Billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes’ tech agency Atlassian has issued a information to assist like-minded firms scale back their carbon footprint.
Whether motivated by environmental values, the sturdy business case, or avoiding falling foul of climate-minded regulators, the company sustainability blueprint – titled Don’t F&*! The Planet – gives sensible recommendation.
“It’s not enough for us to move on our own, we have to do it in lock step with other big business,” head of sustainability Jess Hyman instructed AAP from California.
Consumers have excessive expectations and complete provide chains are on the hook for carbon emissions, which implies asking suppliers and companies to be trustworthy about their operations.
“We saw the business risk and, frankly, the very real opportunity side of going after it,” Ms Hyman mentioned.
“We need to be really clear that this is about long-term success.”
Customers within the United States and Europe are setting and scrutinising provide chains that stretch to and from Australia.
Worldwide, regulators are making it clear that local weather disclosures will probably be a requirement of doing business.
“It’s become a question of how quick are you going to push, are you going to capture first-mover advantage,” she mentioned.
“The pressure is just too great at this point, as we near the point of peak emissions, to kick the can down the road.”
Back in 2019, Atlassian was the primary massive Australian tech agency to hitch RE100, a world grouping of firms aiming for 100 per cent renewable power use.
There is a have to set “ruthless” priorities, which for Atlassian meant beginning with a science-based goal for lowering the corporate’s emissions, Ms Hyman mentioned.
The Mountain View workplace in California was already inexperienced and the remainder of its operations should observe go well with, together with new headquarters being inbuilt Sydney with Atlassian the anchor tenant on the planet’s largest hybrid timber tower.
But as extra folks make money working from home, firm emissions should additionally take different places under consideration.
The blueprint tracks Atlassian’s progress and attracts on greater than 100 conversations with peer firms, together with Australia’s Canva and different tech companies balancing fast development and net-zero objectives.
“We’ve been talking about how these goals are completely impossible alone and possible together,” Ms Hyman mentioned.
But there is not any one-size-fits-all strategy as each firm is urged to know their very own emissions profile.
She beneficial beginning with a goal for emissions discount, getting it independently checked, after which reporting on progress.
“And I caution people from setting a goal if they don’t have a plan to really do the work,” she mentioned.
“You have to do both and you need to anticipate that your stakeholders are going to hold you to it.”
Atlassian hopes the information is a method of “paying it forward” for the recommendation acquired from friends on going web zero.
“There are companies like Workday and Salesforce that really did that for us and gave us the confidence we could move on this too,” Ms Hyman mentioned.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au