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Australian Platform News | |||
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Working Groups Underway
The first Water, Climate Change and Grains working group meetings were held in recent months providing a platform to discuss cutting-edge ideas on sustainability. The Working Groups either focus on sectors or themes of interest and meet 2-3 times a year. Members initiated discussions by identifying each organisation's top 3 key sustainability issues in respect of the area of responsibility for their particular working group. This approach provided momentum for a substantive and productive discussion and as a result members have identified priority areas and information gaps. To address these needs guest speakers are to be invited to talk to groups, potential pilot projects are to be explored and research papers prepared. Our members are all concerned about ensuring the quality supply of commodities to ensure quality products can be produced at the best price. Managing the likely impacts and implications of the forthcoming Carbon Emissions Reduction Scheme is also a significant issue. Our Members are working to manage the risks brought about by climate change. The Biofuels, Livestock and Consumer Demand working groups will meet in the new year. |
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Active Discussion Groups
A new innovative online facility for members has been developed to allow members to share ideas with each other on a particular topic. It can be likened to an online 'chat room' that enables structured debate on issues, and enables a continued flow of dialogue outside of face-to-face meetings. It can be used as a discussion vehicle for research proposals, reports, online meetings or administrative matters. The use of this facility is expected to heighten in the new year. |
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Membership Base Meets
On the 7 October our members met for the Annual General Meeting giving members the opportunity to reflect on the year's operations and plan for 2009. Members have agreed that the focus in 2009 will be three fold. 1. Services (support for members) • Access to knowledge and know how • Provide a help desk • Develop a practices library (includes mapouts and other documentation) 2. Research and Development (fosters innovation) • Knowledge Sharing • Pilot projects 3. Education and Training (development of Human Capital) • Human Network (informal) • Training (formal) – including associations with relevant domestic and international Business Schools and other educational resources. |
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Members in The News
We would like to welcome Incitec Pivot Limited as a new member to the SAI Platform Australia. We are looking forward to their participation in our activities and the new dimension their experience in the fertiliser industry will bring to discussions and projects. Australian SAI Platform member Kelloggs has also recently joined the Global SAI Platform and is an active member of the Potatoes – Vegetables- Cereals working group. With Kraft Foods rolling out their billionth jar of Vegemite during October many people may not know that behind this amazing production history is also a raft of improved sustainability measures that have recently been implemented. Kraft have generated costs savings of $550,000 and a reduction in water use at their Vegemite plant in Port Melbourne. Kraft has focused on achieving substantial savings in water use, wastewater generation, energy and CO2 emissions. To put this into perspective they have realized savings equivalent to the water consumption of 266 average Melbourne households and taking 335 cars off the road. |
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Sustainability Education Needs
SAI Platform Australia commissioned a preliminary investigation into executive sustainability courses globally to understand what is available. It has become apparent that Australia has very limited educational resources in this area compared to what executives are able to access worldwide. The Australian chapter members are working to find the best way to address this. |
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Mapouts!
