Vicinity Centres' co-designed and evidence based circular economy strategy has been designed to amplify the business’ broader ESG performance. 

Vicinity Centres’ Circular Economy Strategy 

Exploring UNSW’s Supply Chain Reliance and Impact on Nature

Nature Impact and Dependency Assessment

Wine Australia’s Emissions Reduction Roadmap

A plan for a lower emissions future for the Australian wine industry

Viña Concha y Toro (VCT), one of the largest wine companies globally, have been working closely with Edge Impact on their decarbonisation journey for years. VCT wanted to identify possible business risks associated with climate change so Edge Impact developed an assessment and guide to address TCFD requirements and future regulation.

Helping Viña Concha y Toro Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy

Tyre Stewardship Australia in partnership with Edge Impact has modeled various tyre-derived products to identify their environmental impacts, potential market replacements and benefits from the replacements.

The Environmental Impacts of Waste Tyre Recovery in Australia

Sydney (Head Office)

Adelaide, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Auckland, New Zealand

Santiago, Chile

Boston, USA

This pathway is designed to give property and construction businesses and their suppliers practical and actionable steps for respecting human rights and tackling modern slavery, no matter the size of business or level of experience.

How to use the PCA Pathway document to drive industry-wide change

Nick Dexter, Principal, Human Rights & Social Impact

With the release of the "Pathway to Respecting Human Rights and Addressing Modern Slavery Risks," developed in partnership with the Property Council of Australia (PCA) and Edge Impact, there's a new blueprint for action. 

The Property Council of Australia is on a mission 

The Pathway document is not just a tool for internal use; it's a bridge for inter-business collaboration that amplifies collective capacity to make a difference.

The Pathway outlines ten clear steps towards respecting human rights, providing a common framework and language that all businesses, regardless of size or sector, can understand and rally around. This shared understanding is the first step towards effective collaboration. 

By discussing the various aspects of the Pathway, businesses can identify common goals and areas where joint efforts can lead to greater impact. Whether it's improving supply chain transparency, implementing grievance mechanisms, or enhancing worker conditions, the Pathway helps align efforts towards shared objectives. 

The document is rich with links to 58 free online resources, case studies, and practical examples. Businesses can come together to explore these resources, sharing insights and learning from each other's experiences. This collaborative learning approach accelerates progress and innovation. 

Regularly engaging with other businesses to discuss progress on the Pathway's steps creates a sense of accountability. These partnerships can drive continuous improvement and help maintain momentum towards respecting human rights and eliminating modern slavery. 

By sharing the Pathway with suppliers, clients, and the wider industry, they foster a culture of responsibility and ethical practice across the entire sector. 

Start by downloading the Pathway. See where you stand and where you can join forces with others. 

To discuss how we can support your journey towards respecting human rights and addressing modern slavery risks, get in touch with Nick Dexter at nick.dexter@edgeimpact.global. 

Here's how the Pathway document can serve as a tool for facilitating conversations between businesses: 

Download the Pathway to Respecting Human Rights and Addressing Modern Slavery Risks here

Eco Choice Aotearoa has partnered with Edge Impact to seamlessly integrate your ecolabel and EPD requirements, ensuring a smooth transition towards developing your EPD.

Eco Choice Aotearoa Expands Services Through Partnership with Edge Impact

Edge Impact, Australasia’s leading provider of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) is proud to announce a new partnership with Eco Choice Aotearoa, the official ecolabel trademarked by the Ministry for the Environment. 

This collaboration will enhance sustainability initiatives by offering comprehensive Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) and EPDs to businesses across New Zealand.  

Eco Choice Aotearoa has been a pioneer in sustainability for over three decades, providing trusted ecolabel certifications. Now, in collaboration with Edge Impact, ECA is expanding its services to deliver deeper insights and actionable business intelligence through LCAs and EPDs. 

Edge Impact, known for completing 40% of Australasia’s EPDs, brings a wealth of expertise and a nuanced understanding of the opportunities and challenges within various industries. Their experience ensures that businesses receive robust, transparent, and credible environmental impact data. 

Transitioning to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) builds on Eco Choice Aotearoa’s foundation by providing detailed, verified data on environmental impacts. This partnership with Edge Impact supports businesses in this transition, offering enhanced credibility and market differentiation. 

David Maucor, Regional Principal - New Zealand

Partnering with the Eco Choice label makes a lot of sense for us. We’re committed to helping product manufacturers understand their product impacts and communicate this effectively to their clients. 

