Sydney Fish Market Greenhouse Certified in Industry First

Sydney Fish Market, the largest wholesale seafood market in the Southern Hemisphere, recently became the first Australian food-sector company to achieve certification of its 2009/2010 Greenhouse emissions report to the International Standard for Corporate Greenhouse Reporting  - ISO 14064-1:2006.

This first step was initiated by executive management in 2010 to gain better visibility into the business' baseline carbon footprint before it embarks on planned expansion of the market. The Sydney Fish Market greenhouse inventory team was lead by the Environmental Manager, Mr Craig Murray, who undertook the internationally-recognised training in the Basics of Organisational Greenhouse Accounting provided by NCS International in partnership with US-based Greenhouse Gas Management Institute.

"Comprehensive training provided us the necessary greenhouse accounting knowledge, skills and tools that helped us prepare a comprehensive greenhouse emissions inventory and report that were transparent and robust enough to withstand the scrutiny of NCS International's independent greenhouse auditors", said Mr Murray.    

In order to meet requirements of ISO 14064, Sydney Fish Market had to commit resources to implement data quality management systems and processes to efficiently gather, document and process relevant data on the fuel and energy use of operations it controls.  Through greater awareness of its carbon footprint, the market will now start exploring potential for energy efficiency measures aimed at reducing its greenhouse impact. 

Sydney Fish Market is a very prominent, publicly visible business and achieving certification gives internal stakeholders and the broader community confidence in the business's ongoing commitment to environmental improvement and sustainability initiatives. Now that the market has such transparency in its carbon data, it can begin to reduce its carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency - with a view to perhaps one day achieving carbon neutrality.

To find out more about internationally-recognised training in corporate greenhouse accounting and reporting or certification to the ISO 14064 international standard for corporate greenhouse reporting, please  email Nav Brah (Environment and Sustainability Services Manager at NCS International) at Nav.Brah@ncsi.com.au.

For more information on Sydney Fish Market and its sustainability initiatives, visit their website www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au