Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR

CSR is more likely to be something touted by large international companies. But our take on it is CSR is about doing good as you do business. It is about acting ethically and considering the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.

As a small organisation we do not need to spend a lot of money and time developing plans and audits. We simply try to do good whenever we make a decision. We think about the impact this decision has on us, our community and our environment. There is always times when all three do not meet as we would like. So we try to strike the best balance we can achieve for people, planet and profit.

What we can achieve by ourselves is only small, but if everyone chooses to make a small difference, big things will result. And it does not have to involve what you do in business, it also relates to what you do in your personal life.

How we help people

Community service is important to us.
Murray is a County Fire Authority (CFA) volunteer being with a local brigade in the King Valley since 2005. He has also been a volunteer member of the Bushwalk Search and Rescue Victoria (BSAR) since 2004.

Other ways:
Ensuring producers are treated fairly is a simple way of helping others. For example where a certified fair trade product is available we try and support those products. So fair trade coffee is always on the shopping list.

There are some companies that have practices or products which do not align with our values. We let our money do the talking and give our support to those companies doing the right thing. To help us make informed decisions we use the Ethical Shopping Guide . Buying local organic foods help support local producers that care about the environment and healthy, nutritious foods.

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Helping the planet

While we are privileged to live in Australia, we need to be mindful of the environmental impact that is occurring. Not only locally but worldwide given that many of the items we can buy now come from overseas.

Buying less “stuff” - Do we really need all the stuff that we buy? That is the continual question we ask ourselves when making a purchase. Not only do we need to find the money to pay for it, there is a cost to the environment to produce it. But when we do buy something, we buy quality that will last.

Saving water - Water is our most precious resource. As a nation we continue to draw too much water from our rivers which reduces their health and ability to support our environment and food production. So we use water wisely. We use a shower timer for every shower to remind us how much water we are using. Not only does it save water it saves energy because that hot water has to be heated. There are lots of other ways to save water so check out how online.

Saving energy - A changing global climate is a significant issue that concerns us. With increasing energy costs, saving energy is a cost reduction strategy that will also help the environment. While we choose to purchase Greenpower, we still prefer to just use less of it. Using less energy can be as simple as turning everything off when not in use.

In our small office we avoid using air-conditioning and heating as much as possible. Winter see’s us wearing jumpers and warm clothing while in summer light clothing. Rather than keeping a steady temperature year round we use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. We only turn on if its below 18 or above 27 and then we only warm to about 18-20 or cool to 25-27.

Paper-less office - While we cannot do without paper, we try to use less of it. One step to minimise paper use is to only ever print the essentials. We try and keep everything electronic by using email and reading information online. We keep up with the news online or use a newspaper sharing scheme (code for buying a coffee so we can read the paper).

When we do printing we look to use FSC certified products. Otherwise we use recycled paper options. Sometimes we balance our decision about the source of paper with the quantity. For example instead of getting 500 business cards printed on FSC accredited paper, we opt for a lower recycled content paper which we can use to print a page of cards as we need them. We also do our banking transactions online, including online statements to reduce paper use and the energy embodied in mail transport.

Transport - You are far more likely to see us riding a bike or walking to get to where we need to go. Not only is riding and walking good for the environment but good for your health. Expect us to arrive at a meeting on a bike. Rest assured that we do not wear lycra at meetings. We don’t wear it anytime! Public transport rates next on the list as we are lucky enough to have access to both tram and trains.

Recycling and Composting - There are some things we cannot completely eliminate but we can reduce or reuse. When shopping we look for products with the least packaging and options that can be recycled. Recycling becomes a habit and far more leaves in the recycling bin than in the rubbish bin. For food waste we are lucky to be able to have access to a composting bin so organic waste does not get mixed with rubbish.

What about the profit then?

Savi Consulting is a for profit company focused on helping others create improved social outcomes in the community. For us to continue our work we need to be able to pay the bills. That is why we charge commercial rates for some services while offering reduce rates for others.