Eco Choice already assists many New Zealand based businesses through its Eco-label program. Together, we can offer more options and guide them on their product certification and transparency journey.

The partnership combines the assurance of a Type 1 ecolabel, the detailed business intelligence of an LCA, and the transparency of an EPD, all under one trusted provider with a 30-year legacy. 

This integration will simplify the process for businesses striving for sustainability, who can build on the work already completed through their Eco-label certification with Eco Choice, to progress towards an LCA or EPD.

Eco Choice Aotearoa and Edge Impact are committed to helping organisations minimise their environmental impact, to ensure a thriving motu for future generations.

There’s no one-size fits all approach when it comes to sustainability, and by expanding our services, we’re now able to support businesses at each step of their journey - providing honest advice on what they need, and what they don’t.

To learn more about the partnership and how it can benefit your business today. Click here.

Edge Impact is a global impact consultancy that combines science, strategy, and storytelling to reimagine sustainability for positive impact. With a diverse team of specialists from strategists to economists, engineers to creatives, Edge Impact has been helping businesses, organisations, industries, and societies achieve transformative change since 2008. 

Eco Choice Aotearoa is the country’s official ecolabel for products and services, trademarked by the Ministry for the Environment. For the past 30 years, the ecolabel has provided comprehensive assurance of environmental preferability, ethical sourcing, health and safety and performance. Eco Choice Aotearoa is committed to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and draws inspiration from the concept of kaitiakitanga.

As experts in the full spectrum of sustainability topics, we are here to guide you through the complexity. We combine global expertise with the knowledge and experience of the local Aotearoa NZ context.

Our team includes specialists from across the globe; from strategists to economists, engineers to creatives. Since 2008, we have been helping businesses, organisations, industries and societies make transformation happen.

Our areas of expertise are focussed around the following areas:

Leadership and Transformation
ESG and Strategy
Decarbonisation and Climate Resilience
Circular Economy and Lifecycle Thinking
Procurement and Supply Chain
Built Environment
Nature and Biodiversity
Brand, Communications and Creative

We have a number of exciting projects in the works and are rapidly expanding our team of consultants. Below are our latest job openings across our global offices. 

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Discover how brands can transition to greater transparency. Learn what defines a transparent brand, explore real-life examples, and uncover five effective strategies to enhance your brand's transparency.

From meaningful and purposeful, to brand transparency

Written by
Jordan Stokes, Creative Director

Most if not all brand professionals are guilty of encouraging the use of positive buzzwords when developing strategy, tone of voice or brand personality in whatever form for their clients. It was very much ‘purposeful’ or ‘meaningful’ for a long time with ‘impactful’ having it’s own moment right now.

All brands are always looking to be authentic, mean what they say and not try to be something they’re not; Even if that thing is big, garish and in your face. Lot’s of brands are honest in the way they engage with their audiences and it usually comes through in the way they talk about themselves or present themselves, maybe more as an aesthetic or tone. These traits are often nuanced and can depend on a whole host of factors.

I believe that honesty means that when asked you answer truthfully and authentic just means you’re true to who you are.

But what if a brand’s customers or audiences don’t know what to ask, or understand specialist areas of the business (like sustainability)? Does this mean that brands don’t feel obliged to communicate what they’re doing? Feels a bit murky, right?

Transparency on the other hand is much more open. It’s brands saying ‘come and see for yourself’.

As the world of sustainability, action and brands actually doing the right thing very quickly moves into the mainstream, are we about to move away from brands having ‘meaningful’ conversations with their audiences and into them being more transparent and forthcoming with how they act behind the scenes?

What brands are doing from a sustainability perspective; setting targets, managing their resources, production and responsibilities by working to reduce any negative impact (and even positively impact in some cases) can often be quite technical, littered with caveats and very specialist at times.

Currently, when we do see it filter into the mainstream it often appears as something so lofty that you’ve lost all detail and the connection to the evidence. I think of it a bit like hearing politicians answering questions.

The information and results can also not look or sound great either. A lot of businesses are worried that they won’t hit the targets they set, which as reported by Accenture in November 2022 is most likely true for a vast majority of the major businesses setting targets.

Sometimes organisations can’t actually do enough because the systems they are a part of and the technology they use isn’t ready to support them, so in most cases they shy away from communicating outwardly.

