This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template

It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.

Blue Healer

Sustainability improvement report

Introduction
State the purpose of the report and summarise the current organisational sustainability practices.

The aim of the report is to prepare a sustainability improvement plan for a health resort
and convention centre called Blue Healer. First, the report will identify the
environmental regulations applicable to the organization. Then, there will be a
description of the organization’s compliance with the environmental regulations. Then,
there will be an explanation of environmental efficiency systems that could be important
for the organization. The next step includes outlining of common environmental and
efficiency issues where the organization operates. Next there will be an analysis of the
organization’s current purchasing strategies. Then, there will be a discussion of
possible strategies for the continuation occurrence of resource efficiency. The report
will end with an action plan for the next 12 months.

Regarding the organization’s current organizational sustainability practices, it has

adopted a Sustainability Policy and Procedures. According to the policy, the
organization will embed sustainability into all the policies and procedures associated
with their operation. All the staffs will be well informed about their roles through
professional development, educational resources, and ongoing training. There will be
an implementation of innovative approaches for eliminating the unsustainability
practices. There will be a discussion of progress against identified targets with the
staffs periodically.

Environmental regulations
List and explain key environmental regulations that are relevant to the business.

1. Environmental Trust Act 1998

This Act established the Environmental Trust, which has objectives of promoting
the projects associated with restoration and rehabilitation within the public as
well as private sectors that are bent on reducing pollution and prevent
environmental degradation. It also has an objective of promoting research into
the environmental problems in those sectors.

© 2020 RTO Works 1

 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.

2. Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

According to this Act, the relevant planning authority needs to consider the
impacts for the environment and the community from their proposed
development or from the changes of using the land.

3. Energy and Utilities Administration Act 1987 No 103

This Act has objectives of providing authoritative advice to the community on

matters related to energy and their co-ordination, promoting and maintaining the
energy producer’s and suppliers’ efficiency and accountability as well as their
responsiveness to the needs and expectations of the community, and promoting
the effective use of energy.

4. Local Land Services Act 2013 No. 51

This Act has objectives of establishing a governance framework for providing for
the proper as well as efficient management and delivery of the local land
services, establishing local boards for devolving management and planning
functions to the regional levels for facilitating targeted local deliverance of
programs to the communities, and ensuring that there is proper management of
natural resources within the social, environmental and economic interests of the
community.

Regulation compliance
Describe, and analyse, procedures that would assess Blue Healer’s compliance with the environmental/
sustainability regulations.

1. Getting an environmental audit

This helps in assessing the nature and degree of the company’s current impact
on the environment. As a result, the company can identify how they can reduce
their impact, helps in prioritising the environmental management activities, and
demonstrating their accountability to the customers and shareholders.

© 2020 RTO Works 2

 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.
2. Setting up an environmental management system

An environmental management system helps in setting up environmental

objectives and targets, providing operational procedures for the environmental
issues, and identifying areas for improvement.

3. Reporting on the impacts

The company should make regular reports on greenhouse gases, corporate

sustainability, and energy reporting.

4. Checking government requirements

It is vital to understand the laws that apply to the business and it is important to
ensure that the business meet the requirements.

Efficiency systems and procedures

Explain at least five environmental and resource efficiency systems and procedures that could benefit the
business.

1. Minimizing and adequately managing waste

This includes minimization of producing general nonhazardous waste by the

process of adequate classification, reduction of waste, reusing, and recycling.
This also includes prioritization of chemicals for the process of minimization and
substitution on the basis of scientific evidence. The development of chemicals
policy in their systems according to the local and national regulations.

2. Promotion of efficiently managing resources

This includes adequately managing using buildings and energy within their
organization. This will help for large efficiency gains. This also involves
encouraging efficiency during the designing, operating, and maintaining facilities
and systems, and also in using the resources.

3. Promotion of sustainable procurement

This involves reduction of demand through looking for opportunities for buying
and using less and consistently questioning whether the procured products have

© 2020 RTO Works 3

 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.
necessity. This also involves supporting the interventions that decreases the
demands for the products.

4. Reducing the emission of greenhouse gases

This includes prioritization of low-carbon alternatives within the design and

functioning of the built environment and purchasing energy efficient equipment.

5. Promoting local assets

This involves ensuring that the new health infrastructure that are constructed
provide the staffs and visitors with active mobility, good access, and appropriate
facilities. This also involves sourcing food locally, where appropriate and
feasible.

