1. Section 3 - Monitor and Review Sustainability Policy
BSBSUS501
Section 3 - Monitor and Review Sustainability Policy

2. Introduction
This section is about monitoring and reviewing sustainability policies, managing reporting and the continuous improvement of processes.
Topics covered:
monitor sustainability policy
manage reporting mechanisms
plan continuous improvement

3. What are we Monitoring? Compliance with legislation and regulations
Progress towards achieving the KPIs
The effectiveness of the system of continuous improvement.
Uptake of new procedures by staff

4. What Records do we need?
Look at the records you may need to keep, such as:
Records of reviews conducted
Record of workplace audits and inspections
Specific results e.g. amount of recycling being done
Records of training
Records of breaches.

5. Comparisons of resource usage for 2 years
Reporting Tools
Comparisons of resource usage for 2 years

6. What is Continuous Improvement?
Continuous improvement is frequently seeking out ways to improve processes, products, or services.
This requires close monitoring and control, changes to the uses of manpower, machinery, methods, materials and money to improve business efficiency.
There are a number of methods used e.g. PDCA, TQM and Kaizen

7. Continuous Improvement Elements
Continuous improvement involves the following:
Planning policy and procedures
Implementing policy and procedures
Monitoring, checking and reviewing policy and procedures.
Comparing actual results against planned targets
As a result of these findings, new policies and procedures may need to be researched and developed, and the cycle starts again.

8. PDCA
PDCA cycle
For continuous improvement, most business management systems will follow some version of the well-known Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle:
The PDCA cycle provides an important framework for performance management and monitoring, discussed in detail later in this topic. The cycle also provides a framework for
compliance standards governing the management of particular aspects of sustainability

9. People Profit Planet
Triple bottom line (abbreviated as TBL or 3BL) is an accounting framework with three parts: social, environmental (or ecological) and financial. These three divisions are also called the three Ps: people, planet and profit, or the "three pillars of sustainability". Interest in triple bottom line accounting has been growing in both for-profit, non-profit and government sectors. Many organizations have adopted the TBL framework to evaluate their performance in a broader context
People" pertains to fair and beneficial business practices toward labour and the community and region in which a corporation conducts its business. A TBL company conceives a reciprocal social structure in which the well-being of corporate, labour and other stakeholder interests are interdependent.
An enterprise dedicated to the triple bottom line seeks to provide benefit to many constituencies and not to exploit or endanger any group of them. The "upstreaming" of a portion of profit from the marketing of finished goods back to the original producer of raw materials, for example, a farmer in fair trade agricultural practice, is a common feature. In concrete terms, a TBL business would not use child labour and monitor all contracted companies for child labour exploitation, would pay fair salaries to its workers, would maintain a safe work environment and tolerable working hours, and would not otherwise exploit a community or its labour force. A TBL business also typically seeks to "give back" by contributing to the strength and growth of its community with such things as health care and education. Quantifying this bottom line is relatively new, problematic and often subjective. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has developed guidelines to enable corporations and NGOs alike to comparably report on the social impact of a business.
Planet" (natural capital) refers to sustainable environmental practices. A TBL company endeavors to benefit the natural order as much as possible or at the least do no harm and minimise environmental impact. A TBL endeavour reduces its ecological footprint by, among other things, carefully managing its consumption of energy and non-renewables and reducing manufacturing waste as well as rendering waste less toxic before disposing of it in a safe and legal manner. "Cradle to grave" is uppermost in the thoughts of TBL manufacturing businesses, which typically conduct a life cycle assessment of products to determine what the true environmental cost is from the growth and harvesting of raw materials to manufacture to distribution to eventual disposal by the end user.
Currently, the cost of disposing of non-degradable or toxic products is borne financially by governments and environmentally by the residents near the disposal site and elsewhere. In TBL thinking, an enterprise which produces and markets a product which will create a waste problem should not be given a free ride by society. It would be more equitable for the business which manufactures and sells a problematic product to bear part of the cost of its ultimate disposal.
Ecologically destructive practices, such as overfishing or other endangering depletions of resources are avoided by TBL companies. Often environmental sustainability is the more profitable course for a business in the long run. Arguments that it costs more to be environmentally sound are often specious when the course of the business is analyzed over a period of time. Generally, sustainability reporting metrics are better quantified and standardized for environmental issues than for social ones. A number of respected reporting institutes and registries exist including the Global Reporting Initiative, CERES, Institute 4 Sustainability and others.
The eco bottom line is akin to the concept of Eco-capitalism.[10]
Profit" is the economic value created by the organization after deducting the cost of all inputs, including the cost of the capital tied up. It therefore differs from traditional accounting definitions of profit. In the original concept, within a sustainability framework, the "profit" aspect needs to be seen as the real economic benefit enjoyed by the host society. It is the real economic impact the organization has on its economic environment. This is often confused to be limited to the internal profit made by a company or organization (which nevertheless remains an essential starting point for the computation). Therefore, an original TBL approach cannot be interpreted as simply traditional corporate accounting profit plus social and environmental impacts unless the "profits" of other entities are included as a social benefit.

10. Greenwashing DEFINITION of 'Greenwashing'
When a company, government or other group promotes green-based environmental initiatives or images but actually operates in a way that is damaging to the environment or in an opposite manner to the goal of the announced initiatives. This can also include misleading customers about the environmental benefits of a product through misleading advertising and unsubstantiated claims.
The general idea behind greenwashing is to create a benefit by appearing to be a green company, whether that benefit comes in the form of a higher stock price, more customers or favored partnerships with green organizations. Even many energy companies - some of the world's biggest carbon emitters - have attempted rebrand themselves as environmentally friendly.  The tools used in greenwashing can include press releases about green projects or task forces put into place, energy reduction or pollution reduction efforts, and rebranding of consumer products and advertising materials. In actuality, the company or group may be operating in damaging ways or may simply be unwilling to make a meaningful commitment to green initiatives.

11. ISO 14001
ISO is part of a family of 16 international ISO standards designed to assist companies in reducing their negative impact on the environment.
The standard is not an environmental management system and does not dictate absolute environmental performance requirements
It serves instead as a framework to assist organisations in developing their own environmental management system.

12. Plan continuous improvement

13. Examples of improvement
Improving the organisation’s process for identifying applicable legal requirements so that new compliance requirements are identified quicker
Improving employee training on materials and handling to reduce the generation of waste
Introducing wastewater treatment processes to allow water reuse

14. Signs of a successful sustainability policy
Embedded into core business strategy
It has a specific focus on low-carbon goods and services
Policies and procedures are regularly reviewed
The workforce is well informed and supportive
Performance is measured against sustainability KPIs with a view to continuous improvement

15. Section 3 Summary Topics Covered: Monitor sustainability policy
Manage reporting mechanisms
Plan continuous improvement

16. Unit Summary Section 1 – Review Current Policy and Procedures
Sustainability in a business context
Legislation and Regulatory framework
Identify the need for Policies and procedures
Section 2 – Develop and Implement Sustainability Policies
Review existing policy documents
Develop new policy documents and implementation plans
Section 3 – Monitor and Review Sustainability Policy
Monitor sustainability policy
Report and plan continuous improvement