However; organisations that understand the need for brand transparency are making this narrative a part of how they communicate with their stakeholders and audiences.

A good example of this has played out recently with Lego.

A brand loved by all who have been a sustainability leader for forever, recently announcing that they were needing to abandon one of their key initiatives to reduce emissions and the impact of their product because they physically couldn’t re-imagine their entire production process in time.

They have been both commended by some and slammed by others, but this act of brand transparency is just what more brands need to embrace if we want to inspire collaboration and action from both industry and consumers.

Another favourite example is Nudie Denim.

The global denim manufacturer has a strong sustainability approach, actively reports on their strategy and targets and engages consumers to make better choices; but, it’s their supply chain transparency activation that excites me the most.

On any product on their website, you can discover their entire supply chain, where the producer or production house is located, whether it has been audited and even download those reports. It’s a simple, but really impressive digital content piece that gives customers the ability to look under the hood at how their clothes are made in lots of detail.

These examples really highlight the difference (from a brand and communications point of view) between transparency and honesty.

Our services include brand strategy, identity creation and refinement, product and service design, graphic design and art direction, digital, campaigns and experiential. 

I’ve spent the last 16 months in a new world when you compare the first 15 years of my career. 

We moved from a more general brand and creative agency to be more specialist as part of a global impact consultancy. This new world has seen us working with new types of clients; not only in the businesses we work with but also the people within those businesess we engage.

In this new world we’re supporting amazing people who are doing amazing things to solve some of businesses most fundamental issues; and our role is to help them actually share what they’re doing with the world and be confident to share as much as possible, knowing they have the evidence to back it all up.

It takes a lot for brands to completely open their doors and windows to the world and let everyone see what they’re doing (in some instances, where reporting is concerned they may not have a choice in the near future).

If brands want to build, engage and educate the kinds audiences of that we need, to make the better choices that the world needs they have to start being braver in the way they set goals (and why) then communicate how they’re tracking against them.

In doing our work we apply our brand mantra in how we approach each project and what we need to ask from our clients.

We call it the ‘Edge Way’ and it quite simply combines science, strategy and storytelling to build the foundations a brand needs to communicate their purpose, their sustainability goals and their actions effectively.

Here are 5 strategies for brands to effectively transition to greater transparency

Understand what you need to be able to back up the work you’re doing and the goals you want to set. This could be through recognised certifications, life cycle analysis or establishing a carbon footprint.

One of the most interesting parts of this process, is when we are able to use this evidence base to develop brand and ESG strategy that truly connects and embeds sustainability into a brand at it’s core.

Bringing your internal and external audiences on the journey with you not only builds momentum behind your goals and actions, but it also helps communicate what needs to be done and why in a way that’s engaging, inspiring and people can connect with. By activating sustainability, you can make it a part of everyone’s role and something they can be a part of.

Most brands aren’t actually set up to communicate complex data, scientific evidence or multi-level sustainability stories on top of their day-to-day. By bolstering your brand asset library across data visualisation, imagery and language; to allow greater flexibility and focus on sustainability topics you can ensure messages cut-through and stay clear of feeling too ‘greenwashy’ and throw away.

By connecting sustainability teams, with marketing and brand teams and empowering those teams to communicate sustainability effectively; brands can keep an open channel with their audiences to continuously update on their goals and actions. Our work sees this come to life through training, workshops and the development of tools or functions that build on a businesses existing processes.

Sustainability reporting has traditionally been seen and felt by some as a resource drain, resulting in a fluffy marketing document that doesn’t disclose detail or drive any action. But by re-thinking how your brand reports on your goals, action and the impact you’re having on the world you can create a more engaging experience around how you bring brand transparency (and dislosure) to life within your customer experience and directly to your audiences.

As brands doing this well will know, it’s not just content and communications benefits that successful reporting can yield, but there are operational and strategic gains to be made too.

We unpack this more in our original discussion paper ‘How to Thrive In The New Era Of Disclosure’.

As with other branding trends that come and go, hopefully we’ll see a shift away from brand purpose and ‘honest’ brands, to more outright transparent brands in the near future.

Brands that build their strategies and communications on evidence, then openly share with the world how they are tracking against the commitments they have made. I hope this builds more confidence in consumers, customers and audiences of all kinds that they can trust the brands that they choose, because of the way they communicate.

Having worked on more traditional brand strategy for a number of years, I also feel excited by a different approach that could combine science, strategy and storytelling to create more progressive, sustainable and transparent brands.

