Environmental & Sustainability Policy

NSC Group is committed to conducting business in a responsible, environmentally sound, and sustainable manner. We acknowledge that our supply chain, processes, and products have both direct and indirect environmental impacts. We seek to identify these and to find effective ways of eliminating or reducing them. Our aim is to achieve continuous improvement in our environmental performance. Throughout our operations, we regard compliance with the law as the minimum standard to be achieved and our aim is to achieve better than legislated standards.

Environmental Objectives

Our environmental objectives have been chosen, and are regularly reviewed, to ensure that our actions effectively implement our Environmental & Sustainability policy; they are:

• • To take significant environmental aspects and impacts into account throughout our operations.

• • To ensure that environmental issues are properly assessed and considered when key decisions are taken about supply chains, processes, and new product development.

• • To establish and measure the environmental impacts of our operations, set targets for performance improvements and monitor progress against those targets in areas including but not limited to energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage and waste.

• • To use energy and natural resources wisely and efficiently, eliminate and minimise waste, and re-use and recycle where practical.

• • To make a real and meaningful contribution to mitigating climate change and global water scarcity, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water impact across our operations, reflecting national and international government agendas when setting targets.

• • To engage with our suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders on environmental issues, including responsible sourcing programs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions through reduction of travel, and reduction of printed materials.

• • To ensure that our associates and consultants have a level of knowledge and understanding appropriate to their environmental responsibilities and are aware of actions they can take to reduce their impacts.

NSC Group is a distributed business which means we do not have a central location in which to implement environmental and sustainability initiatives, however diligently implemented initiatives will have impacts in multiple locations across four states and territories in Australia.

Consequently, we encourage our consultants and clients to implement our Sustainability Best Practice Framework.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation

Energy generation and strategies to conserve its use have become a significant topic in Australia. Due to the greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel energy generation, conserving energy and switching to renewable energy generation where possible make substantial contributions to reduced pollution, greenhouse gas production, and cost saving. NSC Group commits to:

• • challenge our consultants to conserve energy in their homes and businesses,

• • conserve energy,

• • switch to renewable energy production where possible, and

• • partner with suppliers using renewable energy sources.

Water & Wastewater

Australia is one of the driest countries on the planet. However, due to our developed nation status, businesses and households use significant amounts of water and need systems to dispose of large amounts of wastewater. Water treatment, movement, and storage utilises substantial amounts of energy. Conservation of water and reduction of wastewater makes sense on several fronts. NSC Group commits to:

• • be water wise,

• • encourages consultants to champion water conservation,

• • make practical decisions and use technology to reduce the use of fresh water,

• • reduce waste of water and where practical reuse water, and

• • choose suppliers who make water conservation a priority.

Waste Reduction & Recycling

Sending materials to landfill should be a last resort. We need to make better decisions about all of the food and products we purchase and consume to ensure the minimum possible is sent to landfill. NSC Group commits to:

• • challenging our consultants to implement circular economies in their homes and businesses

• • we aim to make landfill the last resort,

• • we will recycle, reuse, or repurpose materials, and

• • NSC Group will choose suppliers who reduce landfill waste and implement circular economies.

Renewable Energy, Low-Carbon Fuels, & Efficient Transportation

Australians love their cars. Transportation is one of the largest generators of greenhouse gases. We can make better choices to reduce our travel and use technology for meetings and conveying information. We can choose electric or hybrid vehicles or use public transport where possible. NSC commits to:

• • choose supply chains which reduce the carbon footprint by using renewable energy, lowcarbon fuels, and electric vehicles,

• • encourage consultants to make environmental smart transport choices,

• • use public transport, walk, car pooling, or low-carbon fueled vehicles, and

• • use technology to reduce the amount of travel.

Community & Individual Action

Providing information to our consultants, clients, suppliers, and partners about environmentally sound and sustainable choices makes a difference. NSC Group commits to:

• • challenge our consultants to make sound environmental and sustainable choices,

• • to choose suppliers who support sustainable business practices, and

• • to be a leader in sustainability at home and at work.

Our Directors hold specific responsibilities for NSC’s Environmental & Sustainability Policy, its implementation and performance.

January 2022. Executive Committee
Policy authorised by: Patrick Sheehan, Managing Director