% of Australian householders have installed water-saving showerheads, 24% have installed a rainwater tank, 11% have installed a grey water system and 31% only use grey water on their garden.

In looking for ways to reduce emissions, householders are benefiting from hip-pocket savings through lower bills and running costs of more efficient appliances. Three in five (64%) Australians limit heating and air conditioning use, 62% limit use of clothes dryers and 61% use energy efficient appliances.

Greenfleet CEO Sara Gipton said most of the barriers identified in the AAMI Green Home and Motoring Index could be easily overcome.

“Australians clearly want to do the right thing, but many don’t know where to start, or think it will cost too much to reduce their environmental impact,” Ms Gipton said.

“There are many quick, easy, cost-effective things that can immediately reduce greenhouse emissions and energy bills such as keeping heating and cooling on a moderate setting and turning appliances off at the wall.

“Blocking draughts with inexpensive tape and using curtains and external blinds will help maintain a more constant indoor temperature and reduce a household’s artificial heating and cooling needs. Insulation has a massive impact – not only does it make a home more comfortable year-round, for many it will attract a government rebate.

“These simple actions will quickly become the norm and you’ll wonder why you didn’t always do things this way.”

The full AAMI Green Home Index is available at www.aami.com.au. And, remember to visit Greenfleet’s new website at www.greenfleet.com.au for further emissions-reducing tips and offsets.

LeasePlan is the proud Foundation Supporter of Greenfleet, having supported the organisation since it was founded in 1997.

As a part of the sponsorship deal, LeasePlan provides two vehicles for Greenfleet staff. One of our foresters is driving a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD (diesel) – perfect for rough and non-existent roads on site visits – while a 2006 Toyota Prius is reserved for more city-based driving.

The Prius has been especially handy for attending community fairs and other events across Melbourne. Transporting odd-shaped, bulky display materials can potentially be tricky, but the

Prius has more than enough internal space to accommodate all our promotional materials.

And we can’t forget the environmental benefits either: the Toyota Prius is still one of the leaders on the Green Vehicle Guide with a fuel consumption rate of 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres and emissions of 106 g CO2-e/km.

We also thoroughly enjoy the undivided attention we attract while sitting at traffic lights in the Prius. Adorned with full body art, depicting the shadow of a majestic tree cast across the panels, along with LeasePlan and Greenfleet logos, the car is very hard to miss.

Spot the prius

Monash University’s Department of Business Law and Taxation celebrated their students’ outstanding academic results with an awards ceremony in May.

For the second consecutive year Greenfleet CEO, Sara Gipton, handed out the Greenfleet Prize for the top student in Corporate Environmental Responsibility. Greenfleet is pleased to sponsor this award and hopes that students completing this subject will become champions and leaders for radically improving the environmental performance of business, government and non-government sectors in Australia.

This year’s prize winner was Ms Leonie Goodwin, who has just completed a double Masters – MBA / Masters of Corporate Environment and Sustainability Management.

“My background is in the arts; however the environment and corporate social responsibility are areas I've been deeply interested in for many years”, Leonie said.

“It got to a point where I felt I needed to do something more than I was, and I felt the best way to do that was to improve my education and build skills in respect to sustainability issues and business so that I could better understand the issue from a corporate perspective.”

Despite the initial challenges combining full-time work and studying, Leonie is thoroughly enjoying the decision she made.

“Working with and learning from lecturers and industry practitioners who are really passionate about sustainability has been fantastic”, she said.

In June Greenfleet harnessed Leonie’s experience for a Monash University Green Steps project that involved comparing different carbon standards for forestry providers around the world.

Leonie has now left Australia to undertake an internship at the UNEP Finance Initiative in Geneva, Switzerland. In the future she’s hoping put her skills into practise to help corporations integrate and improve their sustainability performance.

Green hopes for the future

Greenfleet CEO Sara Gipton (left) with Leonie Goodwin, who received the 2009 Greenfleet Prize for the top student in Corporate Environmental Responsibility.

6 GREENFLEET NEWS - EdITIoN 10 SPRING 2009 7

Green printing by Fishprint

Graphic DesignSubgreen Designwww.subgreendesign.com.au

PrintingFishprintwww.fishprint.com.au

Paper SupplierFocus Paperwww.focuspaper.com.au

Thank you to Fishprint for donating the printing of this newsletter, using waterless offset technology, non-genetically modified soy ink and 100% recycled Re-Art paper donated by Focus Paper.

We'd like to thank the following organisations for supporting Greenfleet

Visit greenfleet.com.au for more supporters.

Green hopes for the futureFoundation sponsor:

We all know Telstra as a provider of telecommunications services across Australia, but in delivering these services the company has not forgotten their environmental responsibility.

Telstra’s environmental efforts start from a simple notion – efficient use and conservation of resources allows business to reduce environmental impact and reduce operating costs at the same time.

The nature of Telstra’s operations means that their greenhouse gas emissions come from:

• theuseofelectricityandgasforlighting,heatingandairconditioninginofficeandnetwork buildings and electricity to operate the network (92%);

• theuseoffuel(LPG,petrol,diesel)forvehiclesandstandbygenerators(7%);and

• by-productsoforganicwastedecomposition(suchaspaper,cardboard,timber,foodscraps) that goes to landfill (1%).