To hear more about the work we do at Edge Impact to help businesses discover the power of brand transparency and creating truly sustainability focussed brands get in touch for a chat.

From brand strategy to digital campaigns, we help organisations of all sizes embed sustainability authentically. 

Learn more about our Brand, Communications & Creative Services.

As experts in the full spectrum of sustainability topics, we are here to guide you through the complexity. Our team includes specialists from across the globe; from strategists to economists, engineers to creatives. Since 2008, we have been helping businesses, organisations, industries and societies make transformation happen.

Our areas of expertise are focussed around the following areas:

Leadership and Transformation
ESG and Strategy
Decarbonisation and Climate Resilience
Circular Economy and Lifecycle Thinking
Procurement and Supply Chain
Nature and Biodiversity
Brand, Communications and Creative

Starting in February 2024, a pilot involving 120 cafes and restaurants across Auckland and the Bay of Plenty regions will get underway, run in two key stages and will help inform a nationwide programmer roll out.

Edge Impact and The Restaurant Association Launch Food Waste Programme

Each year, Aotearoa’s cafes and restaurants generate nearly 25,000 tonnes of food waste, and a shocking 61% of it is entirely avoidable.

When this food goes to landfill it’s a wasted opportunity to advance sustainability for the hospitality industry and improve financial outcomes for operators.

To tackle this pressing issue and provide the data insights to drive awareness and action across the industry, the Restaurant Association in conjunction with Edge Impact is launching Kai Keepers, a groundbreaking initiative aiming to change food waste monitoring and outcomes for cafes and restaurants throughout the Auckland and Bay of Plenty regions.

This two-and-a-half-year pilot programme involves 120 participants and is divided into two stages: a ‘baseline’ assessment to measure businesses’ food waste and a pilot to test various ‘interventions’ aimed at reducing food waste.

Participants will engage in a one-week pilot starting February 2024 to measure their food waste. The baseline assessments will be conducted at specific intervals: Baseline one at the end of February, baselines two and three in March, and baseline four at the start of April 2024. 

The second step involves participants taking part in a four-week food waste pilot, commencing at various intervals between July 2024 and February 2025. The pilots will trial different interventions to identify the most impactful strategies for reducing food waste. 

This structured approach ensures a thorough examination of food waste behaviours and the effectiveness of interventions across varying timeframes.

Edge Impact and The Restaurant Association have partnered to launch Kai Keepers: a groundbreaking pilot programme aimed at keeping food where it belongs.

Hannah Pennington, Principal Consultant, Circular Economy & Lifecycle Thinking

We're thrilled to unveil our year-long collaborative journey with The Restaurant Association, leading to the launch of a groundbreaking initiative that tackles food waste head-on in Aotearoa NZ. 

This program is a testament to the industry's ongoing efforts to minimise food waste, aiming to enhance these through rigorous behaviour change interventions and control trials. Our partnership is dedicated to developing practical solutions that not only uplift the economic health of our restaurants and cafes but also make a lasting positive impact on our environment.

To learn more about the programme, click here or get in touch with Hannah Pennington at: hannah.pennington@edgeimpact.global

“The main objectives of this project are to assess current food waste levels in the kitchens of Restaurant Association members, test behaviour change interventions, and identify the most effective strategies to reduce food waste. Findings from these pilots will not only provide critical insights but will also play a vital role in informing a nationwide rollout of a food waste reduction programme,” said Marisa Bidois, CEO of the Restaurant Association.

“This project represents a unique opportunity to increase our knowledge and understanding of the quantity and causes of food waste and for businesses to play a pivotal role in addressing the industry’s food waste challenges. 

The Restaurant Association, in collaboration with project partners Edge Impact, will provide support throughout the pilot, offering training and being available to address questions or provide on-site assistance.”

The financial impacts from avoidable food waste, combined with the real and present concerns from the industry around labour shortages, and the rising cost of food and labour, present a powerful reason for the industry to act. 

While the pilot is designed to minimise disruption to business operations, it promises to deliver invaluable insights into food waste and guidance on areas where businesses can make improvements.

The overwhelming support and interest from the members of The Restaurant Association and their staff to participate in this program highlight the collective drive towards setting new benchmarks in environmental stewardship.

Interested in this programme? Sign up for the Food Waste Behaviour Change Pilot here.

