Environment
The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights the urgency of today’s environmental issues. It confirms we are in a climate emergency, with human activity the unequivocal cause. And the built environment is a key contributor to the increase in greenhouse gases contributing to the rise in temperatures globally.
As part of our ongoing efforts to operate more sustainably, we’ve broken our strategy into three categories:
Look within first
It starts with getting our house in order by focusing on our internal processes and practises. First is measuring and reviewing our current emissions and limiting our waste production both in offices and on our sites. We’re upskilling our entire team about how we can integrate sustainable practices throughout our organisation and build a culture more in touch with our environment and it’s needs.
A great example is the principles behind a circular economy – reduce, reuse, recycle. Our 2023-2025 company wide initiative has all our projects focussed on all three aspects and we are measuring the impact to track progress.
Support our clients
Our construction solutions team focuses on helping our clients hit their own sustainability targets. This starts at the beginning, with our Pre-Construction team offering realistic, quantified sustainable design options during design development phases. The greatest impact occurs when we capture the opportunities and design them in upfront.
Mainbrace built the first 6-Star Green Star shopping centre. We’re proud of our record in achieving Green Star and NABERS environmental ratings on dozens of projects, including Woolworths Prestons Shopping Centre, Bunnings Leppington and the Home Co Development at Rouse Hill, NSW.
However, our outlook extends beyond ratings. We’ll work alongside our clients to find feasible sustainable options, including building dematerialisation and careful material choice.
Given the uncertainty and cost of acquiring materials in current conditions, our emphasis on limiting material consumption will have dual benefits in affordability and sustainability. Our collaborative processes will see subcontractors and suppliers working together to make sustainable options viable. Together, we will make a bigger impact.
Influence industry
Innovation encourages fresh thinking, with the goal of developing ideas that benefit the industry. We look to partner and collaborate with professionals who align with our vision. Our teams embrace change and seek out opportunities every day.
We hold bi-annual workshops in each of our offices seeking new pitches and ideas focused on innovation, change and sustainability. We search for viable ideas we can bring to life.
Two examples include:
Recyclable Hoardings – with options for internal hoardings that can be reused and are totally recyclable.
Skip the Bin – a practical application of the circular economy in which surplus on-site material can be made available to local businesses instead of sent straight to landfill.
Social
Our social sustainability framework is focused on the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: Good Health & Wellbeing, Quality Education and Gender Equality.
Through collaborative approaches and building on our strategy of ‘Enriched Lives & Meaningful Careers’, we’re creating environments where everyone can build success.
Good health & wellbeing
There is more to life than work. To truly thrive, we must help all our people balance and integrate work with their personal life. As a result, we balance health, wellbeing and flexible work practices. Our holistic initiatives in these areas are created to apply to everyone, no matter what stage of life they’re in.
Quality education
We want our staff to love what they do. We aim to create meaningful careers for everyone, providing professional pathways that are accessible and clear. We help align careers to personal goals and provide a range of learning and development opportunities to support growth and progression.
As we empower everyone to drive their career, we regularly celebrate progress and contributions along the way so our people feel valued and recognised.
Gender equality
We not only embrace diversity – we prioritise it through a focus on equity, inclusion and belonging.
We’ve set ambitious targets, especially for attracting females to the construction industry, and developed initiatives to help achieve them. We know our people – and our clients – are enriched by the positive contributions diversity brings to our workplace.
We have a bold gender diversity target which aims to ensure women make up at least 30% of our workforce by 2030. Given only around 12% of construction industry employees are women, our 30% by ‘30 target is more than twice the current industry average and is particularly ambitious in a traditionally male-dominated industry context.
Community
Mainbrace is committed to having a genuine impact in our local communities by focusing on the issues closest to us where we can make a meaningful difference.
MbRACE is our community program designed to encourage teamwork, camaraderie and good corporate citizenship. It’s our way of bringing people together to EMBRACE our collective passion, talent and generosity to make an impact on our communities.
We help community groups raise awareness of social issues that matter most to them – and we always look for new ways to do something different, original and fun to cut through with important messages.
Since 1989, we’re proud to have donated over $500K to charities through clients, suppliers, industry and our staff.