Green businesses
Brisbane City Council promotes sustainable development for businesses with the aid of events such as the Green Heart Fair and programs such as WaterSmart Strategy, Brisbane's Total Water Cycle Management Plan and our sustainability policy.
However, there are simple activities that you can do in your business that can help Brisbane become Australia’s most sustainable city.
Be wise
- focus on the most economically effective emission reduction activities, such as efficient behaviours and technologies and informed purchasing decisions
- review your heating, ventilation and air conditioner use
- switch to energy efficient lights
- choose more energy and water efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings
- understand your electricity usage. Speak with your energy provider and ask if they provide free audits for your business
- understand your flood risk
- check your water bill and see if you can find ways to reduce your water usage
- become a water smart business with ideas such as installing a raingarden or implementing water sensitive urban design ideas
- keep chemicals and detergent out of stormwater drains.
Minimise
Where efficiencies cannot be achieved through behaviour change, efficient technologies or wiser purchasing, look for the cleanest energy sources, such as GreenPower, E10 fuel and hybrid vehicles.
Switch to solar hot water or a heat pump if direct sunlight is unavailable. Inefficient electric storage hot water systems are a major drain on your business profits.
Sharing with a neighbouring business, which has a commercial manifolded hot water system, can further reduce capital costs and risks. Switching to GreenPower for a proportion or all of your purchased electricity will allow your business to make a real statement about its green credentials.
Offset emissions
Brisbane's commercial and industrial sectors make up over half of Brisbane’s greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions come from a variety of business and commercial activities, such as electricity usage from facilities and heavy vehicle fleets. You can reduce your business emissions by purchasing GreenPower and negate residual emissions, after accounting for reductions, through the purchase price of carbon offsets.
New ideas
Try looking for new ideas to save electricity and water. For example you might be able to harvest the stormwater from your building and paved areas and reuse for irrigation or washing down vehicles.
Other programs
The Australian and Queensland governments, industry groups and business partnerships run programs to enable your business to become more efficient, including:
Useful links
These links can help you and your business to become more sustainable: