The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce Sustainability Committee’s aim is to inspire and accelerate sustainability actions across corporate Australia
The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) has for a number of years been working together with businesses and organisations including the Global Compact Network Australia on various sustainability projects focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals. To enhance the focus on sustainability the SACC created a platform and formed a Sustainability Committee. The committee is bringing together Swedish companies that are committed to sustainable development through actions and contributions to take a leadership role in advancing sustainability efforts, seeking new solutions and partnerships between the private sector, the public sector, academia and civil society. The sustainability committee was officially launched at an event hosted by the Embassy of Sweden, in Canberra, officiated by former Ambassador of Sweden to Australia, HE Henrik Cederin.
The SACC Sustainability Committee consists of fourteen global companies with long standing presence in Australia, recognised within their respective industries as being at 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.
Swedish companies are leading the way in how they actively respond to climate change. The aim of the 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.
Some of these best practices include:
ABB has committed to becoming carbon neutral across its own operations and enables 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 becoming the leaders in battery electric trucks, loaders and drills that feature zero underground emissions, produce less noise and heat and help their mining customers reach their Net Zero targets.
Serneke believes that focused sustainability work and strong community involvement go hand-in-hand with long-term growth. As a construction company, they have both opportunities and responsibilities to contribute to more sustainable development. Through their operations, they contribute to the development of people, cities, towns and society at large.
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 has committed to net-zero emissions across its 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
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
ABB: Sarah Al-Hashimi, Head of Communications & Marketing
ABB Australia: John Rieusset, Sector Lead – Food and Beverage & Country Digital Lead
Alfa Laval: Isabel Wagner, Market Communications Manager, Oceania
AstraZeneca: Philip Spiers, AstraZeneca Australia and New Zealand Sustainability Group
ARJO: George Ltaif, Director, Marketing & Communications
EQT Partners: Harry Byrnes-Howe, Director
IKEA: Peter Richmond, Sustainability Business Partner
Polestar Australia: Laurissa Mirabelli, Head of PR & Communications
Sandvik: Kate Bills, Sustainable Business, Marketing and Communications Manager and Brittany Wappett, Sustainability Advisor
Scania: Hanna Johansson, Director Business Support
Serneke: Andrew Abercromby, General Manager
Volvo Group Australia: Carin Varverud Härdin, Vice President Marketing & Communications
Embassy of Sweden: Malin Nilsson, Sweden & Trade Promotion Officer
Business Sweden: Martin Ekberg, Trade Commissioner of Sweden to Australia and New Zealand
Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia (BCSD Australia): Andrew Petersen, CEO
SMEC: Linda Nordin, Circular Economy Specialist (Waste & Resource Recovery)
Sustainability Committee Chair: Flavia Vaz, Head of Public Affairs and Government Relations
SACC: Camilla Jennings, General Manager
Contact us if you would like to find out more about the committee
