Application
This unit of competency covers identifying responsibilities and developing an appropriate response to schemes regulating sustainability, including carbon and carbon equivalent use and emission. It includes the ongoing monitoring and adjusting of responses to the regulatory environment and organisational situation.
This unit applies in organisations that are/may be impacted by sustainability regulation. Some possible applications are carbon containment/reduction schemes/regulations or incentives or other schemes that may be implemented. The application of the unit includes Australian and overseas schemes where the organisation is part of an export value chain or is a subsidiary required to report against a scheme covering an overseas parent.
A manager or technical specialist who has a major responsibility for sustainability as part of a broader work role would typically undertake this, or sustainability may be their primary work responsibility. The manager or technical specialist may undertake this alone or as part of a team.
The technical measurement of operational performance or measurement of emissions or other environmental impact is not covered by this unit.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Interpret regulation | 1.1 | Determine emissions/sustainability issues as defined by the relevant regulation. |
1.2 | Compare organisation’s profile with regulatory definitions/descriptions. | ||
1.3 | Determine impact on the organisation in its current state. | ||
2 | Develop possible organisation responses to impact | 2.1 | Determine ‘no change’ cost of compliance. |
2.2 | Facilitate the suggestion of alternative responses. | ||
2.3 | Determine benefit/cost for feasible alternative responses. | ||
2.4 | Compare alternative response to current state impact. | ||
2.5 | Rank responses by desirability. | ||
3 | Select appropriate responses | 3.1 | Short-list ranked responses. |
3.2 | Discuss short-listed responses with key stakeholders. | ||
3.3 | Determine responses to be implemented and timelines for implementation. | ||
3.4 | Develop an overall strategic plan to implement agreed responses. | ||
4 | Implement agreed responses | 4.1 | Develop implementation plan for agreed responses. |
4.2 | Negotiate required resources with relevant stakeholders. | ||
4.3 | Negotiate timelines and measures/indicators of success with change stakeholders. | ||
4.4 | Acquire and deploy resources required to achieve agreed responses. | ||
4.5 | Monitor implementation and take action as required to achieve required responses. | ||
4.6 | Renegotiate with relevant stakeholders as necessary. | ||
5 | Recommend further improvements | 5.1 | Measure improvements actually obtained. |
5.2 | Identify non-compliances with planned improvements. | ||
5.3 | Determine additional improvements desirable. |
Evidence of Performance
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, across an organisation or section/department, to:
determine sustainability regulatory environment for an organisation
identify a range of possible responses to regulation
analyse and rank possible responses according to benefit/cost to organisation
consult with stakeholders to identify agreed response
implement and monitor agreed response consistent with regulation and stakeholder purpose.
Evidence of Knowledge
Must provide evidence that demonstrates sufficient knowledge to interact with relevant personnel and be able to develop an appropriate response to schemes regulating sustainability including knowledge of:
relevant regulations/legislation
stakeholders and methodology required to determine organisation’s current state and fit compared to regulations/legislation
brainstorming techniques
cost-benefit analyses techniques
methods of dealing with regulatory requirements and the benefits arising from each
project/improvement planning/scheduling techniques
process monitoring and critical measures
AS/NZS ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standards (or its authorised replacement or other relevant standard).
Assessment Conditions
The unit should be assessed holistically and the judgement of competence shall be based on a holistic assessment of the evidence.
The collection of performance evidence is best done from a report and/or folio of evidence drawn from:
a single project which provides sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria
multiple smaller projects which together provide sufficient evidence of the requirements of all the elements and performance criteria.
A third party report, or similar, may be needed to testify to the work done by the individual, particularly when the project has been done as part of a project team.
Assessment should use a real project where a response to the sustainability regulatory environment is developed for an operational workplace.
Knowledge evidence may be collected concurrently with performance evidence or through an independent process such as workbooks, written assessments or interviews (provided a record is kept).
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation skills are integral to competent performance of the unit and should not be assessed separately.
Assessors must satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment as set by the VET regulator.
The assessor must demonstrate both technical competency and currency.
Technical competence can be demonstrated through:
relevant VET or other qualification/Statement of Attainment AND/OR
relevant workplace experience
Currency can be demonstrated through:
performing the competency being assessed as part of current employment OR
having consulted with an organisation providing relevant environmental monitoring, management or technology services about performing the competency being assessed within the last twelve months.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
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. | |
Regulation includes one or more of | regulations and legislation as may be in force to regulate emissions or similar standards (such as AS/NZS ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standards), codes of practice and other sustainability related regulation arrangements. |
Alternative responses include one or more of | process, procedural and practice changes to reduce carbon emissions value chain changes to reduce carbon emissions carbon trading responses modify cost of compliance other market operations where relevant material, component and product changes to reduce emissions/improve compliance. |
Desirability ranking includes one or more of | regulatory required changes direct dollar benefit/cost customer benefit stakeholder perception life cycle improvements. |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Sustainable operations