How SBN ‘Walks the talk’ on sustainability

We’re committed to accelerating the creation of the new low carbon circular economy, in which resources are never abandoned to become waste or pollution. This will revitalise Aotearoa New Zealand’s landscapes and oceans and secure a sustainable and equitable future for all.

Here’s how we do that inside our organisation, alongside the work of our projects. We’re always learning, and there is always more that we can do. But from our experience, these are also some of the actions we recommend to all organisations, particularly those in our Network. 

Importantly, all our staff have Key Performance Indicators directly linked to these objectives. 

Climate 

We:

• have been estimating our carbon footprint for more than six years
• use the Climate Action Toolbox Emissions Calculator and track our monthly emissions
• achieved our carbon emissions goal for 2022, with an estimated 7.416 tonnes (CO₂-e), against our ‘carbon budget’ of eight tonnes
• reduced our carbon emissions by 70.9% from 2019 to 2020, followed by an increase of 7% in 2021 and an increase of 27.7% in 2022
• have reduced our emissions as our business has grown, with reductions in emissions per $ income and emissions per full-time employee
• have a centrally located office with no car parking. This encourages public transport, cycling, walking and running
• have shower facilities, secure bike storage, repair tools and an office e-bike
• shifted online with the pandemic and embraced flexible working to cut our travel
• consider online meetings rather than in person regardless of lockdowns, especially long distance
• run the majority of our Board Meetings online
• cut travel emissions associated with the use of personal staff vehicles by 63% in 2022
• offset what we can’t yet cut with Ekos. This includes offsetting our domestic flights at point of purchase and again in our organisational offsetting
• don’t refer to our operations as “carbon neutral” as we don’t yet go through a formal certification process
• have the detail at our fingertips

Waste

We:

• complete regular waste audits
• have well marked, convenient recycling bins
• collect soft plastics and paper separately
• use Green Gorilla for our organic waste
• think before we print, to conserve paper
• collect hard to recycle items such as batteries to return to our suppliers
• generally bring lunch from home, but have reusable containers ready if we buy out
• have a great coffee machine to cut out buying takeaway and use reusable coffee cups when we do

Nature regeneration

We have regular staff volunteering days each year at one of the nature restoration projects that we support. This provides hands-on experience and connection with the work on the ground. 

What we buy – procurement

We:

• upgrade and repair as much as possible, before replacing
• ask: ‘Do we really need it?’
• use our Smart Purchasing Guide
• buy second hand where we can, from businesses in our Network, like All Heart NZ and GoodTech
• prioritise buying certified goods. This included Fairtrade organic coffee, and plant based milks
• buy from businesses with product stewardship whenever we can, like Inzide. This means we can send stuff back for them to deal with responsibly
• ask suppliers that aren’t doing product stewardship to consider it
• collect if it’s local, to avoid unnecessary postage and packaging
• choose reusable packaging that will be recycled or commercially composted

Want to know more, give feedback or provide ideas? Contact us!