As experts in the full spectrum of sustainability topics, we are here to guide you through the complexity. We combine global expertise with the knowledge and experience of the local Aotearoa NZ context. Our team includes specialists from across the globe; from strategists to economists, engineers to creatives. Since 2008, we have been helping businesses, organisations, industries and societies make transformation happen.

Our areas of expertise are focussed around the following areas:

Leadership and Transformation
ESG and Strategy
Decarbonisation and Climate Resilience
Circular Economy and Lifecycle Thinking
Procurement and Supply Chain
Built Environment
Nature and Biodiversity
Brand, Communications and Creative

Launching A Food Waste Programme

David Maucor, Edge Impact's Regional Principal sits down with the New Zealand Construction News to break down everything you need to know about EPD's in the construction sector.

The Role of Environmental Product Declarations in the Construction Sector

David Maucor, Edge Impact Regional Principal, New Zealand

The construction sector plays a significant role in shaping our built environment. However, it also has a substantial environmental impact, using about 40% of extracted raw materials and contributing 40% of global carbon emissions.

Embodied carbon in the production of building materials is responsible for 28% of emissions from the building and construction sector globally, says David Maucor, Edge Impact Regional Principal, New Zealand.

“Between now and 2050 it is expected to account for almost half of total emissions from new constructions, with concrete, steel and aluminium considered some of the more challenging materials to decarbonise,” explains Maucor. 

“A key instrument to dramatically reduce this environmental impact is increased transparency and accurate information about the products and materials we use.

”This is where Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), compliant with the EN15804 standard, come into play. In this article, we will explore the role of EN15804 compliant EPDs in providing transparency and reducing life cycle carbon emissions in the construction sector.

EN15804 is the internationally adopted standard that sets the framework for the development of EPDs for construction products.

“EPDs are standardised and independently verified documents that provide transparent and credible information about the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle. They offer a comprehensive analysis of the product’s environmental performance, including carbon emissions, energy use, resource depletion, and waste generation. Importantly, the environmental data is presented in clearly defined stages, so you can compare step-by-step along the products’ life cycles,” says Maucor.

He says the number of published construction product EPDs have grown from a low base to mainstream over the last decade. According to international LCA and EPD expert Jane Anderson, there are likely 130,000 EPD for construction products globally, of which only 149 have been published through the EPD Australasia.

“EPDs are standardised and independently verified documents that provide transparent and credible information about the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle. They offer a comprehensive analysis of the product’s environmental performance, including carbon emissions, energy use, resource depletion, and waste generation.

Importantly, the environmental data is presented in clearly defined stages, so you can compare step-by-step along the products’ life cycles,” says Maucor.

Transform the built environment sustainably with our integrated services. From planning to deconstruction, we collaborate with clients for positive change. 

Learn more about our Built Environment Services.

EN15804 compliant EPDs play a crucial role in increasing transparency within the construction sector.

“They enable stakeholders, including architects, contractors, and building owners, to make informed decisions based on reliable and standardised environmental data.”

Maucor says that by providing a clear understanding of a product’s environmental footprint, EPDs allow for better comparison between similar products and support the selection of more sustainable alternatives.

One of the primary benefits of EN15804 compliant EPDs is their contribution to the reduction of life cycle carbon emissions in the construction sector. EPDs provide insights into the carbon emissions associated with each stage of a product’s life cycle, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life. Armed with this information, stakeholders can identify areas of high carbon intensity and implement strategies to minimise emissions.

“EPDs also foster innovation and encourage the development of low-carbon products and processes. By highlighting the environmental impact of construction materials, EPDs incentivise manufacturers to invest in research and development to create more sustainable alternatives. This drives the industry towards reducing carbon emissions and promoting the adoption of greener practices and technologies.”

Maucor says that leading organisations are increasingly combining the scientific backing of Life Cycle Assessment and EPDs with their corporate strategies and storytelling.

“A great example is the Holcim New Zealand launch of their new brand identity and lower carbon cement products, which coincided with the opening of their low-carbon cement replacement facility in Auckland.”

He says each year over 1.5 million tonnes of traditional cement is used in New Zealand, generating 1.3 million tonnes of CO2.

“By embarking on a transformation to provide lower carbon solutions for people and planet, Holcim New Zealand’s EcoPlanet can reduce embodied carbon by more than 30% compared to General Purpose (NZ) Cement resulting in a meaningful contribution to the carbon impact of construction in New Zealand.”

