How Cylite's people turned an overwhelming list into focused action that's still growing 6 months later
We had no shortage of ideas. The real challenge was working out how to give our people what they needed to take the lead.Andrew, Chief Engineer
Cylite is an award-winning deep-tech medical imaging company, known globally for developing the world's first hyper-parallel OCT system. Employing over 100 people across Australia, Cylite was actively running sustainability initiatives and meeting investor ESG reporting requirements.
The challenge wasn't motivation or ideas. They had plenty of both. Their main barrier was clarity - knowing where to start, what to prioritise, and how to act without adding cost or workload to already busy teams.
Convert an extensive list of sustainability ideas into clear, actionable steps.
Enable teams to implement sustainability actions without extra budget
Align employee-led initiatives closely with company values and investor ESG expectations
Clearly identify quick wins and longer-term strategic sustainability goals
Over three months from August to November 2024, Cylite engaged with kandu sustainability in a structured program, delivered collaboratively with the City of Monash and Eastern Innovation Business Centre, to address their sustainability priorities practically and effectively.
This program wasn't imposed by management. Instead, it emerged directly from Cylite's own employees. kandu provided clarity, structured processes, and actionable tools, enabling Cylite's people to independently move from ideas to real, measurable actions.
Participants started with close to 100 sustainability ideas, generated by the team at Cylite. They had plenty of enthusiasm but needed structured guidance to prioritise effectively and confidently take action.
Workshops helped participants to prioritise their ideas based on ease and impact. This revealed that several initiatives could proceed without additional budget or substantial effort, often through improved visibility or minor adjustments in existing processes.
Once we had the knowledge and frameworks, it was much easier to identify which initiatives were achievable, and make a difference quickly.
- Darcy
Darcy had been investigating energy use improvements for months. Through the structured support of the program, he gained the clarity and confidence to propose an energy dashboard leveraging existing company data, turning a theoretical idea into a real and impactful project.
As soon as the data was visible, it stopped being abstract. People could see the story behind the numbers. That completely changed how we talked about impact.
- Darcy
employees cycling
This growth required Cylite to allocate significant warehouse space for bike storage and expand locker facilities.
Quick wins implemented within 4 weeks of the program starting, creating momentum and proving that action was possible with existing resources.
Initiatives that gained momentum and became easier to progress because they were now visible and supported by early wins across teams.
Long-term impact initiatives that built internal skills, enabling teams to independently sustain and grow their impact over time.
This program wasn't focused on creating new sustainability projects from scratch. It simplified implementation by giving structure to existing motivation and ideas.
Through the program, Cylite's people turned ideas they already had into action. They developed a process to prioritise, reflect, and keep moving forward. The program built internal skills, enabling teams to independently sustain and grow their impact over time while strengthening their foundation for future ESG reporting demands.
Cylite's people are expanding and creating new initiatives such as supplier engagement for emissions measurement, increasing their impact.
kandu sustainability supports organisations to harness employee-led sustainability impact. Through cohort-based learning, interactive workshops, and practical resources, we embed sustainability into everyday roles, creating momentum driven by your own people.
We help build both the behaviours and measurement capability for long term-tracking and improvements.
Imagine a team that knows where to start, feels confident to act, and takes pride in the impact they create together.
We extend our gratitude to the City of Monash and Eastern Innovation Business Centre for their collaborative support in delivering this program.
Connect with us to see how we can support your sustainability journey.