The Phases of Sustainability
TIMS7317 Corporate Sustainability
Semester 1, 2023
Course Coordinator and Lecturer
Dr Sandra Figueira
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The University of Queensland (UQ) acknowledges the Traditional
Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we meet.
We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who
continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country.
We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global
society.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Brisbane River pattern from A Guidance Through Time
by Casey Coolwell and Kyra Mancktelow.
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 Requirements for Assessment 1 – Marking rubric review
 Team formation and Assessment 2 Review
 Understanding The phases of Sustainability
 Class activities - Sharing our research and class discussion.
 Understanding how today’s topic integrate into A1
Note: The activity will be interspersed with the waves. We will go through a wave then you will assess your organisation. We will finish with a
class discussion.
For those of you accessing the recorded seminar please join the task. Choose the company from a sector that interests you, research and
complete the task.
Seminar Aims
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TIMS7317 Assessment Overview
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Assessment Task Due Date Weighting
Project
31/03/2023 13:00
40%
Individual Project - Part A Individual; 2,000 words
Presentation
5/05/2023 13:00
25%
Team Sustainability Presentation and Report Group work
Project
9/06/2023 13:00
35%
Individual Project - Part B Individual; 2,000 words
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For this individual project, you need to choose an organisation as a case study.
The questions you are required to answer are:
- Introduce the organisation and sustainability.
- How would you map the organisation using the matrix? Use the check list to justify your positioning the chosen company on the sustainability matrix.
- Outline drivers for sustainability. Which top two of these drivers have the greatest impact on the organisation?
- What specific sustainability program and project for the organisation including details and reasoning of why it was chosen? Where will this program
and project take the company in the Matrix? Argue and justify why.
- Identify the type of change this is and how the particular change action would add value? Discuss the type of change and type of added value.
Assessment 1 – Sustainability Analysis of an Organisation (Part A)
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Type: Individual Project Weight: 40% Due: 31 March 2023, 13:00 Length: 2000 words
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Assessment 1 – Sustainability Analysis of an
Organisation (Part A)
Let’s review the Marking Rubric available in
Blackboard – Assessment folder
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Presentations to be held during the seminar – Week 11 and 12.
Task Description:
Each team will be given their task sheet in today. Students who can not join todays seminar will need to contact the lecturer or
their Team members if they are already part of a Team. Within your teams, you will be working on your Eurotrash brief to
analyse its approach to sustainability and make recommendations as outlined within your brief. Presentations and reports must
be well-researched and analysed (including academic references). Your presentation should deliver all the key information of
your assignment with the report for reference.
For this assessment students are required to submit:
By the due date/time, all teams must have submitted through Blackboard one 1,500-word report per team (Turnitin
submission link) and their presentation as a PowerPoint file in Blackboard Link. I must stress that ALL teams have the
same due date and time regardless of which week you are presenting.
Assessment 2 - Team Assignment: Eurotrash
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Type: Presentation and Report Due Date: 05 May 23 1pm (both components for assessment) Weight: 25%
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Background for Teams:
The simulation has been designed to be used in a Masters level course in Corporate Sustainability.  The teams should know that the company 
Eurotrash is fictional, but the events contained in the Briefs really did occur and they can (and should) search for additional information on 
the events.  The Teams should take on their brief in a role play style situation.
Key Questions:
1. Create the persona of your team eg name/direction for use in role play. 
2. Research and present background of the sector/organization issues (Not the organization itself which is a made up company. There is no 
actual mining company called Eurotrash however the events described are real and can be researched)).
3. You have to provide an overview of the issues of the organization, include details of these and discuss.
4. You need to develop a sustainability strategy for Eurotrash including two key projects.
5. The strategy will of course influence the types of capabilities, changes and implementation approaches that are advised and these 
should be detailed. 