6. Smart climate control

Every business need climate control. In recent times, there has been a focus on
machine learning for saving significantly on the energy consumption. Smart
thermostats allow the users in programming their consumption of energy around
daily occupancy. There is no scarcity of energy-management tools in the market.
The company should focus on this.

7. Air source heat pumps

The air source heat pumps use the vapor compression-refrigeration principles
for transferring heat between the inside and outside of a building. These pumps
can be used as energy-efficient space heaters or coolers.

8. Smart water management

This involves monitoring the water lines by using low-cost and smart water
meters.
9. Solar panel technology.

It involves using affordable photovoltaic technology for reducing the energy

costs. By using solar power technology, the company can reduce energy
consumption and sell the excess production of energy back into the grid.

10. Smart lighting technology

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 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.
Using smart LED lighting system can cut energy costs by up to 75 percent as
well as improve productivity by about 20 percent.

Benchmarks
Describe at least three benchmarks for environmental and resource sustainability that could be relevant
to the organisation

1. Eco-efficiency

It helps in improving environmental and economic efficiency. There are eco-

efficiency indicators that are developed by the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development for measuring progress towards the environmental as
well as economic sustainability within their organization. The primary function of
these indicators is in decision-making for the internal management for evaluating
performance.

2. Environmental reporting

It is a process for communicating the environmental performance towards the

organization’s stakeholders. A software can be developed on the basis of
environmental performance indicators. This software can provide the
organization options for choosing which information that they should report
through what form.

3. Simple waste benchmark

The steps for calculating waste includes the following:

a. Calculating the volume of the non-hazardous waste that is sent to the landfill
over the previous full calendar year.
b. Dividing the total volume by the number of guest nights spent over the
previous calendar year.

Energy efficiency issues

Outline at least three common environmental and energy efficiency issues within the industry in which
Blue Healer operates

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 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.
1. Water usage: Within the resorts and hotels that are operating within the health
resort industry, there is a waste of lot of water from guest showers. The
machines that are used there often do not have the efficiency for saving water.
2. Garbage: The items that cannot be recyclable will eventually lead to clogging up
of the environment. Items such as cups and printed materials such as maps can
lead to an increase in the production of trash. This can lead to the littering of the
environment.
3. Food waste: Often, foods cannot be reused and therefore are thrown away. This
results in environmental problems through the throwing of food and through the
demand on the environment for producing more.
4. Energy usage: This includes the use of electricity and gas within the health
resorts.

Current usage
Document your work group’s current resource usage

There are two full-time kitchen staffs. The hiring of rest of the staffs is done on a casual
basis for catering to functions and retreats. The kitchen can feed three meals a day for
over 100 people. The twin and double rooms can accommodate 80 people. There are
plenty of rooms in the spa. It has 2 saunas, 3 warm water spas, 2 consultation rooms
for performing naturopathic consultants, and a steam room. As local people mostly visit
the spa, it has to run continuously. The account office has 5 staff workstations. Majority
of the staffs have a preference for using their own laptops. Most of the administrative
work is performed at the office. However, several staffs work remotely from home
during several days in a week. The resort consists of 4 different sized meeting rooms.

Areas for improvement

Analyse your work group’s current work processes to assist in identifying areas for improvement.
Evaluate alternative solutions to the workplace environmental issues identified.

1. Evaluating the recycling needs

The first step includes auditing the waste. This means examining the amount as
well as the type of wastes that is produced. There should be a close observation
of the wastes’ source. When adequate information on waste is gathered, we can
develop the best system for waste management.

2. Using customized recycling services

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 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.
This involves finding a recycling service that has a match with the resort’s
profile. If specific amenities if provided, then we should look for the recycling
companies that have the willingness for accepting the waste from those
amenities. The companies use those waste to produce different useful things.

3. Making small changes

This involves introducing changes in small bits for making it easy to observe
results. This means only introducing the next steps once there is assurance that
the earlier changes have been fully integrated.

Purchasing strategies
Document and analyse current purchasing strategies

With regards to the company’s current purchasing strategies, it doesn’t have particular
policies for purchasing equipment. Instead, it buys the equipment when there is a
requirement for it. It often purchases whatever is special at the market. The staffs buy
stationery requirements according to its specific purpose.

Some of the ways that the company can improve their purchasing strategies include
the following:

1. Planning for purchases

This involves identifying preferred suppliers for different categories on the basis
of criteria like quality, price and the history of delivery. This will lead the
company to have options for making better informed decisions regarding
purchases.