Holcim NZ used a science-backed rebrand journey, by helping to localise the global Holcim brand guidelines and make the Holcim New Zealand positioning, products and collateral tailored to the New Zealand market. The sustainability and creative experts at Edge Impact worked with the Holcim NZ team to rebrand, launch and create a new brand story, all backed by EPD to demonstrate how Holcim NZ is taking a meaningful science-based approach to reduce carbon emissions through lower carbon products.

“The development of the EPD was instrumental to the way we delivered on the rebrand and localisation project for Holcim. It gave us the evidence base to inform the positioning and messaging at a more general brand level, right the way through to the way we talk about products and services.

Jordan Stokes, Creative Director at Edge Impact.

“We leveraged the EPD in a way that made it more like a part of the brand strategy than a technical report, helping us shape the brand architecture and ultimately the final brand and marketing collateral. A true example of science, strategy and storytelling coming together to deliver more impactful results."

Supporting Sustainable Building Certifications

EN15804 compliant EPDs are closely linked to sustainable building certifications, such as our local Green Star and ISC Infrastructure Sustainability Rating Schemes, and international LEED and BREEAM. These ratings and asset certifications recognise and reward projects that prioritise environmental performance. “EPDs provide the necessary data to earn credits or points within these rating systems, encouraging the use of products with lower environmental impact and facilitating the achievement of sustainable building goals,” says Maucor.

The adoption of EN15804 compliant EPDs requires collaboration among all stakeholders in the construction sector.

“Manufacturers must voluntarily disclose their products’ environmental data and work with independent third-party verifiers to ensure the credibility of the information provided. Architects, engineers, and specifiers play a vital role in integrating EPDs into their decision-making processes and demanding transparency from manufacturers. Industry associations and governing bodies also have a responsibility to promote the use of EPDs and establish policies that incentivise their adoption.”

In the quest for a more sustainable and low-carbon construction sector, EN15804 compliant EPDs have emerged as a powerful tool.

“By increasing transparency and providing accurate environmental data, EPDs support informed decision-making, promote the use of low-carbon products, and drive innovation towards greener practices. As the construction industry continues to embrace sustainability, the widespread adoption of EN15804 compliant EPDs will be crucial in achieving significant reductions in life cycle carbon emissions and shaping a more sustainable built environment for future generations.”

As experts in the full spectrum of sustainability topics, we are here to guide you through the complexity.

What are Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and how are they changing B2B sales conversations? Jonas Bengtsson, CEO and co-founder of Edge Environment, provides his opinions.

How EPDs are changing B2B sales conversations

Written by 
Jonas Bengtsson, Global Chief Executive Officer

What are Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and how are they changing B2B sales conversations? Jonas Bengtsson, CEO and co-founder of Edge Environment, provides his opinions. First published on Sustainability Matters.

A market study conducted by Accenture and the UN revealed that 85% of consumers expect companies to improve their quality of life, which goes in hand with addressing environmental and societal impact of their business. In fact, they put as much pressure on business as on government.

Blame it on generational turnover, regulatory pressure, The Great Sinister Hippy Lobby or common sense — it doesn’ t matter — the market is growing eco-savvier and the trend isn’t slowing down. A business unwilling to pick up its slack, or hoping to hide within complex supply chains, is more and more likely to face scrutiny or be selected out.

Ask VW, BP, BHP and Bhopal how the environment factors into their share value and business success. Ask the merchants for palm oil, rainforest timber furniture and tiger prawns if they have to spend much of their time on the defensive before they get even close to pitching their product.

Hope that a competitive price and track record will keep you sweet.

Adapt and excel in the new information- and transparency-hungry world.

As a supplier (we all supply someone), you don’t want to carry around a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle of documents and reports to demonstrate your credentials in the technical, environment and social spheres. You’ll want a one-stop-shop, straight-to-the-point, comprehensive, credible and transparent document.

As a customer, wouldn’t it be great if you could have complete transparency and trust in the products and services you buy? And wouldn’t it be great if you could find that information in one place? Not someone telling you the product is good “because I told you so”, but lay the information out for you to make up your own mind.

Enter the one-stop shop for product information — Environmental Product Declarations, or EPDs.

An Environmental Product Declaration, or EPD, is a standardised and verified way of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product based on a consistent set of rules known as PCRs (Product Category Rules). Industry experts can develop EPD reporting rules for any product or service and the ISO 14025 standard sets the reporting scope. Every EPD is independently verified to ensure the information data is correct and balanced.