6. Identify and highlight the added value of your strategy and projects.
7. Use academic literature and other sources to back up what you are saying.
8. Prepare responses to and anticipate questions to your Team presentation.
Assessment 2 - Team Assignment: Eurotrash
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Type: Presentation and Report Due Date: 05 May 23 1pm (both components for assessment) Weight: 25%
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Let’s review the Marking Rubric available in
Blackboard – Assessment folder
Assessment 2 - Team Assignment: Eurotrash
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The Process
Let’s form Teams!
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Teams must be 5 to
6 students
Students must be in
a team in the
seminar offering that
they are enrolled
(external and
Internal
Try to have diversity
in your group –
different
backgrounds,
degrees, etc.
When your team is formed, please
complete the team formation sheet
available in Blackboard – Assessment 2
folder and send it to the course email:
• TIMS7317@business.uq.edu.au
After your team have been
finalise, please call the
lecturer to receive your
Assignment 2 brief.
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Time to take a 15 minutes
break
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The Sustainability Change Matrix: What would you expect of companies at
each level?
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H
um
an
s
us
ta
in
ab
ili
ty
p
ha
se
s
Ecological sustainability phases
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2
3
4
5
6
1
Unsustainable Ecological Concerned
Human
Concerned
Sustainable
Corporation
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• The phase model and matrix is designed as a tool by which practitioners can
make comparisons between organisations as they relate to human and
ecological sustainability.
• The model sets out the phases of sustainability.
• Phases outline the steps organisations take on their path to sustainability (not
always sequentially).
• A progression is identified from active rejection to apathy right through to
strong commitment.
• Implications for sector & society
• Where will your company sit for assignment one?
The Phase Model
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The First Wave
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Phases: Rejecting/Ignoring the Process
1. Rejection
Exploitative approach to 
both human and 
ecological resources, 
antagonism to 
sustainability values & 
protagonists
2. Non‐Responsiveness
Indifference and apathy 
toward sustainability 
issues 
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Rejection and non-responsiveness
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Rejection – Dominant attitude within the organisation that resources (of
ALL types) are there to be exploited for financial gain.
Non-Responsive – Lack of awareness rather than active rejection.
There is often a focus on ‘business as usual’ (BAU)
• Employees?
• Natural environment?
• Community?
What does this mean for:
Theme of Rejection Phase: “Exploit resources for maintaining short-term
financial gain”.
Theme of Non-Responsive Phase: “Business as usual”.
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First Wave of Sustainability:
For your group’s company – Using the checklist in your textbook,
analyse if your company is in any of these phases of the first
wave of sustainability.
Choose one company to work on today: (preferably the same as
last seminar)
Qantas, AGL, Brisbane Airport Corporation, LendLease, Boyne
Smelters, Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), University of
Queensland
Share in the padlet: https://padlet.com/sandra_c_figueira/the-
phases-of-sustainability-ginoukjqn7l9escf
Seminar Workshop Team Activity
UQ Business School
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Compliance
Efficiency & Strategic
proactivity
The Second Wave
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Beginning the Process
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3. Compliance / risk reduction
Senior management seeks to comply with 
legal requirements to avoid litigation or 
community action
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Compliance
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Compliance – Reducing the risk. Emphasis on being a
‘decent employer and corporate citizen’.
• Employees? – Safe and Healthy, Wages, Leave
• Natural environment? – Avoid abuses of water and waste
• Community? – Supports ventures
What does this mean for:
– primarily reactive with responses limited to what is
required.
Theme of Compliance Phase: “Avoid risk”.
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Compliance as the foundation for sustainability.
We can’t change what we haven’t measured.
 Diversity, wages
 Pollution
 Water and energy use
 Waste disposal
Links to Drivers for Sustainability
Globalisation - where will compliance take place?
Evolving forms of regulation?
Let’s discuss compliance
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• Emergence of widespread sophisticated forms of regulation.
• Increased scrutiny by NGO & consumers.
• Compliance can identify avenues to improve competitiveness.
• Relationships with regulators.
• Risk avoidance of non-compliance.
The case for compliance:
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4. Efficiency
Systemic analysis and redesign of the supply 
chain
materials substitution
energy savings
recycling
increasing service intensity, etc.
