Western Australia’s Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) recently adopted the organisation’s first sustainability strategy, defining the sustainability goals and targets that will drive operational activities and projects for the region.
“Sustainability is a core pillar in the EMRC’s operations and through this strategy we will continue to move forward as a leader in community change and action” said EMRC CEO, Marcus Geisler.
He said the Sustainability Strategy 2022/23 to 2026/2027 follows a holistic strategic review of the EMRC undertaken by independent consultants in 2020/2021.
The EMRC Strategic Review was built on multi-pronged stakeholder engagement and an understanding of the evolving waste management and resource recovery markets in WA.
In a statement, Council said the Strategy’s tag line of “think forward, act now” was consistent with the its strategic vision to focus on delivering effective waste management, resource recovery and sustainability services to ensure that the EMRC can capitalise on its existing capabilities and infrastructure to act as an industry leader.
“Promoting sustainable waste management and a transition to a circular economy is the central vision of delivering the Sustainability Strategy’s goals and targets. It encompasses not only effective waste management and resource recovery but also responds to a climate emergency and to reduce our environmental impact, whilst demonstrating circular economy leadership and creating value in the community,” the Council said.
Twelve sustainability targets are identified in the Strategy including for the EMRC’s operations to achieve below zero emissions by 2040.
Aligning the Sustainability Strategy with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) means that there is a unified way of measuring those key areas of influence whether it is locally, nationally or globally, the Council said. The UN SDGs are globally recognised and align with the EMRC’s leadership goals to transform Perth’s Eastern Region through sustainable waste management, behaviour change, circularity and sustainable decision making.
“The Sustainability Strategy will assist the EMRC, as a guiding document, to reduce environmental impacts, drive circular economy-based initiatives, future proof the business for market changes and improve company culture and the work environment,” Council said.
View the Sustainability Strategy on the EMRC’s website https://www.emrc.org.au.