When members join our Platform, they make a commitment to identify ways they can improve sustainability practices within their companies. Kraft have made cost and water savings at their Vegemite plant, Nestle have made a substantial commitment to communities with cash grants and offering employees as volunteer to help with projects, Goodman Fielder have implemented initiatives to reduce emissions generated through the transport of their products and Fosters have achieved water efficiency to a world's best practice level at their Yatala brewery (just to name a few projects!). Some 50 sustainability case studies (mapouts) have now been completed by our member companies and these will be augmented as new projects get underway. |
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Global SAI News | |||
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US Conference
A two day conference featuring the highest level of agricultural sustainability speakers is to be held in Washington DC in March 2009. This conference builds on the success of the 2007 conference held in Brussels organised by SAI Platform and CIAA. The US Sustainability Food Lab and Keystone Centre will play key roles as new event partners. Further details on this event will be released soon. |
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New Website
SAI Platform's new website has gone live at www.saiplatform.org. A new design and user friendly interface features on the site. A new information system has also been incorporated into the site to facilitate working group activities, giving members improved access to information and documents. Visit www.saiplatform.org |
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Working Groups
The Coffee and Dairy working groups have implemented two new projects in recent months. An 'Outcome Analysis of Coffee Sustainability Production Practice' will assess the impact of production practices on yield, quality, life etc. and identify improved sustainability practices that could be implemented. These new measures will then be monitored. A dairy study has also been commissioned to compare existing tools and models that measure greenhouse gas emissions at a farm level. |
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New Technologies for Water Management Seminar
A seminar addressing new technologies for water management was held in June and a further one is to be held in Brussels on the 31 October. The program considered policy and technical issues by way of presentations and break-out sessions. As an outcome of this a comparison of existing irrigations tools is to carried out in the Water Working Group. |
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Australian Sustainability News | |||
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Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme Green Paper - The Implications for Food & Agriculture
The Federal Government's Green Paper was released on July 16 and its contents have been extensively covered in the media. For the purposes of SAI Platform Australian members a paper has been prepared that focuses on some key implications of the Green Paper for agriculture and food and beverage processing. General Features of the Green Paper: • The Government will establish a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme that will place a limit, or cap, on the amount of carbon pollution industry can emit. • It will require affected businesses and industry to buy a 'pollution permit' for each tonne of carbon they contribute to the atmosphere, giving them a strong incentive to reduce pollution. • The carbon pollution reduction scheme will concentrate on the biggest polluters, i.e. it will place obligations on around 1000 Australian companies in total – those that produce more than 25000 tonnes of carbon pollution each year. • Permits to emit carbon will be auctioned and the Government will use all of the proceeds to help Australian households and businesses adjust to the scheme and invest in clean energy options. • The Government has not stated what the 'cap' will be but indications are it will be set at a reasonably modest level, contingent on the outcome of any international agreement to limit emissions. |
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Internet News | |||
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Carbon Trading Schemes - Opinions Online
The following websites canvass various dimensions on how Carbon Emissions Trading Schemes might impact agriculture. Science Alert – www.sciencealert.com.au/opinions/20081808-17817-3.html Australian Academy of Science - www.science.org.au/nova/054/054key.htm National Farmers Federation - Emissions trading poses risks & opportunities Feature Editorial for ABC Online www.nff.org.au/get/2438621989.doc Stock and Land 'Farmers vulnerable under emissions trading scheme' sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/farmers-vulnerable-under-emissions-trading-scheme/1273502.aspx Australian Bureau of Agricultural Economics - Climate change: Opportunities and challenges in Australian agriculture - www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/climate/climate_08/cc_opportunities.pdf www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/climate/climate_08/cc_opportunities.pdf Australian Government, Department of Land and Water - Agriculture, Forestry and Emissions Trading: How do we participate? www.ruralrdc.com.au/WMS/Upload/Resources/ETS%20Issues%20Paper%202%20May%202007.pdf Agriculture as a TEEI Sector, presentation by Mick Keogh, Executive Director, Australian Farm Institute at the TEEI Summit June 2008 www.business.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/BA6D652E-E441-4649-95F4-7A4AE9CC84E5/0/present_20080617_teeii_AFarmInst.pdf Other reference websites for characteristics of emissions trading schemes. Australian Government Department of Climate Change – Summary Green Paper on the CPRS - www.climatechange.gov.au/emissionstrading/index.html National Emissions Trading Taskforce – an initiative of the State and Territory Governments of Australia established to develop a multi-jurisdictional emissions trading scheme for consideration by State and Territory Governments. Their website provides an outline of the Taskforce's work program, key documents for download, and details of the stakeholder consultation process that is essential to the success of the NETS initiative. You can subscribe to receive updates on their work. www.emissionstrading.net.au/ European Union's emissions trading website. http:/ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/emission/index_en.htm New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme – details and opinion Frazer Linstrom Climate Change Strategist www.frazerlindstrom.com/nzets2.htm Business Council of Australia – 'Emissions Trading Scheme is an opportunity' - www.bca.com.au/Content/101466.aspx Deacon's – a legal perspective on the CPRS and its impact. www.deacons.com.au/legal-services/environment-planning/climate-change/legal-updates/legal-update.cfm?objid=6523 |
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