2. Building long-term relationships with the suppliers.

This will lead to a creation of mutually beneficial partnership. The company can
get better quality products as well as reduction in prices.

3. Purchasing locally

This will help in creating close relationships with the suppliers and reduction of
shipping costs.

4. Negotiate constantly

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 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.
It’s vital in reviewing and negotiating agreements on regular basis. It is a good
idea in performing annual review of all the suppliers.

Continuous improvement
Discuss possible strategies for ensuring that resource efficiency continues to occur.

1. Controlling bedroom temperatures: This may involve the staffs turning down the
heating in those rooms that are not used in the same day. During summer, there
can be a complete turnoff of the heating.
2. Using the microwave for the purpose of reheating small quantity of food. This will
be more efficient compared to using a conventional oven.
3. Setting a dead band between the system of heating and cooling for making sure
that there is no running of heating as well as cooling systems during the same
time. One way to do it involves switching off heating once the temperatures
reach 19 Degree Celsius and not turning on the cooling until there is reaching of
temperatures up to 24 Degree Celsius.
4. Cutting down on bulbs: This involves removing one light bulb from a group
without noticeable effects.
5. Asking for staff suggestions regarding the things where there is a need for
improvement.
6. Waste assessment: It involves identifying the waste generated at the business
site as well as the purchasing and management practices. It examines the
current practices for waste reduction and makes an assessment of their
effectiveness. The next step includes identifying the areas where there will be
more effectiveness of waste reduction efforts.
7. Improved Storage System: This includes focusing on making sure that the
inventory process is accurate, as this will help in saving money. There should be
an identification of key objectives during the recording of available stock of
products.
8. Improved record keeping: This includes preparation of different business reports
such as development and management report, account balance, financial report,
guest reports, and tourism statistics.

Targets
Set efficiency targets for your work team.

1. Setting up energy management team

This includes identification of core team by including key staffs who will have
primary involvement in overseeing of the energy conservation plan.

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 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.

2. Determining efficiency targets

For this, the first step includes measuring where there has been utilization of
energy within the resort. Identifying low and high energy use areas is important
for targeting the vital areas for improvement.

3. Energy assessment

Through the undertaking of regular energy assessment, there can be an

identification of energy savings opportunities. This energy analysis audit will
facilitate the staffs in deriving preventive measures for savings.

4. Identifying energy saving opportunities

The staffs should go through the awareness programs regarding green energy
initiatives, for example, switching to LED lights, more using solar panels for
heating water, and installing thermostats in each room for regulating
temperature.

5. Calculating costs and payback

The core strategy needed for energy management should include timely
evaluating and calculating costs and payback period. There can be re-
investment of the savings for enhancing the guest experiences, and providing
better operational procedures.

Expert assistance
Document at least two relevant specialists and what services they offer. Include their website.

1. Ecovantage: The company has been providing energy solutions since 2007. The
specialists of the company work with the businesses and organizations for taking
a holistic approach to the saving of energy as well as moving towards the
organization’s goal of carbon neutrality. The company first meets with the
organization for initial consultation for understanding their current usage of
energy. Then, it provides a detailed proposal through drawing on their various
energy solutions for reaching the organization’s energy and cost-saving targets.
Website address: https://www.ecovantage.com.au/

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 This document is Sustainability Improvement Report Template
It is part of the supporting assessment resources for Assessment Task 2 of BSBSUS401.

2. HFM Assets: The company works with their clients for increasing their assets’
efficiency. It has been making hundreds of building sites cheaper to run as well
as healthier to the environment for the last 15 years. It helps the organizations in
reducing their carbon footprint and this will lower their operating costs. The
company helps in identifying potential improvements and optimize the building’s
performance.

Website address: https://www.hfmassets.com.au/

Action Plan
Show at least six actions that will be completed by your work group over the upcoming 12 months.

Activity Priority Responsible Timeline

Developing and overseeing High Energy Manager August 2022 – July 2023
the implementation of
energy management plans
Implementation of energy Medium Housekeeper 1 August 2022 – January
efficiency measures during 2023
the process of
housekeeping.
Regularly maintaining High Technician August 2022 – December
appliances for maintenance 2022
of their energy efficiency.
Monthly reporting the cost Medium Accountant 1 August 2022 – January
of energy consumption 2023
Communicating with High Housekeeper 2 February 2023 – July
technician when there is a 2023
requirement for repairment
of facilities
Analyzing the energy cost High Accountant 2 February 2023 – July
saving as well as the return 2023
on investment

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