People and Planet are at the heart of Core's Purpose, and Cores' commitment to change.

KERRYN SCHRANK, SUSTAINABILITY ADVISOR

“Over the last 12 months, Core has deepened its commitment to Purpose – to put people and the planet before profit. We have undergone a process to identify 5 key areas where we can make a difference for our business and stakeholders. Affordable Housing, Diversity & Inclusion, Health & Wellbeing, Climate Change and Land Use.

This year saw our team successful in recertifying as a B Corp organisation. This has been a tremendous effort by over a dozen people and nearly 18 months of work to submit and respond to the in-depth questions covering topics of Environment, Workforce, Customer, Community and Governance.

Core is also a Carbon Neutral organisation under the Federal Government’s Climate Active Scheme. This commits us to offsetting 100% of all the greenhouse gas emissions from our office, cars and operations.

And lastly,  we have employed our own Sustainability Adviser Kerryn Schrank. Kerryn comes in high regard with qualifications in environmental science and sustainable development and over 25 years of experience spanning ASX listed companies, Government and not-for-profit sectors both in Australia and overseas (UK, Europe & US).

Kerryn has helped Core build on its commitment to purpose, by creating a strategic framework, setting us up for the future that allows us to continually make a positive impact.

Looking forward – let’s see where things are heading.

There are a number of key issues which face us and our industry.

Taking action on Climate Change continues to be a high priority for Governments, Councils, companies and consumers. With increasing energy and fuel costs, there is no better time to reduce our consumption and in turn, reduce our carbon emissions – both in the office, at our sites and at home. We will see an increasing focus on energy star ratings, support for renewables, and environmental consideration in design guidelines to name a few.

Housing affordability and availability continue to plague many people, particularly those from minority and disadvantaged groups. Working to help find housing solutions that are sustainable and scalable will be critical in the years to come.

Housing is increasingly being targeted as a key policy area for improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. To this end, we have committed to preparing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to see how we can genuinely contribute to acknowledging the role our First Nations people played in caring for the land and respecting their rights.

Issues of mental health and wellbeing remain critical for our industry; particularly with the strain on the construction sector and the collapse of many building companies. We will continue to focus on People. Not just providing a happy and healthy workplace but by providing real support and the right advice to our landowners and developer partners. Building long-term relationships and being a trusted advisor on all fronts

What Core is committed to for the next 12 months:

Continuing to focus on People and Land

Putting our money where our mouth is to make a difference through some flagship initiatives – Reconciliation Action Plan, Climate Active Certification and Sustainable Living product and tips.

Providing a lot more information on what we’re doing to reduce our environmental footprint and help others do the same, and selecting ‘like-minded’ suppliers and partners that can help us achieve our goals and multiply our impact.