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Eco-Efficiency
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Reduce the material intensity of goods and services (‘make more stuff with fewer inputs’)
Reduce the energy intensity of goods and services (‘make more stuff with less energy’)
Reduce toxic dispersion (‘make more stuff with less poisonous waste’)
Enhance material recyclability (‘make the stuff recyclable’)
Maximise sustainable use of renewable resources (‘make stuff out of stuff that won’t run out’)
Extend product durability (‘make stuff that lasts’)
Increase the service intensity of goods and services (‘meet demand with a service and not with stuff’)
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Human-Efficiency … beyond downsizing
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Downsizing to save money may bring short term benefits but damage the company in the long term
Flexible workplaces
Reducing turnover
Retaining knowledge
Adequate number of staff, skill sets, diversity, training
Long term view – how can we treat people differently?
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Phase 5 – Strategic Proactivity
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5. Strategic Proactivity
Making sustainability central to
business strategy, particularly to
product redesign and to business
concept redefinition.
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principles, people, systems products, markets, brand,
investors context
Developing the
sustainability vision
What’s unique and
valuable about us?
Value chain opportunities
Leading organisational change for sustainability
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Second Wave of Sustainability:
For your group’s company – Using the checklist in your
textbook, analyse if your company is in any of these phases of
the second wave of sustainability
Choose one company to work on today: (preferably the same as
last seminar)
Qantas, AGL, Brisbane Airport Corporation, LendLease, Boyne
Smelters, Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), University of
Queensland
Share in the padlet: https://padlet.com/sandra_c_figueira/the-
phases-of-sustainability-ginoukjqn7l9escf
Seminar Workshop Team Activity
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The sustaining
corporation
The Third Wave
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6. The Sustaining
Corporation
Supports and sustains
the workforce, the
community and the
natural environment.
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Phase 6 - The Sustaining Corporation
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The New Deal
Takes a broad conceptualisation of stakeholders – the environment as a stakeholder
A new social and ecological contract
Corporate accountability to stakeholders, including future generations – beyond mere compliance & compliance plus
A new definition of wealth as “increased and shared community value”
A corporate culture of effectiveness and caring – the regenerative community
From the short-term exploitation of people and the natural world to their development, renewal and regeneration
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Sustainability results from activities which:
• Enhance the planet’s ability to maintain and renew the
viability of the biosphere and protect all living species
• Enhance society’s ability to maintain itself and to solve its
major problems
• Maintain a decent level of welfare for present and future
generations of humanity
• Extend the productive life of organisations and maintain
corporate performance
Sustainable organisations engage in activities that contribute in
these four ways.
Long-termism!
Let’s re-examine SUSTAINABILITY?
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Second Wave of Sustainability:
For your group’s company – Using the checklist in your
textbook, analyse if your company is in this phase of the third
wave of sustainability
Choose one company to work on today: (preferably the same as
last seminar)
Qantas, AGL, Brisbane Airport Corporation, LendLease, Boyne
Smelters, Australian Agricultural Company (AACo), University of
Queensland
Share in the padlet: https://padlet.com/sandra_c_figueira/the-
phases-of-sustainability-ginoukjqn7l9escf
Seminar Workshop Team Activity
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The Strategic Target
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•The move from efficiency to strategy.
•Introducing new tools and techniques.
•Linking operational processes to sustainable
strategy
•Creating new product and service process-
improvements opportunities.
•Creating enabling structures and design.
•Building employee knowledge & commitment.
•Executive leadership and stewardship.
•Developing differentiated stakeholder
strategies.
Innovation
ValueCost
High
performance
organisation
Ref: Diagram from Benn et al (2014) Organizational change for Corporate Sustainability.
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Let’s meet a company striving to be a sustaining corporation.
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Criteria 2 of Assessment 1:
How will this topic be
assessed in this
course?
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Critical analysis of the
sustainability management within
the organisation including
mapping the organisations
position on the Sustainability
Change Matrix
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Guest Lecturer –
Professor Daniel Nyberg
Change approaches
Sustainability - Please
Read Chapters 3 and 7
of the textbook
Next week …
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