Green buildings and infrastructure rating tools and government design and procurement guidelines are singling out EPDs as the go-to credentials and building block for optimised designs and solutions.

Jorge Chapa, the Green Building Council of Australia’s director of market transformation, both manufacturers and buyers benefit from EPDs

“EPDs give manufacturers a tool that can help them identify opportunities for improvement along their supply chain and also a strong selling point that increasingly resonates with environmentally aware consumers. For buyers, an EPD provides a framework for making informed product comparisons.”

Decide what you want and need from your suppliers of products and materials. If you rather someone else makes your decisions for you, fine. If you’d like to decide your strategy and approach yourself, here are a few examples:

Fit for purpose, durable and low maintenance — an EPD provides a comprehensive overview, saving you time.

Complete transparency on what went into the product — no surprises or nasty chemicals.

Manufactured in accordance with a sound environmental management system, preferably ISO 14001 certified.

Low carbon footprint — we know the urgency and challenge to build low-carbon products, services and assets.

Low energy use, or at least low in fossil fuels — the world is de-fossilising.

Low water use — water is perhaps the main limit to growth, so let’s be mindful about water use.

Guidance for appropriate installation, use and disposal/re-use/recycling of the product — especially for buildings and infrastructure, turn today’s assets into future material resources.

It’s a bonus if the product or company supplying the product carries any additional third-party certifications, such as FSC, GECA, NCOS and other sustainable certifications.

Chances are you can’t have it all. Low carbon, fossil fuel free, water balanced, toxicity free, recyclable, spotless OH&S record, gender balanced, fair wages, etc… You need to set priorities in terms of what you value the most, what constitutes a show stopper and what’s nice to have. This is actually a useful exercise, to think through what you value the most.

In summary, what do you expect from your suppliers?

Learn more about our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) services here.

Get your key suppliers engaged. Let them know you’re stepping it up to compete in the top-end sustainability, low-risk and information-transparency space. Let them know that EPDs are on your wish list. This is not a solo act — you and your supply chain are one to your clients. You aim to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But you cannot do that without standing shoulder by shoulder with your suppliers.

Don’t wait for the client to ask you; go to them and tell them you’re down with life cycle thinking, you have your third-party-verified credentials in order and how you deliver triple-bottom-line-optimised solutions with low-risk, best-value, outstanding trust.

With your next client, you’re ready, you have your ISO-certified approach set. If there are questions about how you operate in a responsible manner, look after the environment, employees, investors, the local community, the global community, future generations and even past generations and cultural heritage — it’s all in your EPD.

Paolo Bevilacqua, General Manager, Sustainability – Frasers Property Australia.

“EPDs provide transparent and clear information to help us identify products that will reduce the environmental impact of our developments across their entire life cycle.”

EPDs are ideal for organisations looking to source goods and services in a way that achieves value for money and generates benefits — not only to the organisation but also to society and the economy — while minimising damage to the environment. 

The new sustainable procurement standard ISO 20400 (currently BS8903) coming out next year provides the framework for how EPDs and life cycle thinking fits together.

Life cycle management is added to the new ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management. EPDs offer the standardised information exchange format from your suppliers to you, and from you to your clients and stakeholders.

What does an EPD look like? Have look: steel, pasta, trains, panels.

Learn how our Circular Economy &  Lifecycle Thinking services can help your organisation transition to a comprehensive, systems-level circular approach. Contact Us Today.

With recent developments in the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, a step change is now required to understand and manage systemic risks. But why should we care about an ecosystems lens to risk mitigation?

Double trouble: the merging storms of climate change and modern slavery  

Disclosures and action go hand in hand – the former builds trust, whilst the latter maintains it.

With recent developments in the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), a step change is now required to understand and manage systemic risks. But why should we care about an ecosystems lens to risk mitigation? 

Consider our present geopolitical-environmental-social reality: increasing geopolitical tensions introduce volatility and risk in supply chains; once-in-a-100-year extreme weather events now grow in frequency and cause further disruption; over 41 000 people in Australia alone are trapped in modern slavery conditions and are at risk of further human rights violations. 

The World Economic Forum describes this reality as a polycrisis, a world where disparate crises are compounding and interacting with each other in intensity. This introduces complexity as supply chain, human rights and environmental challenges are set to interweave and overlap. 