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CIN Member Interview: Richard Strauch of Boral LimitedThe Carbon Innovators Network (CIN) Member Interview is a regular article which profiles a CIN member and asks them to respond to questions relating to their personal and professional experiences in sustainability. In this issue, Carbon Matters introduces CIN member Richard Strauch. You can find Richard on the member directory. Originally from Bendigo, Richard Strauch now resides in Eltham, Victoria. Having worked for Boral Limited (a multinational corporation) for 14 years, Richard's current position is the General Manager Environmental Services. He says his role relates to the environment 'in every aspect'... 1. What value do you gain from being a Carbon Innovators Network member?Sharing experiences, issues and potential solutions with fellow travellers. 2. What was the moment or experience that made you particularly interested the environment?Personally: During my teenage years as a scout/bushwalker. 3. What sustainable choice or initiative have you recently made in which you are most proud or found most rewarding?Initiating Boral's Sustainability Diagnostic Tool (BSDT) (2001) which fundamentally moved the corporation to a sustainability footing, coupled with our Environmental Strategic Planning initiatives (2003) and Sustainability Report (2004 onwards). Naturally these were products of extensive multi-management levels team efforts. 4. What are some of the biggest challenges you face, either at work or in personal pursuits, regarding the environment?Professionally, at the moment the biggest challenge is overcoming excessive federal/state level reporting demands and parallel state/federal energy efficiency programs that are absorbing almost all internal resources, leaving little resource to actual get something implemented. 5. What is your environmental vice?Medium 4WD vehicle, as I enjoy travelling in the Outback and High Country and require a certain robustness and range, but will soon be switching to a compact SUV with high efficiency 2L turbo-diesel. 6. What would you ideally like to see happen in the next few years concerning the environment?That the naysayers simply accept that the evidence that anthropogenic climate change is occurring has actually been overwhelming for many years now and the time to continue to prevaricate on action to mitigate the likely impacts over the rest of this century and beyond is well past. 7. What is one major stride Boral is taking to tackle the sustainability challenges around energy, water, biodiversity and/or climate change?There is no one stride in particular, rather a balanced and collective movement on all necessary fronts, and across the necessary time frame of years that will stretch into decades, across our multitude of businesses and operations. For Boral these are in particular CSR, sustainable building and construction materials, energy, water, and land management. 8. Who is your environmental hero?All who have fought the good fight over the past decades, often unsung and unnoticed. 9. How do you get around?Car / Planes (lots) 10. What's your favourite place or ecosystem?The Outback or High Country; specifically places like: the west McDonnell Ranges, the Diamantina Plains, the Cross-Cut Saw country, the Flinders Ranges, Tasmanian west coast etc etc.
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