The SACC Sustainability Committee Launch Event on 6 April at the Embassy of Sweden in Canberra
The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce launches Sustainability Committee to inspire and accelerate sustainability actions across corporate Australia
7 April 2022, Canberra: The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) today announced that it has launched its sustainability committee to advocate for corporate Australia to champion best practice in sustainable business practice and take an active stance on the transition to a net zero economy. The SACC Sustainability Committee was officially launched at an event hosted by the Embassy of Sweden, in Canberra, officiated by His Excellency, Henrik Cederin, Ambassador of Sweden to Australia.
The SACC Sustainability Committee consists of fourteen global companies with long standing presence in Australia, recognized within their respective industries as being in the forefront of sustainability. These companies include ABB, Alfa Laval, AstraZeneca, Getinge, H&M, IKEA Australia, Sandvik, Serneke, Tetra Pak, Volvo Group Australia, BCSD Australia, Embassy of Sweden, Business Sweden and the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce.
Carin Varverud-Hardin, Chair of the SACC Sustainability Committee, said: “Swedish companies are leading the way in how they actively respond to climate change. The aim of our sustainability committee is to share global best practices with corporate Australia so that we can inspire faster and greater action, and create a platform where companies can learn from each other”.
Camilla Jennings, General Manager of the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce said: “Sweden is recognised as one of the most sustainable countries in the world. The Swedish government has set ambitious goals for sustainability, including going fossil-free by 2045 and 100 percent renewable energy”.
“This ambition extends to the Swedish corporate sector as well, and so we are seeing a lot of innovative practices that are driving real and tangible results in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals such as reduction of carbon emissions and driving equality in the workplace,” said Ms Jennings.
Some of these best practices include:
ABB has committed to becoming carbon neutral across its own operations and enable its customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 100 megatons per year through its technologies.
Alfa Laval collaborates with cleantech pioneers to accelerate the energy transition, such as Australian start up RayGen building the world-first ‘hydro-solar’ thermal storage power plant in Victoria. Alfa Laval also set itself the target to become a climate neutral company by 2030.
AstraZeneca has partnered with Greening Australia to plant 25 million trees in Australia by 2025, as a result of the ‘AZ Forest’ Global initiative.
Getinge is transforming its corporate fleet to hybrids and electrical vehicles and switching to renewable energy sources in production.
IKEA uses more renewable and recycled materials than ever to eliminate waste in its operations and to change how they design products. They have set a goal to become climate positive by 2030.
Sandvik has ambitious sustainability targets that take a holistic approach that includes customers, suppliers and their own operations in its scope which are in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). They have committed to become the leaders in battery electric trucks, loaders and drills which feature zero underground emissions, produce less noise and heat and help their mining customers reach their Net Zero targets.
Tetra Pak is working towards delivering the world’s most sustainable packaging, made solely of responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, fully recyclable and carbon-neutral.
Volvo Group’s long-term ambition is to lead the industry towards net-zero emissions. The Group have committed to net-zero emissions across their value chain by 2040. More than 35% of vehicle sales will be electric by 2030.
Read more about the Committee Members and their Sustainability Initiatives here
About the Committee, Vision and Focus
For further information, contact:
Carin Varverud Härdin, SACC Sustainability Committee Chair and Vice President of Marketing Communications, Volvo Group Australia
Email: carin.varverud-hardin@volvo.com
Camilla Jennings, General Manager Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce
Email: camilla@swedishchamber.com.au