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| ENVIRONMENTAL CONTINUED |
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| Core objectives for the 2007 financial year: |
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Focus on reducing the use of paper, encouraging electronic
communication; |
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Increasing the percentage of paper recycled; |
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Implementing an accurate monitoring system to measure use of
water and energy resources. |
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| References in this report to targets, measurements, consumption and
utilisation of resources and materials refer to the Johannesburg offices
of Brait. |
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| Direct environmental impacts |
The facilities division of Brait manages Brait's internal direct
environmental impacts (energy saving, recycling, etc), and also some of
Brait's indirect environmental impacts (via procurement). The
responsibility for the environmental management of the Johannesburg
offices rests with the facilities manager. The division is mandated to
eliminate, minimise or control at source any impact the company's
activities might have on the environment by applying appropriate
proactive and remedial measures to foster environmentally
sustainable solutions.
The following internal areas of direct impact use, are managed,
monitored and measured: |
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Energy |
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Water |
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Materials |
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Implementing an accurate monitoring system to measure use of water and energy resources. |
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| Energy and water usage |
Brait used 2004 as the year for collecting accurate baseline
information to be used as a starting point from which to set preliminary
targets for reducing consumption over the coming years. These targets
will be reviewed and, if required, revised annually as the quality of
management information continues to improve.
Targets were set, during 2005, to reduce electricity and water
consumption by 15% over a three-year period. Notwithstanding the
difficulties in obtaining accurate consumption readings since becoming
a tenant at the end of 2005, comparison of the annual water
consumption figures (2004: 2005), adjusted to accommodate the
missing readings for November and December 2005, reflect a
reduction in excess of the target, whilst the adjusted electricity
consumption figures (2004: 2005) reflect a 2% increase. The expected
lowering of energy consumption, as a result of the reduction and redesign
of office space to facilitate more effective utilisation of
electricity (completed in November 2005), and the resultant electricity
saving, is only expected to reflect during 2006.
The board has reviewed the company's use of natural resources, and
has decided not to include these results (annual comparable data on
utilisation of resources) in this report. This information, however, is
available to any interested stakeholder on request. |
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| Materials |
Brait utilised 350 boxes/1 750 reams of paper
during the period under review, and continues to encourage electronic
communication with its stakeholders. Waste paper is separated
for recycling, shredded on-site and collected by companies involved
in the recycling of paper.
The majority of laser toner cartridges supplied to Brait are recycled
cartridges which, once empty, are returned to the supplier for further
recycling until the cartridges are no longer viable.
Redundant office furniture, equipment, carpets and computers are
either sold second-hand to staff via an internal "bid/offer' auction or
donated to institutions as approved by the board. |
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| Emissions, discharges and waste |
As a financial institution, the group is a service provider and the
measuring and monitoring of emissions to the air is not material or
significant to the business of Brait. Every effort is made to reduce
vehicle emissions, by regularly maintaining and servicing the company
fleet of three cars, as prescribed by the manufacturers of the respective
vehicles. The group does not operate any trucks or heavy-duty vehicles
in its fleet.
There is a full-time onsite service operator servicing the airconditioning
units in the building. The current air-conditioning system
emits ozone depletion gasses (R22 and 134A), however, disposal to
the atmosphere is minimised by the recovery, reclamation and recycling
of the refrigerant gas as per SABS standards, during regular
maintenance procedures conducted by the supplier. In addition, airconditioners
are programmed for energy saving to only operate during
normal business hours.
The group produces an insignificant amount of water discharges as it
is a provider of financial products and services, and not a producer or
manufacturer of resources or goods. Water is primarily used for
consumption and ablution facilities.
The collection and disposal of waste is contracted to a third party for
safe disposal. A daily waste disposal service removes waste from the
building, in accordance with the safety regulations of (ISO 14000). The
ISO 14000 standards are a series of international voluntary standards
on environmental management. The group does not transport, store or
trade in hazardous waste, nor recycle or reclaim waste materials, nor
own any waste disposal sites.
There were no uncontrolled releases, discharges or spills of any kind,
during the period under review. |
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| Biodiversity |
| Brait has no significant impact on biodiversity through land
occupation, as the group currently occupies (under various lease
agreements) existing offices worldwide. |
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