Environmental Sustainability

The Community Broadcasting Foundation’s Environmental Sustainability Policy reflects and reinforces our commitment to environmental sustainability.

The CBF’s Environmental Sustainability Policy demonstrates our understanding that our actions and operations should reflect our leadership position in the sector, in our own practice, as a participant in a community of practice, and as a participant in the Australian social discourse around the impact of climate change.

Policy

Acknowledging that the earth’s environment is under stress from human activity and that changes in climate conditions impact on the community broadcasting sector’s ability to realise its vision, the CBF is committed to improving our environmental performance and demonstrating good environmental practices across all our operations and activities including through investments and funded projects.

Practices

The CBF commits itself to good environmental practices and minimising negative impacts on our environment through:

  • Applying an environmental lens across all aspects of the CBF’s operations and activities
  • Providing a safe and healthy workplace
  • Creating an environmentally sustainable-aware culture, where responsibility is assigned and understood
  • Being an environmentally responsible neighbour in our community
  • Conserving natural resources by ‘reducing, re-using and recycling’
  • Using, in our own operations, processes that do not adversely affect the environment
  • Ensuring the responsible use of energy throughout the organisation
  • Participating in efforts to improve environmental protection and understanding
  • Using our own professional expertise, where possible, to assist in the development of solutions to environmental problems
  • Striving to improve our environmental performance continually
  • Conducting rigorous audits, evaluations, and self-assessments of the implementation of this policy
  • Working with suppliers who promote sound environmental practices
  • Enhancing awareness among our employees, volunteers, and stakeholders – educating and motivating them to act in an environmentally responsible manner.

Procedures

  1. The CBF will develop clear guidelines for staff, volunteers and users to adopt sound environmental work practices, and adequate training will be provided to ensure these practices are carried out.
    a) The CBF will actively encourage a ‘green’ culture amongst staff and volunteers by positively reinforcing environmental practices.
  2. The CBF will act promptly and responsibly to correct incidents or conditions that endanger health, safety, or the environment. It will promptly report any such incidents to the relevant authorities, and inform affected parties as appropriate.
  3. The CBF will, where feasible, reuse and recycle materials, purchase recycled materials, and use recyclable packaging and other materials. We will:
    a) Aim for all paper stock to be 100% recycled. Where 100% recycled paper is not available or appropriate, we will ensure that paper is not sourced from old-growth forests or from companies using unsustainable forestry practices.
    b) Make use of recycling programs for old computer hardware, used toner cartridges and obsolete equipment/furniture.
  4. The CBF will ensure that its services and products are safe, efficient in their use of energy, protective of the environment, and able to be reused, recycled or disposed of safely. We will:
    a) Consider the ‘carbon miles’ that materials, food and products have travelled to reach us, buying local wherever possible.
    b) Buy products (e.g. tea, coffee, chocolate) that have been produced using environmentally sustainable and fair trade practices, and avoid products that include ingredients that are known to negatively impact the environment such as palm oil.
  5. The CBF will in its operations minimise materials, water and energy use, prevent air, water, and other pollution, and dispose of waste safely and responsibly. We will:
    a) Use natural light wherever possible
    b) Turn lights and equipment off when not in use
    c) Purchase energy efficient office equipment
    d) Establish and encourage the use of paperless systems where practical
    e) Set printing preferences to double-sided by default
    f) Where practicable read electronic documents on screen rather than printing them
    g) Consider the environmental impact of travelling to face-to-face meetings and aim to meet via online means where appropriate (e.g. video- or teleconference)
    h) Consider the environmental impact of hard-copy post, using electronic forms of communication where appropriate (e.g. mail-outs, newsletters, annual reports)
  6. The CBF will in its operations conserve energy by improving energy efficiency and giving preference to renewable over non-renewable energy sources when feasible.
  7. The CBF will, where appropriate, encourage the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices by its landlord/building managers, clients and grantees.
  8. The CBF will, where appropriate, utilise its particular knowledge and experience to contribute to environmentally sustainable techniques, technology, knowledge and methods.
  9. The CBF will maintain an open and honest dialogue with staff, volunteers, stakeholders, and the public about the environmental, health and safety performance of its operations and services.
  10. The CBF will ensure that every employee, volunteer and contractor is informed of and expected to follow this policy and to report any environmental, health, or safety concern to management so that prompt action may be taken.
  11. The CBF will include in its criteria for selection of suppliers and contractors their environmental performance.
  12. The CBF will not invest in companies whose business operations conflict with, or detract from, the environmental objectives of this policy.

References and helpful links

Approved by the Board on 8 November 2019. Last reviewed by the Board on 24 November 2023. Download our Environmental Sustainability Policy (PDF, 333KB). Please contact us if you require a Microsoft Word version of this document.

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