Australians love a big thing. The Big Banana. The Big Prawn. The Big Lobster. Now it’s time for big business to take big action to solve the big issues of our time.
We’ve crunched the numbers, analysed sustainability reports and surveyed top-tier businesses to identify the BIG 10 –ten Australian businesses who can have a BIG impact on protecting nature and our climate.
They are banks, super funds, insurers, infrastructure gargantuans and supermarket giants. Banks and super funds can protect our living world by moving billions of dollars out of fossil fuels and into clean energy. Supermarkets depend on pollinating bees, healthy soil, thriving rivers – so they can become trailblazers by setting targets to protect nature in their work, and lead the way for the rest of the business community.
As well as taking real action, big business have powerful voices to influence public policy. When business speaks, government listens.
And it’s more important than ever. A climate-wrecking gas expansion, deconstructing our environment laws – our Government needs some policy advice, pronto.
Think business can be a force for nature? Ask the BIG 10 to do something big for our climate or nature
Today we’re launching Nature is everyone’s business – a guide for business of all sizes – small, medium and big – to take action and help Australia #RecoverRebuildRenew so that we protect nature and our climate.
The latest research shows 73% of Australians are looking to business to take the lead on climate change. And in our recent Forces for nature report – the CEOs of Australia’s biggest companies said that public pressure to act on climate is influencing their decisions more than ever.
Just two weeks ago Rio Tinto Chief Jean-Sebastion Jacques stepped down following the public fallout from his company’s appalling decision to destroy 46,000-year-old rock shelters on Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura country.
Big business doesn’t want the Australian public witnessing their brands failing to protect nature and our climate. It's brand-wrecking.
The BIG 10 have made a start. Last week, Coles committed to 90% clean energy in Queensland. Recently, insurance giant Suncorp pledged to quit gas and oil projects by 2040. Allianz CEO Oliver Bates said “we should not put climate change on the backburner as we try to recover.” But we need them to step up and do something BIG.
Urge big business to do better: Send them an email
Who are the BIG 10? Big four banks ANZ and NAB, the world’s largest infrastructure asset manager Macquarie Bank, two Australian super fund giants QSuper and Sunsuper, construction colossus Lendlease, insurance behemoths Allianz and Suncorp, and supermarket duopolists Coles and Woolwoths.
The big banks and super funds have the power to shift the billions of dollars they are responsible for out of fossil fuels and into clean energy. It will also help push the Government’s gas-fired pipedream down the drain.
Business giants like Coles and Woolies depend on a thriving nature and ecosystems. Imagine how powerful a voice and ally they could become for protecting our living world? In my talks with businesses, most know about the threat of biodiversity loss but don’t know how to address it.
After all, nature is everyone’s business. Communities, people, businesses – we all rely on clean water, air and soil, a safe climate and a healthy planet.
And it's all our responsibility to protect it.
Nature is everyone’s business: How businesses can protect nature and our climate, and help Australia #RecoverRebuildRenew
Forces for nature: The business drivers demanding corporate action on climate and nature action
Financing the future: Making corporations a force for climate solutions
