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Surveyors Australia is excited to announce the next step in the strategic partnership with SDG Align, a leading organisation dedicated to advancing business sustainability maturity while promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This next step in the collaboration introduces the SDG Align Toolkit, thanks to the support of CR Kennedy, designed to empower Surveyors Australia members with the resources and knowledge to integrate sustainable practices and drive climate action within their professional activities.
Surveyors Australia has been at the forefront of sustainability in Australia for many years signing the declaration to Sustainable Development in 2021. Surveyors, with their advanced mapping and monitoring services, are providing data on sustainable urban planning (SDG 11), waste management as part of responsible production (SDG 12) and water resource management related to (SDG 6).
As public and private sector organisations work towards mandatory sustainability and climate reporting surveyors can demonstrate leadership in the sector. Thanks to the support of CR Kennedy, the new Toolkit will help identify and recognise the current efforts of the members and support them in progressing the sustainability maturity journey.
Sustainable development is more than just climate change.
Following the work of the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG), Surveyors Australia also addresses social topics such as gender equality (SDG 5) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10) with special attention for women in surveying. Surveyors Australia works closely with education stakeholders and member organisations to develop the next generation of surveyors (SDG 4).
The partnership between Surveyors Australia and SDG Align will help to collect aggregated industry data on sustainability maturity and insights in practical actions taken by members in a continuous effort to address some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges of our time. Only in collaboration (SDG 17) can we make sustainable practices a business habit.
The SDG Align Toolkit is a comprehensive resource that equips surveyors with practical tools and strategies to align their work with the SDGs. The aggregated insights provide unique input for member education and training as well as relevant topics for industry advocacy on sustainability & climate change.
As part of our partnership with C.R. Kennedy, and SDG Align, we are pleased to provide our members with free access to the Surveyors Australia SDG Align Toolkit. This recourse can be used by your business to assist in a journey towards sustainable development in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs.
Using the SDG Align Toolkit, Surveyors can help their team understand and improve their sustainability through a variety of methods:
Assess Your Current Impact - Begin with a self-assessment, to understand your business's current sustainability status and understand and identify areas for improvement. This experience is simple, easy, and curated specifically towards your business.
Plan For Change - Develop a tailored sustainability plan using the unique results of your self-assessment. Your plan will be designed to be relevant, impactful, and achievable - ensuring your business can make meaningful progress in your desired area.
Commit To Action - Take concrete, actionable steps towards sustainable development with clear guidance from the toolkit. Our Members can make sign a symbolic public commitment recognising the SDGs, acknowledging the need for a Net Zero Carbon Future, Recognising 'People Prosperity and the Planet', and Committing to diversity and inclusion. By committing, your business can become open, transparent, and accountable with regard to your impact and how you will make change.
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CR Kennedy is a leading provider of geospatial solutions, offering a comprehensive range of products and services tailored for the surveying profession. With a focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, CR Kennedy supplies state-of-the-art equipment and software that enhance productivity and accuracy in the field.
Learn more about the unique services and products of CR Kennedy Geospatial Solutions HERE.
July 4th – ‘New Sustainability Tool for the Surveying Industry’.
Surveyors Australia has teamed up with CR Kennedy and SDG Align, introducing the Surveyors Australia SDG Align Toolkit designed to foster sustainable practices and accelerate climate action among members. This strategic move reinforces the Surveying Industry's commitment to sustainable development, to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
October 14th Sydney – Hobart – ‘SDG Align’s – Ready Reckoner Tool for Sustainable Development’ Recognised in Australia’s International Good Design Awards for Design Excellence.
The winners of Australia’s peak international design awards were announced today during the 2021 Good Design Awards Week. The Good Design Awards are the highest honour for design and innovation in the country and reward projects across 12 design disciplines and 30 subcategories. SDG Align’s Sustainable Development Self-Assessment tool Ready Reckoner received a prestigious Good Design Award Winner Accolade in the Social Impact category in recognition for outstanding design and innovation.
Read full media release HERE...
How the global pandemic and sustainability trends have become a huge opportunity for Consulting Surveyors
by Willem Overbosch, SDG Align
The global pandemic, extreme weather conditions in Australia and growing consumer awareness for sustainability have emphasised the urgency for environmental, societal and economic change towards a new way of working and living. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), approved in 2015 by 193 nations, are a global framework of 17 ‘wicked problems’ that require governments, civilians and private sector to solve in partnership.
The aspiration is to create global solutions towards 2030—solutions that eliminate poverty, care for the environment and leave no one behind. According to a 2019 global survey from the World Economic Forum, Australia is currently listed number 37 on the Global Sustainable Development Report rankings1, with nearly 60 per cent of the general public unfamiliar with the content of the SDGs. And that's quite substantial if you compare it to the global average, which is only 42 per cent. So there's a lot of room for improvement.
There is also a lot of knowledge to be shared with industry sectors in the build environment, especially as the built environment is responsible for over 37 per cent of global CO2 emissions and one of the largest polluters in the world2.
Some members of Consulting Surveyors National (CSN) are already committed to these goals, but many, like most Australians, are not aware of the SDGs. We need to be asking questions such as ‘what is the impact of the SDGs for the built environment’?, ‘how can CSN help to build partnerships for change and lead the profession towards a more sustainable future?’ and ‘how can the SDGs help to solve the workforce challenges the surveyors have in the near future?’.
With these questions in mind, CSN teamed up with SDG Align—a consulting organisation delivering sustainable social impact solutions—to explore the opportunities surrounding the implementation of the SDGs in the built environment.
CSN formed a Sustainability Task Force comprised of 15 industry leaders, academics and corporate sponsors who, during a 90-day period from October through to December 2020, participated in sessions facilitated by SDG Align Consultants to create a ‘5-step bold vision’. Using digital whiteboards from Miro.com, this vision was created for the establishment of the SDGs into the profession.
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