Sustainability Development Analysis: Amcor - Case Study Example

SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT ANALYSIS: AMCOR By Student’s Name Code + Course Name Professor’s Name University Cite, State Date Introduction Amcor is an Australian-based company that deals in international packaging solutions to other food, beverage and healthcare-producing industries (Amcor, 2014). For this paper, the discussion rests with ascertaining whether the company’s management reports on sustainable development and if these reports conforms to the concepts put forth in system-oriented theory. A. Sustainable Development Report Summary Amcor understands that the design and development for its packaging activities allows the provision of sustainable solution for its immediate customers, end consumers as well as the environment at large. Through a life cycle assessment plan, the firm is furnished with substantial amounts of information that they immediately act upon in order to avail a perfect sustainable packaging option. This assessment plan helps to consider environmental impacts as well as benefits attributed to each phase of product life cycle. For instance, it has adopted LCA in the guiding of its customers’ packaging decisions regarding their respective products. In effect, the company’s approach to sustainability development is initiated with its Belief Statement, Core Values as well as its Operating Model. The ever-changing business environment has continued to compel the company to improve on its existing performances as well as derive effective ways of managing its risk. It is noted that Amcor deliver its strategies through a given framework of five aspects that include; environment, community, workplace, marketplace and the overall economy. i) Environmental Aspect: The company ensures that it is committed to managing the potential for environmental impacts through different ways that include; first, the implementation of environmental management systems as well as continuous improvement of environmental performance structures at its sites. This aspect is attained by adoption of rather aggressive targets that seeks to conform to the already laid-out rules and regulations in all areas of operations. Amcor also has gone way further to establish stringent environmental policies for its operations in regards to waste discharges and community impacts. Secondly, ensures to formulate environmental action targets especially in relation to greenhouse gas emissions where a 10 per cent reduction in GHG emissions has thus far been achieved. Thirdly, the firm has opted to reduce environmental direct impacts on its existing value chain. Amcor ensures to consider environmental impacts of its packaging process in all phases of life cycle process for its products. Recently, it ensured to adopt the most recent packaging expertise and technologies in order to create a more sustainable packaging solution. ii) Community The report indicates that Amcor operates in more than 40 countries, which translates to n extensive level of impact to the underlying communities. It is established that the firm engages in a number of ways to ensure that they positively impact the existing community. These ways include; first, through adoption of a community management program that is incorporated within the environmental policy, Amcor has set to achieve positive communication strategies in relation to their respective performances. This is also attained by its adoption of the overall global community impact standards where working with local regulators to effect understanding, monitoring and control of impacts on the underlying community is considered imperative. Dialogue is conducted such ways as open-dialogue days as well as volunteering time for local programs. Secondly, Amcor engages in supporting local communities through volunteering, financial assistance as well as engaging in the packaging of product meant to serve the local community purpose. For instance, the company has continued to partner with Earthwatch Institute for a period of more than 10 years in providing scientific and, also field-based research programs that assist to ensure sustainability of community projects. Thirdly, it assists the community through the utilisation of its packaging expertise that acts to benefit the extensive surrounding community. The objective of this notion rests with campaigning for positive way of packaging in order to eliminate food waste as well as coming up with new packaging innovations that are aimed at ensuring an efficient transportation of food related products meant for remotely-placed communities. Perfect examples of this involvement include the company’s participation in Interpack 2014 as well as co-workers in Colombia working with MyShelter Foundations Liter of Light project. iii) Workplace The report indicates that Amcor has continued to ensure that they remain committed to availing a safe, rewarding and motivating workplace in order to sustain co-workers in attaining their respective full potentials. This aspect is achieved through numerous ways that include; first, the maintenance of safe working place at all times. This attained by the ensuring that all sites showcases compliance with Amcor’s mandatory international standards related to safety, environmental management as well as security by way of allowing for annul internal audits that are later reported to the Board of Compliance. Secondly, Amcor strives to engage and develop its co-workers in order to improve on their success rate. This is achieved by putting in place of programs that distinguish and thereafter, reward success stories emanating from the existing talented workforce. Thirdly, the company ensures to offer a diversified and an equal-opportunity to its entire existing workforce. The firm relies on its Talent Through Diversity policy structure and other metrics to ensure that the workplace is balanced in regards to apportioning roles to all genders in both junior and leadership positions with a specific interest on women. iv) Marketplace The report notes that the company enjoys great levels of product development capability as well as technical knowhow in order to catapult sustainability throughout its existing supply chain and as well as the entire packaging life cycle. This attained in such ways as; first, providing responsible and environmental-friendly packaging solutions as well as supporting clientele’s sustainability desires. In essence, this is attained by partnering with international consumer brands in order to offer them with innovative packaging solutions. A good example is its partnership with REFLEX consortium, which is a UK-based agency that deals with innovative and flexible packaging solution. Secondly, it is attained through promotion on responsible packaging by way of collaborating with global makers of processess and standards relating to sustainability across the packaged product life cycle. Third, Amcor ensures that it sustains a positive market place by way of ensuring responsible and ethical sourcing as well as procurement processess. Through this aspect, the company adopts a whole of value chain technique in making sure to develop a positive and all-round packaging sustainability. v) Economy It is noted that Amcor enjoys a flourishing economy given the fact that its shareholders, customers as well as co-workers can all benefit from their techniques of sustainability. This is ensured through the realisation of underlying chances related to sustainable business growth, the demonstration of effective governance, business continuity, planning as well as measured and fairly calculated risk taking mechanism as well as managing a climatic change that fairly related to overall challenges and opportunities. B. System-Oriented Theory i) Stakeholder Theory A stakeholder theory evaluates the manner for which an organisation manages its relationship with its stakeholders. It is important to note that Amcor has successfully examined its relationship some of the most important stakeholders like the customers, employees and the overall community. The company has made sure to provide a safe and healthy working environment for its employees and, also rewarding them through development programs. The customers have also been examined at great lengths especially in the marketplace so that packaging solutions that meet their respective desires and sustains their health is at all maintained. The community have also benefited in terms of volunteering as well as financial assistance programs. There has not been any mention of the government agencies directly in the sustainability report however; the company ascertains that it conforms to international standards and regulations. ii) Legitimacy Theory Apart from Amcor using the sustainable report to showcase its relationship with different stakeholders, it has also used it as a communication platform. For instance, the report measures and indicates performances achieved in each of the relationship created. There has also been as section generated to inform the stakeholders of the future outlook of the company as well as the numerous awards won. For example, the section that Amcor has engaged in a demerger exercise of AAPD business and listed within the ASX as Orora Limited. The section also notes that the firm is still committed to engaging specialists in packaging solutions in order to come up with effective and innovative services in future businesses. iii) Institutional Theory Amcor ensures that it responds to external pressure on its sustainability practice by ensuring that its policies and sustainable developments remain fairly-above the international standards. Apart from ensuring that it receives awards for its performances, the company also partners with other stakeholders to provide top notch and environmental friendly products and processess. C. Conclusion The discussion above has indicated that Amcor generates a sustainability report that adheres to the entire system-oriented theory. The report has ensured to evaluate stakeholder relationships and, also creating sections for examining its performances in regards to each of the relationship reviewed. The report has examined successfully relationships attributed to workplace, marketplace, environment, economy and community. Reference List Amcor 2014. Sustainability Review. Retrieved on August 29, 2015from http://www.amcor.com/getmedia/c79e9ca5-3f4e-4907-9af6-fe1dfbccac31/SR-review-2014/ Read More