Sustainability Quiz: Key Issues, Plan2go, and Home Audit

This assignment solution addresses a quiz on key sustainability issues, exploring implications and management options within the context of a workplace. It includes a table summarizing key sustainability issues, implications, and potential management options. The solution then analyzes a fictitious corporate travel and event company, Plan2go, assessing the relevance of sustainability issues to its business and identifying actions the company takes to address these issues. Furthermore, it examines sustainability issues within the student's local community, and the organizational structure of Plan2go, considering how different departments could contribute to a sustainability plan. The assignment concludes with research on Victoria's Secret and Apple computers regarding stakeholder reactions to perceived sustainability problems and a home sustainability audit plan including objectives.

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Quiz – Written questions
Part 1 – Key sustainability issues
1. The following table provides a summary of key sustainability issues. They are related to
changes to the physical and cultural (being the way we live) environments, which in turn
relate to the economic environment.
Complete the following table showing at least one valid management option that could be
implemented in your workplace for each of the key sustainability issues shown.
Key Sustainability Issues – Table 1
Key sustainability
issue
Implications – globally and in
Australia
Management options
1. Change in climate
due to an increase in
greenhouse gases
Rising sea levels due to
accelerated ice cap melting,
agricultural losses, drought,
flooding.
Reduction of greenhouse gas by
using the renewable energy, by
completing the analysis of cost
benefit that will increase the supply
of renewable energy percentage.
2. Reduction in air
quality
Increase in air pollution affecting
health, vegetation loss.
Reduce and manage the causes
that are creating more air pollution,
by implementing emission
monitoring, enforcement and
modelling programs. This measures
must prevent all the sources that
are leading to air pollution.
3. Reduction in water
quality and quantity
Less water available for
agriculture, natural environments
(leading to loss of biodiversity)
and human consumption and
recreation, increase in soil
erosion, increase in illness due to
unclean water consumption.
Reduction of the sources that are
reducing the quality and also
quantity of water. In case of
gaining this perspectives some
options that must be maintained
are prevention, interception and
also treatment. Also by
implementing stubble farming
systems may help in protecting the
quality and also quantity of water.
4. Loss of biodiversity Loss of species, land clearing
leading to erosion (which reduces
water quality), changes to the
food chain and ecosystems.
Biodiversity loss leads to the loss of
habitat. There are certain causes
that lead to this loss. Thus my
implementation of conservation
resources, controlling of invasive
species, restoring the degraded
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Key sustainability
issue
Implications – globally and in
Australia
Management options
ecosystems and also by
translocating of endangered
species the problems can be
solved.
5. Finite resources Limited supplies of fossil fuels
(e.g., oil, gas coal), changes to
transport modes, price increases
for fuels and other resources,
damage to the environment
through resource extraction
activities.
This are the non-renewable energy
which cannot be recycled. By
continuous usage of this energy will
lead to scarcity of the energy
source, which will cause certain
consequences. One and only way
to avoid this problem is to use
renewable energy.
6. Loss of heritage Reduction in heritage vales and
historical reference, cultural
losses – stories, traditions and
values, loss of cultural diversity.
As per the change of time there
cause a loss of the heritage and
culture in society. The only way to
hold this heritage is by
implementing of certain acts and
events which will change the
mindset of the people in the
society to hold their heritage and
culture.
7. Generation of waste Increase in pollution risks due to
uncontrolled landfill disposal and
liquid waste disposal to rivers and
oceans. Health hazards
associated with uncontrolled
waste disposal.
Increase of pollution, and by
disposal in land and water cause
the generation of waste products.
Thus the random disposal in land
and water must be restricted and
certain ways must be implemented
to recycle the waste products.
8. Increase in noise Effects on community and worker
wellbeing, hearing damage.
The increase in population and
increasing of more technologies
lead to more increase of noise in
the society. To reduce the problem
the sources of noises must be
removed, or reduced as much as
possible. Certain engineering,
administrative controls must be
implemented to reduce the noise.
PPE that stands for personal
hearing protectors must be used by
the people who are facing the
problems.
9. Genetically modified
foods
Loss of species diversity, loss of
local traditions and small scale
methods of food production,
potential for larger scale
disease/pest epidemics due to
reduced crop diversity.
