Chanjief Chandrakumar is one of thinkstep-anz’s Life Cycle Assessment experts.
Based in Australia, Chanjief is driven to help businesses change – for the better.
What do you do at thinkstep-anz?
I’m based in Melbourne and lead one of our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) teams working with clients to understand the environmental impacts of their products or services. We support businesses to improve what they do. This includes identifying areas where they can make a difference and developing tools to reduce environmental impacts.
What is your best sustainability advice for clients?
Peter Drucker is often referred to as the father of modern business management. His quote ‘you can’t manage what you can’t measure’ resonates with me. My advice for clients is not to wait for the perfect data and time to arrive (that may never happen) but instead start now with your existing data and systems.
Was sustainability part of your childhood?
I was born in Sri Lanka and remember our family conversations about weekly meal plans and groceries. There was never wasted food or leftovers and I keep living by those important life lessons. My family also taught me the difference between wants and needs. I moved to Aotearoa New Zealand to complete my PhD studies (before coming to Australia) and it was five years before I bought my first car for my new family.
What are some sustainable and unsustainable things you’ve done recently?
We still own just one small car. If we need a bigger one for longer trips around Australia we use the Uber Carshare service.
Earlier this year I was invited to present at the Global Forum for Food and Innovation in Berlin. I flew there which I didn’t feel good about, so while there I made sure I used only public transport.
What’s something you’ve learned lately about sustainability?
At the Global Forum I presented on the climate change impacts of food loss and waste which is a major sustainability issue. I heard a new term ‘youthwashing’ which is the act of showing the young generation and their voice (imagine almost as a performance piece at a theatre) but not actually acting on their concerns.
Is there a book, podcast or sustainability resource that’s made an impact on you?
The idea of planetary boundaries was developed by Johan Rockström and colleagues. It outlines nine earth system processes that regulate the planet, and each has a boundary. Crossing that boundary increases the risk of large-scale abrupt or irreversible environmental change. What science is telling us about the melting of Antarctic icesheets, biodiversity loss in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and extreme weather events around the world are all examples. It’s fantastic thinkstep-anz is supporting the work of The Planetary Accounting Network by Kate Meyer.
These ideas had a huge effect on me and motivated me to investigate how they impact policy. I developed a tool to allocate a share of the global carbon budget to a country, sector, industry or product. Using this tool, I could explore questions like what the global climate threshold means for a kilogram of apples produced in Aotearoa New Zealand.
How have your studies informed what you do now?
I completed my PhD at Massey University in Environmental Life Cycle Management. The research helped to develop the first science-based approach to calculate targets for greenhouse gas emissions for buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand. I apply this knowledge to many clients in Australia and New Zealand, mainly in the construction and horticulture industries. My current work includes working with NABERS and I’m leading a project with the Australian Melon Industry to benchmark the environmental performance of melon farms across Australia.
Any last words on sustainability?
We want to make the world a better place for the generations who follow us. My wife and I have a 16-month-old girl named Aaroha. Her name comes from the te reo Māori (Māori language) word meaning love, and we added the second ‘a’ for numerological and religious reasons. I love spending time with her when I’m not working. Aaroha has just started walking and I can’t wait to go exploring together as I love hiking.