Improving energy efficiency

Telstra’s total measured energy consumption for the financial year 2007/08 was 6,064,687 GJ. Energy management programs help to improve energy efficiency in Telstra’s network, buildings and offices, saving 31,924 GJ of energy in 2007/08, or 9,605 tonnes CO2-e. This is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from around 680 average Australian homes for an entire year.

In June 2008, Telstra screensavers were removed from around 36,000 computers across the company, and replaced with a black screensaver. This simple initiative reduced energy consumption by an estimated 646 tonnes of CO2-e annually – comparable to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 46 average Australian households.

Telstra purchases LPG and diesel vehicles as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their fleet. The company has installed GPS systems in technicians’ vehicles to improve route efficiency and productivity. In addition, 2007/08 saw the number of fleet vehicles reduced by 17%.

In 2007/08, Telstra used 42,855kL of fuel (LPG, petrol and diesel) and produced 105,736 tonnes CO2-e: a reduction of 16.7% in volume and 21% less greenhouse gas emissions than in 2006/07. This decrease in transport greenhouse gas emissions was due primarily to the reduction in vehicle numbers and consequent fuel consumption.

As part of a salary sacrifice package for employees, a payment is made to Greenfleet for each vehicle. Telstra has been offsetting its vehicle fleet in this way since 2003 and during that time has helped Greenfleet to plant over 676,000 trees.

Waste and resources

The use of resources is one of the key environmental issues Telstra faces. The company is a major user of materials ranging from network equipment and construction materials, such as pits, pipe and cable, to stationery and office paper. The environmental impact of these includes the consumption of natural resources and generating waste that requires disposal.

To minimise paper use internally, Telstra has moved from primarily paper-based systems to online systems for providing internal information to employees. Telstra also offers customers the choice of online billing, including the ability to send bills to mobile phones.

In 2007/08 consumption of office paper was reduced by approximately 35,900 reams - a 14% reduction from 2006/07. Over the last six years, annual paper consumption has decreased from 10.3 reams per employee in 2002/03 to 6.5 in 2007/08.

Telstra’s environmental impact relating to water use is relatively low. Water is primarily used for staff amenities such as kitchens, toilets and showers and for cooling towers in offices, line depots and exchanges. In the last 18 months Telstra has installed waterless urinals, placed flow restriction devices on taps, upgraded toilet cisterns and replaced some water-cooled cooling towers with air-cooling units.

Telstra has conducted extensive research on the environmental impacts of its products and services: http://www.nowwearetalking.com.au/carbon/research

Engaging Employees

According to a 2008 employee engagement survey, 78% of employees believe Telstra is an environmentally responsible company. The survey’s aim was to engage employees on environmental issues to determine their concerns and interests, encourage their active role in public policy, keep them abreast of emerging issues, and ensure ongoing consideration of the environment at every level of the business.

The information gained from the survey helped develop the new green office program, GreenChallenge@Telstra, which was launched on World Environment Day in June 2008. The program aims to:

• raisestaffawarenessoftheenvironmentalimpactsthatresultfromdailyofficeactivitiesand practices;

• educatestaffonhowtoreducetheircarbonfootprint;

• enablestafftomakeinformeddecisionsabouthowtheycommutetowork;

• encouragestafftouseTelstra’sconferencingtechnologytoreducebusinessairandtaxitravel to cut greenhouse gas emissions; and

• engagestaffinenvironmentalmanagementanddecision-making.

Using ICT as a driver of your Sustainability Strategy

Telstra believes that any leading Australian organisation determined to have a long-term, successful future should be focused on improving sustainability. Organisations should recognise that it is now time to take responsible action and provide solutions that improve three key things: operational resilience, commercial sustainability and environmental sustainability.

No organisation, however, would be interested in introducing sustainable solutions without being able to quantify the environmental, commercial and social benefits.

Organisations can reduce energy use and greenhouse gases by adopting information and communication technologies (ICT) such as video conferencing, teleworking, web contact centres and fleet and field-force management solutions. Telstra’s Group Manager Environment, Dr Turlough Guerin, firmly advocates that “Work should be something you do, not somewhere you go.”

The joint Telstra-WWF white paper ‘Using ICT to drive your sustainability strategy’ explores the commercial, environmental and societal benefits ICT tools. Find a copy of the white paper at www.telstraenterprise.com/researchinsights/Pages/Sustainability.aspx

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Telstra strides towards greener communications

Since cycling instead of driving is such a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we’d liketoacknowledgethegenerosityofStKildaCycleswhichallowedustorewardtwoGreenfleetsupporters with some brand new wheels.

Everyone who signed up to offset their personal car with Greenfleet at either at the Boroondara ‘Living for our Future’ Expo or the Whitehorse 'Sustainable Transport Expo' in March automatically went into a draw to win one of the bikes on offer.

The second bike was offered as an incentive for individual supporters to provide feedback about Greenfleet’s program through an online survey in June.

Andrea Lomdahl from Glen Iris, Victoria, signed up to support Greenfleet at the Boroondara

‘Living for our Future’ Expo and she was very excited when she found out she would get to take the first bicycle home.

Rachel Alway, who recently moved from Sydney to Melbourne, discovered her survey feedback was very valuable indeed, as she was rewarded with the second bicycle.

Congratulations to you both, we hope the bikes get lots of use and help you to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

ThanksagaintoStKildaCyclesfordonatingthebikesandhelpingustospreadthewordaboutavoiding and reducing emissions. Check them out at www.stkildacycles.com.au if you’re thinking about buying a new bike.

Bicycle Winners