Cawthron Institute programme embeds sustainability using TNS framework

Submitted by Simon Harvey on March 22, 2010 - 5:32am.

Starting in April, Cawthron - a high quality science and reasearch institute in Nelson, NZ - will be running a programme to embed sustainability throughout the operations of the organisation. Sustainability has been important to Cawthron since it started addressing specific issues such as recycling, composting and energy saving in 2006.

More recently Cawthron began to actively monitor its environmental impact and set targets to reduce it. However, as Ian Challenger (Sustainable Business Analyst for Cawthron) explains, "there is often a gap between engaging staff in the process and actually embedding sustainability into the core of an organisation so it becomes something that gets done without thinking. This new programme has been designed with this outcome very much in mind."

Using the TNS methodologies and tools, Cawthron is hosting a series of workshops across the organisation to explore and understand core sustainability principles; and then to develop a vision of Cawthron as a sustainable organisation. "The TNS methodology was chosen because it is an easy process for people to understand. A simple process will help ensure that sustainability becomes as central to an organisation as health and safety", explains Ian Challenger.

Initially there will be three workshops run between April and June 2010 but further events are planned for the new financial year so all staff will eventually take part in a workshop. It is also planned to write the project up so other organisations can learn from the positives and negatives of Cawthron's experience.