The GM foods lead to the reduction
of traditional foods and various
diversity of food. To avoid GM foods
the growing of GM crops must be
stopped, the importation should
also be stopped. Detection tools
should be introduced for detecting
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Key sustainability
issue
Implications – globally and in
Australia
Management options
the GM contained in food. Even
various policies should be imposed
in the practise of making GM foods.
10. Loss of
community and
social values
Increase in crime, reduction in
family support and reliance on
external financial support
mechanisms, loss of links to the
natural environment through
traditional values (see Loss of
heritage), and isolation from the
community.
Reduction in social, community and
family factor caused to the increase
of crimes, risks, isolation etc., thus
high quality and easy access
services must be provided in the
community so that people do not
lose their community values.
Besides unemployment is leading
to lose the social values among
people. So, people must be
employed.
2. Read about Plan2go a fictitious corporate travel and event company. Use their sustainability
policy to complete the following tasks:
a. Are all of the key issues listed in Table 1 relevant to the Plan2go business? Y/ N?
N.
b. List the key sustainability issues that are relevant to Plan2go.
 Reduction in air quality
 Reduction in water quality and quantity
 Finite resources
 Generation of waste
 Loss of community and social values
c. For each sustainability issue identified in (b) list two actions that Plan2go takes to
address each one.
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 Waste management- Various options in case of product disposal which should be
considered during purchase. Even it is mentioned that their office will provide
measures on non-recyclable wastes and also it will be monitored for reducing as much
as possible.
 Water usage- Plan2go mentioned that the use of water must be minimised. They have
installed rain water tank into their office for accommodating their staff’s drinking
water. Bottled water should be stopped rather various reusable cups and various
water bottles made of stainless steel must be used.
Part 2 - Written questions
Complete all of the following questions.
1. List five sustainability issues affecting your local community and how it impacts you
personally or your family’s way of life.
a. Issues in Power Supply- One of the major issues that is faced in the locality is
the issues of power supply. As non-renewable sources of power supply are
used, the scarcity of the source resulted to the frequent power cuts in the
locality. This is causing certain impacts in the life of local people and their
family, as problems are happening for the older and child members of the
locality, again various important works are getting delayed.
b. Issues in Water Usage- As people in the locality are continuously wasting water,
this caused reduction in drinkable water. Thus resulted in scarcity of water
supply in the locality. Due to this the members of families are facing various
issues.
c. Issues in Waste Management- As people are depositing waste products in the
land and in water bodies. This are getting polluted in the locality. Thus by using
the polluted water or growing of crops are also getting difficult, which is
affecting the people living in the locality.
d. Issues due to Noise Pollution- As there are certain objects in the locality which
are causing to increase of noise in the locality. Due to this people living in the
society are facing certain hearing problems.
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e. Loss of Community and Social Values- People in the locality are more involved
with the modern technologies rather than involving into the local community
and keeping in mind the social values. Due to avoiding of such practises in the
locality, people are facing various types of crime, even people in the locality
are also suffering from lowliness and more of such diseases.
2. Look at the organisational structure of Plan2go. List some of the departments (crews),
offices or individuals within the organisation and what ideas they could contribute to a
sustainability plan. For example:
 People & Culture (HR) could contribute to staff satisfaction policies
 Cleaning staff/contractors could identify more efficient use of chemicals and
cleaning hazards
 Cabin crew members and the leader can help in reducing the wastage of power
consumption.
 The crew of creative service can implement various creative technologies into
any innovation that would help in the betterment of sustainability plan.
 The promo crew can help in introducing various new implication among normal
people.
 The innovation crew can implement new innovations that will help to a plan of
sustainability.
3. Research the two corporations below that have been targeted by external
stakeholders because of perceived problems with their sustainability:
a. Victoria’s Secret
b. Apple computers
These two businesses show the importance of identifying sustainability issues within a
company and communicating with external stakeholders. Both corporations were
targeted by non-government organisations through web-based campaigns that
highlight perceived unsustainable practices or ‘corporate greenwashing’.
Write a brief explanation of what the perceived issues were with each corporation and
why stakeholders reacted in such a way.
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a. Victoria’s Secret: A product named Pink body which was introduced by Victoria.
