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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Analyse interactions with organisation’s environment
  2. Determine the significance of each impact
  3. Develop an appropriate response for each interaction
  4. Communicate with relevant stakeholders
  5. Communicate required responses as appropriate

Range Statement

This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included.

Sustainability incorporates all of

survival of the ecology/physical environment (to manage the impact of the business to ensure the survival of the physical environment)

economic viability (efficiency, cost and waste reduction and competitiveness to support survival of the business)

social sustainability (to manage the impact of the business to ensure its continued survival within the community and the survival of the community).

Sustainability issues of particular relevance include one or more of

particular sensitivities of the local ecology (e.g. endangered species, sensitive local flora/fauna, material scarcity, water availability)

general ecology issues and regulations (e.g. climate change and carbon footprint, pollution control measures)

particular local social issues (e.g. distortions to the housing market, disruption to local lifestyles)

general social issues (e.g. corporate citizenship, use/or deterioration to infrastructure)

particular local economic issues (e.g. cost of capital, profit margins, competition)

general economic issues (e.g. state of the economy, stage of the business cycle)

product improvement/life cycle (e.g. organisational risk of loss of sales due to consumer preference/economic opportunity for more sustainable products, competitors meeting this market, consumer preferences not to use companies with poor sustainability credentials).

Significance of impact includes one or more of

permanent loss or degradation

loss or degradation which inhibits use by the following generation

temporary degradation requiring remediation

temporary degradation which is self-remediating

speed of change/degradation/loss.

Appropriate response when impact cannot be prevented includes one or more of

capture and storage (e.g. scrubbing) and similar ‘end of pipe’ solutions

dilution/dispersion and similar techniques which reduce concentration but not amount

capitalising on revealed opportunities

other approaches which meet the sustainability requirements.

Performance Evidence

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include the ability, for one or more organisations/sections/departments or value chains, to:

analyse sustainability susceptibilities for a chosen portion of a value chain

identify sustainability issues of particular relevance to the chosen portion of the value chain

analyse root cause

identify appropriate responses

communicate the above, as appropriate.

Knowledge Evidence

Must provide evidence that demonstrates sufficient knowledge to interact with relevant personnel and be able to determine organisational risk areas including knowledge of:

process and changes which occur at each step in selected value chain

principles of sustainability

causes of climate change, impacts of greenhouse gases

sources and impacts of pollution and other ecological degradation and methods of eliminating, controlling or reducing them

causes of adverse social impacts and methods of eliminating, controlling or reducing them

causes of adverse economic impacts and methods of eliminating, controlling or reducing them

root cause analysis (RCA)

hierarchy of hazard control and its application to sustainability hazards

relevant legislation, regulation and protocols, government incentives and other initiatives

risk analysis and its application to sustainability risks.