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Sustainability

At AJ Hackett International, we are improving our framework to be more sustainable and responsible in our actions, and to better understand the consequences for living and the relationships that sustain our people and our business. Our businesses operate in a diverse society and changing environment, to which we must inspire trust and be a force for good. Through better governance, the purpose of our ESG strategy is to improve our internal practices, controls and procedures that impact the environment and our social standing in the community.

Our ESG strategy is guiding AJHI’s sustainable approach to business and guiding our collective actions:

  • Environmental criteria consider how we protect the environment and address climate change through positive action.
  • Social criteria manage relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and the communities in which we operate.
  • Governance deals with our leadership, strategy setting, audits and internal controls.

The goals to improve our sustainability are:

  1. Target carbon neutrality by 2025.
  2. Reduce waste through innovative work practices and recycling practices, including organic and non-organic wastes.
  3. Minimise environmental impacts by reducing emissions.
  4. Minimise the impact of our operations on the neighbouring communities.
  5. Increase the use of environmentally acceptable materials.
  6. Promote accountability among employees and inform customers around the world of our sustainability practices.

Implementation of strategy relies on clear actions, and our team's initiatives include:

Environment:

  • reduce waste and promote recycling and upcycling of glass, metals and plastics, and composting of organic waste.
  • reduce single use plastics to zero use.
  • protect our natural habitats and promote native biodiversity of flora and fauna, along with eradication of invasive species.
  • minimise greenhouse gas emissions through reduced energy use and adopting renewable energy.
  • reduce pollution of the environment including light, air, noise and water.

Social:

  • grow employee diversity and engagement within our global businesses.
  • minimise workplace conflict.
  • provide a safe environment with improving labour standards and working conditions.
  • support local communities and improve stakeholder engagement of community groups.
  • grow our relationships with indigenous groups and adopt an inclusive approach to future strategy.
  • connect our customers to nature through interpretation and storytelling of the local environment and natural features.
  • contribute to the awareness of human rights and comply with modern slavery standards and regulations.
  • sustainable sourcing and supply chain management and efficient use of goods and materials.

Governance:

  • Innovate our business through the acknowledgement of climate change and act with initiative through climate action.
  • maintain ethical standards through moral and ethical decision making, avoiding bribery and corruption.
  • provide sustainability leadership.
  • manage environmental and social risks.
  • full compliance with laws and regulations.
  • open reporting and accountability of ESG.

Initiative Example: Skypark Cairns by AJ Hackett

In 2021 Skypark Cairns hired two ecologist and environmental consultant interns to undertake a Biodiversity Survey, Mapping and Environmental Management Project on site. The purpose of the survey was to explore the native species prevalent through disused walking tracks and understand the extent of evasive species persistent in the area.

There are 13 bioregions recognised in Queensland, each of which are numbered and assigned a name based on the geographical characteristics or most common vegetation type in that area. Cairns is in the Wet Tropics Bioregion and throughout this area, changes in vegetation types can be observed such as the shift from Rainforests and scrubs to Eucalypt woodlands and open forest. Due to the diverse range of vegetation types, there is a vast difference in species found in the area. Changes in vegetation types across Skypark Cairns are influenced by a range of factors including elevation, rainfall and proximity to gullies and creeks. 

The survey was successful in producing a flora and fauna species list that included a total of 390 species (256 flora and 134 fauna species) from a total of 612 data entries (individual flora and fauna species). The list represents a combination of species that were physically observed during the biodiversity field surveys, camera traps and also species retrieved from online databases such as WildNet and ALA. 

Australian Brush Turkey

Torresian Imperial Pidgeon

Orange Footed Scrub Fowl

The results of the biodiversity survey has helped our team better understand the environment in which we must care for and will aid future communication and interpretive content for our guests in the future.