They claimed it to be organic and also natural. Though when customers tried to
find out the ingredients list, they couldn’t find any, after which the customers
tried to call the customer service for complaining about this, after which when
the list was found it was seen that the ingredients were not organic.
b. Apple computers: The scandal of Apples greenwashing started after it was
withdrawn form EPEAT, due to its MacBook pro which was not meeting any
standards of retina display. As the news was widely spread they self-awarded
their product with gold certification as after the EPEAT have completely
reinterpreted the product. Even the project of solar panel of apple also caused
major pollution due to the use of coal.
4. You are going to conduct a home sustainability audit, list the area of your home that
you will audit (e.g. the whole home, the kitchen, the lounge room or bedrooms. Set
four (4) audit objectives for your audit in relation to key sustainability issues e.g.
determine the electricity use in your child’s bedroom.
 Determine the electricity issue in bedroom- All the electric appliances in bedroom
such as light, fan, air condition are used. The electric consumption of this
appliances are determined, after which they must be replaced with power saving
appliances. The appliance must be turned off when they are not in use.
 Determine the water supply issue in bathroom- Total number of water outputs in a
bathroom are determined. It is seen that when the water outputs are off, any
wastage of water is happening or not, if happens they must be replaced. The
appliances must be kept off during they are not in use.
 Noise pollution in living room- The audio output appliances present in the living
room include speaker, television. Playing this appliances with over noise can
create noise pollution and further cause hearing issue of the people around. They
must be played in a controlled manner.
 Waste products in store room- The products that are stacked in the store room is
analysed, and reuse of the products should be done that are reusable. This
products should be deposited in land and in water bodies.
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5. Using your objectives from the previous question, prepare a simple audit checklist.
You may edit the table below as you see fit and are required to:
 create your own headings
 create categories if required
 list at least 10 items on your checklist
Add table heading Add table heading
1. Energy Determination of energy use in bedroom.
2. Water Determination of water supply in bathroom.
3. Noise Determination of noise pollution in living
room.
4. Materials Determination of products for recycling.
5. Waste Determination of waste products in store
room.
6. Food Determination of modified food in kitchen.
7. Social Determination of social values of the
members.
8. Heritage Determination of loss of heritage of the
members.
9. Resources Use of finite resources in home
10. Air Determination of air pollution in home
6. Using a copy of your own (or a friends) home electricity invoice, complete the table
below.
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Electricity used in invoice period = 526.00kwh
Greenhouse Gas Emissions = 1.29t
What is Off-Peak: It is referred by lowering of the discounted
price of electricity at specific times. It is the time in which
the homes or any offices uses the least possible amount of
electricity. This varies on the location and type of meter.
Generally it is during the nights and during the weekends
between 10am-5am.
What is Peak Energy Demand: This is the term which is used
in the management of energy demand. This describes the
period when the supply of electricity should be higher than
the usual period. It is between 10-2pm.
What is the Price difference: $23.43 perc/kph
Briefly describe the difference between off-peak and peak energy demand and pricing.
You must also submit an image of the invoice that you used to obtain this detail. You
can cover personal details on the invoice before capturing the image with a scanner,
phone or other device to include with your submission.
 Difference between off-peak and peak energy demand-
1. Off-peak is the time when the consumption of electricity is minimum and peak energy
demand is the time when the consumption of electricity is too high.
2. The off-peak time is between 10-5am and peak energy demand time is 10-2pm.
Image of invoice-
7. When you are setting targets for improvement, you will need to consider a number of
factors, such as cost, time and staff. List four other influencing factors?
a. Actual resource
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b. Health resource
c. Company benefits
d. Environmental impact
8. List five (5) ‘green office’ practices that you already do in your workplace. If you are
not currently working consider your study environment or a past workplace. List at
least one other possible ‘green office’ practice you can implement.
a. Reduce usage of paper
b. Reduce usage of electricity
c. Recycle
d. Telecommunication usage
e. Usage of non-toxic cleaning products
9. Plan2go is planning a product launch and is inviting 200 clients and staff. List 5 ways
that you can ensure the launch is more environmentally sustainable.
10. List five (5) barriers to communication – reasons why staff or management may resist
implementing environmentally sustainable work practices.
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 Cost
 Time
 Education on the environmental sustainability
 Resistant towards change
 Ideological opposition
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