BUGEN 5930 - Business, Society, and Planet: AEP & Origin Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability reports of AEP and Origin, two companies operating in the energy sector. The report begins by outlining the core business activities of both organizations, including their products, services, and market positioning. It then delves into the identified issues and challenges faced by each company, such as financial constraints, regulatory uncertainties, and integration of renewable energy sources. The analysis further explores the companies' sustainable development goals, emphasizing their alignment with broader industry objectives and government collaborations. The report identifies the sustainability phase of each company, categorizing AEP as being in the efficiency stage and Origin in the strategic proactive stage. Finally, the report assesses the companies' compliance with their stated values, examining their social reports and initiatives to determine their adherence to their missions and visions, particularly in the context of environmental responsibility and clean energy transition. The conclusion summarizes the findings and highlights the sustained efforts of both companies in reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable practices.

Running head: BUSINESS SOCIETY AND PLANET
BUSINESS SOCIETY AND PLANET
Student’s Name
University Name
Author note

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Introduction
In the dynamic business environment it is important for the business organization to
maintain accountability and transparency in order to sustain in a highly competitive business
environment. The CSR report and the sustainability report of the organization can be a useful
basis for the future measures and policies for improvement. The report helps the business
managers and the leaders to analyze the activities of the organization and identify the areas
which lacked positive result. The sustainability report and the CSR report are used by the
consumers, investors as well as the governmental officials. Having a transparent report helps the
business organization to communicate the social, environment and economic effects of their
operations and activities to the consumers and investors (Assembly, 2015). The purpose of this
assignment is to understand the concept of sustainability report by analyzing and comparing the
two selected organization namely, AEP and Origin. It discusses the range of issues and activities
dealt by the two companies. The report is introduced with the description of the two companies
and the core business activities of the two companies. The report discusses on the sustainable
development goals and their reflection on the sustainability report of the two companies. Lastly,
the report concludes with by reflecting on the stated values of the companies and their adherence
with the stated values.
Discussion
1. Core business activities of the organizations
The companies AEP and Origin is associated with the offering wide range of specialized
products and services such as solar power, power management, water treatment plants and power
management. AEP has partnered with wide range of experienced international suppliers in order

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to be adaptable to the highly evolving and dynamic development industry. The company mainly
focuses on the remote areas where there is crisis for water and power. The ranges of products
offered by the company include Solar PV, Water treatment reverse osmosis, Power purchasing
agreements and other commercial options (AEP Sustainability - Sustainability Reports. 2018).
The highly dynamic and evolving changes in the energy industry are impacted by innovation,
advancements and interconnectivity. The changes in the needs and demands of the customers and
the advancements of technology have been reshaping the organizations involved in the industry.
This has greatly impacted AEP and Origin. The main goal of AEP Company is to grow and
expand its business activities and make the necessary changes as per the external business
environment. The company emphasizes on manufacturing new capacities, centralized power
stations through advanced technology and machinery as well as its diverse resources (AEP
Sustainability - Sustainability Reports. 2018). The companies take initiatives to modernize its
business activities and work along with other regulators to meet the needs and demands of the
customers.
Origin Australia is one of the leading organization to provide energy to the consumers
and other business organization. The company mainly focuses on the utilization of renewable
surce of energy and supplies its consumers with LPG gas, solar energy, electricity and other
storage technologies (Benn, Edwards & Williams, 2014). The products and services offered by
the company includes energy source for generation of electricity such as coal, natural gas wind,
solar and other renewable energy. Origin aims to position itself as a top most energy company in
the country. The aim of the organization is to minimize the use of carbon by utilizing renewable
sources of energy such as solar and wind. The vision of the organization is to decarbonize the
environment (Benn, Edwards & Williams, 2014). The company plays an important role towards

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saving and protecting the environment. It plans to achieve the goal of zero emission by the year
2050. The company has been researching to develop and implement new technologies for
optimizing the utilization of energy at homes and other business enterprises (Sustainability -
Origin Energy. 2018).
2. Identified issues and their dept of coverage
According to Sloan, Klingenberg and Rider, (2013), high level of competition in the
market and the advancement of technologies has been a pressure to AEP. The company has been
lacking sufficient funds and resources to implement the necessary changes that are required in
the business organization. Implementation of advanced technology and machinery requires huge
amount of financial resources and enhanced capabilities of the existing workforce which is
insufficient. Further, the laws and regulations of the government are uncertain. The company has
been facing difficulties and issues regarding its compliance with the changing legislation of the
government. These were some of the issues faced by AEP Company. However, the company has
been planning to organize funds from other institutions to implement the latest technologies and
advanced machineries (Roome & Louche, 2016). Further, they have been planning to provide
training and development facilities to its employees for enhance their skills and potential to
effectively utilize the advanced machinery and technologies (Roome & Louche, 2016).
Origin has been facing problems with proper integration of renewable energy sources,
increasing cost of energy and disruptions in supply. This impacts the competitiveness of the
company and threatens the future investment especially in the global mobility of resources and
capital. The energy company is under pressure (Roome & Louche, 2016). Further, the coal plants
are being retired, high priced electricity and poor policy and regulations of the government.

