Carbon Training International

The Australian Financial Review recently published two articles that support the urgent need for Australian business to engage green skills as we move to the new economic model of 2010 and the decade beyond and the low carbon economy.

In his address to the Lowy Institute on 18 November, reported in the AFR the following day, Marius Kloppers, CEO of BHP Billiton, spoke of the need for continued skills development in order to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the coming decade. In an opinion piece published in the AFR on 17 November, Wayne Kayler-Thomson of the Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry addressed the need for "practical assistance to the small and medium enterprise sector to become more sustainable through skills education..."[1]

Building Australian workforce capacity to manage the transition to a low-carbon economy is paramount. The future of much of our industry and the ability for the Australian economy to remain globally competitive depends on it. Importantly, such training can be easily achieved at the same time as significant cost saving programs are implemented and new projects for harvesting the many available revenue opportunities are planned. 

The Federal Government and several of the state governments have introduced a number of capacity building initiatives including the Innovation Skills Program, the Jobs Fund (Local Jobs stream), energy efficiency training programs and green skilling for apprentices and workforces. The majority of these programs are directed to those sections of the labour market whose jobs will be challenged by the transition to a low carbon economy such as builders & the trades; a valid objective. 

However a major challenge exists for the business and professional sector to build capacity to provide leadership across the business community. All occupations and industries will need to be engaged in the low-carbon capacity building required; up-skilling from the boardroom to the factory floor is necessary. 

The boardrooms of Australia must have climate change risk and the low carbon economy on their strategic map, management must be looking at existing business operations and supporting processes and the responses of suppliers and customers, along with operational staff that have the critical role of delivering the carbon reduction strategy.  Such an outcome requires they be provided with the competency-based training to enable them to develop the new skill sets.

The importance of a whole of enterprise solution is  exemplified by the Linfox Group which has achieved a more than 15% reduction in CO2 emissions and a concomitant reduction in fuel costs, saving some $15 million per annum, by adoption of a variety of low carbon initiatives including "eco-driving". 

The Linfox Group provides a strong incentive for all Australian businesses to join the carbon skills development initiative. 

The returns to the business that takes action are obvious. 

[1] "State needs a complete switch-over" Australian Financial Review, 17 November 2009, page 63