Abstract | Sustainability through collaboration: A controlled cross-sector study of collaboration for sustainability in Australian Manufacturing

The reputed success of multi-sector collaboration groups to advance sustainability such as the Los Angeles SEER case (Bradbury-Huang 2010), need to be tested in other cities using a control group to verify their universal applicability and value. It was hypothesised that a cross-sector collaboration group based on manufacturing in Sydney, Australia would show a positive intention and greater sense of urgency to start a Green Business Initiative (GBI) or an ‘action’ that was stronger than a control group representing a single sector. Between the pre and post research survey, each group participated in Learning Workshops focussed on two of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7). The differences between the two groups were analysed using a mixed-design slit-plot ANOVA-SPSS (Part 1). The results showed that both groups’ attitudes and intentions strengthened as a result of the Learning Workshops but the shift in the intervention group was no greater than that of the control. The small sample size and short time period of the study may have limited its ability to demonstrate the full benefits of cross-sector collaboration. However the results do beg the question: Is it enough to simply bring people into a room to engage in dialogue? We found that the strongest drivers of change in Australia are innovative business models such as PPA for Solar PV that offer clear financial benefits to all parties involved. An area for further research is how circular economy models (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2014) can be applied to solve “wicked” environmental problems in ways that deliver a financial return to multiple stakeholders. These require a different type of collaboration between asset owners/managers, manufacturers, lessees and investors.

Bio | Suzanne Orme MEIANZ

Suzanne is the Principal of Enviroease, an independent Sustainability Management Consultancy based in Sydney. Since 2001, Suzanne has assisted seven companies from the manufacturing, transport and construction sectors achieve and/or retain certification to ISO14001, ISO18001 and AS/NZS4801. This involved improving their risk and compliance tools; objectives and monitoring processes; technical writing, and the provision of compliance audits and site assessments.

Suzanne developed the assessment portfolio and training materials for the Advanced Greenhouse Gas Compliance course for SAI Global, a $1bn + company. She has trained hundreds of individuals in this area of speciality and assessed them against Nationally Recognised Units of Competency, some becoming registered auditors under the NGER Act.

In a consulting role Suzanne has supported businesses in the manufacturing, mining, water utility, refrigeration, publishing and local government sectors with energy and carbon management. She has completed health, safety and environment (HSE) risk assessments for companies

in the manufacturing, transport and mining sectors and

and assisted companies in the manufacturing and electricity transmission industries in the improvement of the management of hazardous substances and Dangerous Goods.

A broad range of sectors have engaged Suzanne to assist with environmental emergency preparedness procedures and drills.

For the last 8 years, Suzanne has trained and assessed the competency of hundreds of individuals across a broad range of industry and government bodies in Health, Safety and Environmental Management Systems and auditing on behalf of NCSI (now BSI) and SAI Global. She is near completion of a Masters in Sustainable Development at Macquarie University.