Junction Arts Festival. Credit: Melanie Kate Creative
Sustainability strategies help to ensure that present-day economic development and resource use does not come at the expense of future generations or the depletion of natural resources. They also support a balanced approach to providing the necessities for present and future wellbeing, including social aspects such as health, mental health, education, food security, secure housing, and safe and inclusive communities.
Achieving sustainability is a shared responsibility and a comprehensive strategy with clear and measurable goals will support us to work collaboratively to address our sustainability challenges and provide the foundation for a better future.
Eat Well Tasmania. Credit: Samuel Shelley
How we understand sustainability
Sustainability is ensuring that future generations have what they need to live well. It is about the choices we make today and how we can ensure the wellbeing of future generations.
We can all make small adjustments in our daily actions to create a better future.
However, sustainability is not only about the environment, wellbeing and economic prosperity are just as important.
How we can be more sustainable - key action areas
You are invited to tell us what you consider to be the key areas for sustainability action. The following is an example of what the key areas and goals for a Tasmanian Sustainability Strategy could be:
| Key area for sustainability | Possible goals |
|---|---|
| Climate and Renewable Energy | All Tasmanians have access to affordable clean energy, transition to fossil fuel alternatives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. |
| Health and Wellbeing | All Tasmanians have the opportunity to live healthy, active lives in communities that support connections to people, place and culture. |
| Education and Skills | Full functional literacy and numeracy through quality education at all ages to ensure everyone can succeed, and ensure we are ready for future industries and technology. |
| Circular Economy and Waste | Eliminate the disposal of waste to the environment through better consumption choices, production design and developing circular economies. |
| Housing and Liveability | Access to affordable, energy efficient and climate resilient housing and urban communities, built sustainably with infrastructure to support safety and resilience. |
| Natural Environment | Strong natural resources and environmental management through protection and regenerative practices across all sectors to preserve the quality of air, land and water, and enhancing biodiversity. |
| Fair, Equitable and Inclusive Society | Eradicate all forms of discrimination including gender, age, sexuality, disability, race, and ethnicity, for an inclusive and equitable society. Promote the voice, culture, heritage, and empowerment of Tasmanian Aboriginal people. |
Spring Bay Mill solar panels. Credit: Nina Hamilton
How Tasmanians can support sustainability
Everyone can contribute to becoming more sustainable. Individuals, households, communities, businesses, and community sector organisations all have a positive impact through everyday decisions about the things we buy and use, how we choose to travel, recycling, reducing waste, conserving water, and electrifying our homes, vehicles, and businesses. Businesses and individuals can contribute to better social outcomes by ensuring safe and inclusive workplaces and helping others in need through volunteering and community service.
Local governments have a substantial role through planning, environmental regulation, waste management, and connection with the community.
Benefits of sustainability
Sustainability initiatives such as reducing waste, using resources more efficiently, and switching to solar energy and electric vehicles, can result in financial benefits including cost savings for both households and businesses. Environmental protection and emissions reduction ensure the health and wellbeing of people, clean water, and food security. Also, businesses who prioritise sustainability can enhance their reputation and build stronger relationships with customers and stakeholders.
More broadly for Tasmania as a state, sustainability ensures the availability of the resources needed to support our population and economy into the future and stimulates innovation and the development of new industries and jobs.
A healthy environment not only provides the essentials for life, it also provides us lifestyle benefits and recreation, supporting better physical and mental health.
Eliminating poverty and reducing inequalities based on race, gender, sexuality, disadvantage, and trauma are fundamental principles for a better future society shaped by inclusion, respect, and equality of opportunity.
nita Education. Credit: Natasha Mulhall
Examples of Tasmanian businesses adopting sustainable practices
Many Tasmanian businesses and organisations are leading the way in adopting sustainability practices and contributing to positive social and environmental outcomes in addition to economic growth. Each of the following examples demonstrate how businesses can simultaneously develop social and environmental benefits while also making a profit, such as helping unemployed people to enter the workforce, making affordable electric vehicles more accessible to the community, reducing the environmental impact of waste, and educating the community for a circular economy.
Hamlet
Hamlet is a social enterprise café in Hobart that focuses on helping unemployed people build the skills and confidence needed to get a foot in the door and kick off a rewarding career. Since opening in 2016, Hamlet has helped more than 700 Tasmanians gain over 38,000 hours of work experience.
The Good Car Company
Based in Hobart and with a growing presence interstate, The Good Car Company was founded to help the community to access affordable electric vehicles (EVs).
Working with climate-active community groups, local councils, and fleets around Australia, the Good Car Company helps communities and businesses to take practical action on climate change through bulk buys of quality imported EVs and FBT-exempt leasing of new EVs, helping hundreds of households and businesses shift to zero emissions transport.
Callington Mill Distillery
The state-of-the-art Callington Mill Distillery was designed locally to be a highly energy efficient producer of world-class whisky. The Tasmanian technology uses electric boilers and reclaims heat from one process to the next within a closed-loop system.
Solid waste is given to local farmers for stock and fertilisers, while recycled water is used for enriching and irrigating local soils.
Callington Mill Distillery. Credit: Dearna Bond
Recovery Circular Hub - Glenorchy Tip Shop
Tasmania’s original tip shop, the Recovery Circular Hub recovers useful products and materials from the waste streams, reducing landfill and creating new economic value through permanent employment, promoting re-use and repair, conserving embedded carbon in products, and ensuring product and material longevity.
Recovery is more than just a tip shop – the Directors contribute to educating Tasmanians about circular economics through the Churchill Trust and working with UTAS to develop education programs.
Tasmanian Agricultural Company
Tas Ag Co is a regenerative Wagyu producer using non-conventional, holistic farming practices to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it back in the soil.
Multispecies crops and a rotational grazing not only give the cattle a diverse diet, but they increase soil health which assists in restoring ecological function and therefore climate resilience. No pesticides and only natural fertilisers are used.
Why a Tasmanian Sustainability Strategy is important
Tasmania has a unique opportunity to be a global leader in sustainability by building on our existing achievements and create a plan for Government, business, and communities to secure our future wellbeing and enhance Tasmania’s brand.
We can only do this by working together.
Brand Tasmania is working on a Tasmanian trademark concept that goes further than just being a proof of origin. Tasmanian businesses who demonstrate commitment to Tasmania’s sustainability objectives through positive impact actions could use this trademark to showcase Tasmania’s sustainability credentials in local, national, and international markets.
This is one way that we can encourage businesses in Tasmania to contribute to Tasmania’s sustainability goals and priorities and share in the benefits of showcasing Tasmania’s sustainability credentials internationally.
Youth conversation. Credit: Moon Cheese Studio
