Here are some of the main findings:
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More than 80% of respondents say they're working on their carbon footprint.
Only 19% of businesses who completed the survey have done no work on their carbon footprint. That’s an improvement on last year, when the figure was 28%.
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25% of respondents say they don’t monitor how much waste they create.
Again, this is an improvement on the previous year, when the figure was 36%. This year, in addition to monitoring waste, 40% of businesses who responded have an action plan to go beyond recycling and design out waste across their operations.
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Over half of respondents say they're proactively supporting nature.
58% are engaged in activities such as tree planting, investing money in regenerative programmes, participating in nature restoration days, or providing expertise or resources to support nature projects.
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Over half of respondents say sustainability is a priority in purchasing, even if it costs more.
53% of businesses who responded prioritise sustainability when buying products or services for their business, even if it means paying more. 32% use sustainable procurement tools or processes.
5. Organisations join SBN primarily because they support our purpose.
Our purpose is ‘Empowering business so people and nature prosper', and supporting it is the main reason companies join our network. This is followed by upskilling in sustainability and networking opportunities.
Of the network benefits we offer, staying up to date with sustainable business news is the most valued. That’s followed by events and investing in system change.
Here’s a sample of comments about what organisations value at SBN:
“Great learning opportunities.”
“Great tools to support me on my own sustainability journey.”
“Good to learn more from people with experience around sustainability.”
“Keeping up to date with what is happening.”
6. What you’d like to see from SBN going forward.
Respondents came up with some useful suggestions for what you’d like to see from us this year. Here are the main themes with a sample of your comments and our response:
- More workshops
“Keep running their workshops – they are very valuable.”
“More workshops”
There will be plenty of these this year! Check out the workshop series Starting out on Sustainability, which we’re running monthly until November.
- More tools and resources
“More resources and guides to help members implement change at their workplaces/businesses.”
“More practical toolkits and ideas, especially for smaller businesses who may not have resources.”
“Continue to develop and promote resources that support businesses of all sizes to take meaningful, immediate, action on climate and sustainability.”
Our new website has been designed to make our practical tools and resources easy to find and use. They are all free and cover a wide selection of topics. Check them out today.
- Advocating for change
“Continue to be an advocate for a positive change.”
“Continued advocacy and action oriented projects. Amplifying all the good work happening.”
“Keep on pushing issues and engaging businesses to be part of the solutions and innovations.”
“Collective petitions/submissions to government (local + national) on specific issues, bills and local planning issues. Access to funding support or sustainable initiatives.”
We hear you, and will continue our work pushing for change. We regularly make submissions to Government and councils on relevant issues and encourage businesses in our network to do the same. We also give insights into what key pieces of legislation mean for your business.
- Sharing insights
“Share learnings and information, including focusing on case studies.”
“Share the knowledge. There is so much noise and misinformation that we need to better educate businesses and people with the facts.”
“Providing insights into trends, policies, emerging issues.”
The News and Insights section of our new website has been designed to meet this need. You can filter by different sustainability topic. We also have a library of case studies we’ll be growing this year so you can pick up tips from successful businesses.
- More networking and events
“More networking opportunities. I miss the interaction with people caused by Covid and SBN used to be a great way to connect with like minded sustainable businesses.”
“More networking events”
Covid has obviously made it difficult to run in-person events in recent months, which is why we’ve switched our networking events online. We’ve heard from some of you that you prefer online events as they are accessible to people wherever they are. Yet we know others miss the chance to connect in-person. Going forward we are planning a mix of both types of events, Covid permitting. At all times we put the health and safety of people first and follow a Covid events policy. Check out the selection of events we have on offer this year so far.
Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to complete our 2022 survey – we really value your feedback. If you have any other suggestions please let us know by contacting investor@sustainable.org.nz
Finally, congratulations to Cole Burmester of Tauranga City Council, the winner of our prize draw for $500 to spend on our training and courses!