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Making a Difference in Action: Exploring ESG at BRS

At Barker Ryan Stewart (BRS), we treasure the role we play in creating accessible communities where everyone can flourish. To us, this includes being dedicated to the betterment of our Environmental, Social and Governance policies and practices both internally and externally.

We do this by considering the impact of our work on the environment and proactively working to minimise any negative impact, and by holding ourselves accountable for prioritising sustainably and socially responsible practices.

We operate under the belief that every organisation has a responsibility to maintain transparency surrounding their sustainability efforts. As such, we have implemented an Annual Sustainability Report outlining our performance against Financial, Environmental, Social and Governance goals.

Dedicated ESG working group

BRS have nominated a dedicated and passionate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team. The group are responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring strategies and actions from the Sustainability Reports.

The ESG team’s key goals for the next 12 months include:

  • To implement the actions outlined in our Reconciliation Action Plan, namely:
    • Utilising the BRS Foundation to support charities and organisations advocating for First Nations communities and sustainability initiatives
    • Enriching our business by forming a deeper understanding of First Nations cultures, histories and connection to Country
    • Developing procurement strategies to uplift Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned small businesses
  • To improve calculation methods and procedures to more accurately calculate and offset carbon emissions
  • To utilise BRS’ services to be more involved in renewable energy, sustainable or ESG centred projects

The UN Sustainable Development Goals

In developing our Annual Sustainability Report, it was important to us to reflect upon how BRS could embody the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, with special focus on the areas where we can have the biggest impact within our sphere of influence. These include:

  • Gender Equality – 30% of the BRS team is female, and we are committed to employing initiatives to combat gender discrimination and underrepresentation in our industry, by:
    • Allocating a Professional Development budget to allow our whole team to branch their career into areas of growth or interest
    • Providing flexible and hybrid working arrangements for staff with caring responsibilities
    • Highlighting and uplifting the brilliant women in our organisation, and providing opportunities for ownership, responsibility and career growth
  • Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – BRS keep their finger on the pulse of the newest innovations and technologies, which we implement to more efficient project outcomes
  • Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Life on the Land – BRS is committed to providing our services with a priority for sustainable developments and building communities that are resilient to a changing climate
  • Climate Action – we are constantly looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint, including but not limited to:
    • Calculating and offsetting our carbon footprint on an annual basis through GreenFleet
    • Reducing power and power usage in every office
    • Reducing single-use and water wastage in every office
    • Considering sustainability across all procurement purchases
    • Utilising a hybrid working model to lessen emissions caused by daily commuting

Turning the report into action

The report offers us with an important opportunity to reflect on all the great work and progress we’ve achieved while identifying areas where more can be done to ensure we are leaving a positive impact on the communities we contribute our services toward. Below is how we’ve turned ESG into action, delivering real results with impact:

Environmental Performance

In the 2024-25 financial year, BRS’ total scope 1 and 2 emissions were estimated at 98.2 tonnes, a decrease of 17.4 tonnes compared to our FY2023-24 estimate of 115.6 tonnes. According to Carbon Australia’s estimates where 4 trees per tonne is required to offset carbon emissions, BRS will arrange to plant 393 trees.

Social Engagement

BRS believes all communities should have access to high quality services, so our talented team provides pro bono services to an array of not-for-profit organisations. In the past, these services have extended to Women’s shelters and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing organisations.

We also have a long history of supporting charity causes, including supporting North West Disability Services, Cancer Council, The Mark Hughes Foundation, and Push for Better Foundation and Hope in a Suitcase to name a few.

In 2025, BRS became the named Sponsor of the Barker Ryan Stewart Far North Coast Rugby Union (FNCRU) Women’s Cup. The competition aims to remove recurrent challenges including social, economic and cultural barriers for women to participate in sport, including  rugby.

Governance

In the capable hands of our leadership team, BRS has spearheaded growth in major cities and regional areas. Our leadership team is committed to not only creating better communities outside of BRS but also within; fostering an uplifting, supportive and engaging company culture is of huge importance to us.

We know that providing our team with a healthy work-life balance, job satisfaction and flexibility is at the core of our success as a business, enabling us to commit time and money toward delivering better environmental outcomes for the communities in which we work.  

Prioritising these initiatives has strengthened our already talented team, supporting their ability to provide our clients with services backed by expertise and experience.

Read BRS’ 2024-25 Annual Sustainability Report to learn more about its initiatives and action plan.

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