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These are some of the issues faced by Origin. In order to cover the specific issues, the company
has been working to ensure energy security for the country (Lu et al., 2015). It has been taking
initiatives to plan objectives of making energy affordable to the people and working towards
better and cleaner supply.
3. Sustainable development goals of the company
The sustainable development goals relevant to the companies are working in
collaboration with the government and take an informed decision to ensure energy security. This
requires some level of certainty in investments (Nilsson, Griggs & Visbeck, 2016). This will
enable the business to attain important objectives and goals to make energy more affordable to
the homes and other business organizations and work towards a cleaner supply. Working in
collaboration with the government will help the industry to ensure affordability, energy security
and sustainability in the country. In order to restore the security the companies can adapt
National Electricity Market for the purpose of supplying to the households and other business
organizations (Osborn, Cutter & Ullah, 2015). It order to build sustainability, the companies can
invest more in offering low carbon solutions and renewable. This will help the companies to
meet the climate change goals. The companies must transition to a low carbon electricity supply
system. The companies need to improve its affordability of electricity. Further, according to
(Hedman and Henningsson, (2016), the companies must take initiatives to implement
technologies which will reduce the global electricity consumption and offer clean and resources
sources of electric generation.
As per the goals and objectives of Origin Company stated in their sustainability report,
the company drives its business operations and activities towards clean and renewable sources of

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energy (Sustainability - Origin Energy. 2018). They mainly focus on developing sources to meet
the growing need for fuel and other gas. However, the company has invested hugely in
renewable energy sources. On the other hand, AEP Company aims to innovate its product and
service offerings towards boundless energy future (AEP Sustainability - Sustainability Reports.
2018). The company has been embracing advanced and latest technologies for offering reliable
and clean energy to its consumers. AEP has been taking initiatives for providing alternate
sources of power other than diesel generation and other harmful expensive and polluting gases.
However, both the companies need to take a more focused approach in collaborating with the
government in order to ensure affordability (Griggs, et al., 2013). This initiative will enable the
organizations to attain the sustainable development goals.
4. Identification of sustainability phase
As per the sustainability report of AEP, it has been analyzed that AEP sits in the
efficiency stage of organizational sustainability (Brandt et al., 2013). The company has been
taking steps to reduce the amount of waste generation and emphasis more of using water, energy,
heat and materials. They take actions to efficiently utilize the existing resources of the company.
The company has been planning to provide opportunities for training and development to its
employees to efficiently handle the advanced technology and machinery (Penzenstadler &
Femmer, 2013, March). The company needs to maximize the human potential in the organization
by preventing employee turnover, motivate the employees to commit themselves and fuller
utilization of resources (Osborn, Cutter & Ullah, 2015). AEP addresses to the human resource
needs improve the working conditions of the people and take initiatives to reduce waste.

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On the other hand, Origin sits in the strategic proactive stage of sustainability. Origin I
mostly associated with value adding and innovation (Roome & Louche, 2016). The company
acknowledges the costs involved in the process of innovation. The main aim of the business
organization to enter the emerging markets, enhance the skills the workforce and gain market
leadership. The company mainly emphasizes in innovation, in terms of both environmental and
cultivation of human resources (Brandt et al., 2013). It considers sustainability as an integral part
of the business strategy and gain competitive advantage. This stage of the sustainability helps the
business organization to build reputation in the community and strengthen its position in the
market.
5. Compliance of their stated values with social report
As per the mission and vision statement of the company, the company works towards
achieving clean energy economy while attaining social responsibility and compliance with the
laws and regulations of the company (Hák, Janoušková & Moldan, 2016). The company aims to
minimize energy utilization and power consumption. The social report of the company states the
efforts of the company towards various stakeholders of the business organization. Actions have
been taken by the business organization to meet the needs and demands of the business
organization. The company has taken measures such as implementation of advanced
technologies and machineries and focus on transitioning to a clean energy economy (AEP
Sustainability - Sustainability Reports. 2018). The targets and goals of the business organization
are reviewed from time to time to adhere with the changes in the business environment.
Advanced technologies have been implemented to reduce the emission of carbon (Benn,

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Edwards & Williams, 2014). It is committed towards increased utilization of renewable energy
and natural gas. Therefore, it can be said that AEP has been adhering to the stated values.
On the other hand, the stated values of Origin are work effectively towards their
customers, communities and planet. The aim of the company is to make energy more affordable,
smarter, sustainable and easier for the present days as well as the future days. The sustainability
report of the company reflects the sustained efforts of the company and their progress against
commitments (Sustainability - Origin Energy. 2018). They have published the climate change
information in the mainstream reports it is voluntarily participated in the annual Carbon
Disclosure Project (CDP). The company has undertaken responsible corporate engagement in the
climate policy. Further, the company has adopted a science based emission reduction target. This
initiative has enabled the company to halve the emission by the year 2032 thereby confirming
with the targets and stated values of the company (Osborn, Cutter & Ullah, 2015). The company
has strategically incorporated a range of carbon prices in order to determine its effect on the
investment decision to reduce carbon emissions (Keesstra et al., 2016). In the previous year
2018, the company has led the process of setting commercial solar power throughout the country.
The integrated gas business has improved its gas monitoring program.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion we have come into conclution that AEP and Origin
has been giving sustained efforts reducing carbon emission. We have identified that the changing
business scenarios and the advancements of technology along with uncertain laws and
legislations of the government are some of the increasing issues faced by the organizations. AEP
has been facing lack of funds and improper utilizing of resources to cope up with the changing

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business scenarios. Further, the coal plants are being retired, high priced electricity and poor
policy and regulations of the government are some of the added problems. However, both the
companies have been taking extensive approach towards covering these issues. We have
discussed the approaches have been discussed in the report. The report has identified the
sustainable development goals that are relevant for the companies. The companies need to work
in collaboration with the government to attain affordability and sustainability. The sustainability
phase in which the companies sits has been described in the report. As per the comparison and
analysis of the sustainability report of the companies, we have come into the opinion that both
AEP and Origin has been reflecting their stated values.

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