- I operated Conservo from 2005-2009; a sustainability consulting company.
- After working in IT in San Francisco in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s I returned to complete a law degree and start Conservo. I loved working in IT and in California however I found IT ultimately did not meet my hopes of a career nor feed my environmental interests and passion. I wanted to spend my time making an environmental difference as I had in my mid 20s when I worked at grass roots level on local forest and ocean issues. So after a successful career in IT I came home and started the consulting business Conservo.
- Conservo: Driving Sustainability, was a business focused on sustainability. I am very proud of the things we did with Conservo during the time I operated the company including opening and operating a sustainable fuel service station concept store in Prahran funded by Australia’s largest bio-diesel (diesel fuel made from plants and algie) refinery. Influencing sustainability policy for school districts and municipal councils in Victoria on sustainability policy along with assisting private companies and individual property owners.
- Conservo started with an idea and business model I formed in 2005 in the last year of my law degree. Then after pitching my idea of the Conservo Service Station to a venture capitalist in late 2005 I received the required funding and in 2006 I opened Melbourne’s and indeed one of the worlds first sustainable fuel service station. I started this business because I realised that energy was both one of our main concerns with environmental degradation but also one of our greatest sources of what it is to have our civilisation. I wanted to contribute to the shift away from fossil fuels and assist your average person still utilise something as a great as their car but do so with less of a footprint.
- Conservo: Driving Sustainability was about sustainability, not just a service station. The vision behind Conservo was to promote and expand the use and acceptance of cost effective sustainable products and services in Australia. Conservo was a community space contributing to the infusion of sustainability into the Australian lifestyle, in an easy, coordinated seamless approach to how we live, work and play. Conservo was a declaration to business and government; put your money where your mouth is. Lets be responsible for our actions, lets be responsible for our time here in history. Let’s make decisions that we can look back on with pride when we are old. To be a sustainable society, we need not abstain from the fruits we are offered, but in eating them we must ensure the tree still bears fruits for our children.
- I always said that if you want to make change then you need to have an impact in the boardrooms and election ballot, not just protesting down in the street or at the polling stations.
- Conservo for me was a 5 year career where I was lucky enough to fullfill a business, environmental goal and dream.
- It started with a good idea, I worked hard, used the skills from my two degrees and was very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.
- Part of the Conservo business model was to influence renewable transport fuel use at Victorian service stations.
- The vision behind Conservo is to promote and expand the use and acceptance of cost effective sustainable products and services in Australia.
- Conservo is a community space contributing to the infusion of sustainability into the Australian lifestyle, in an easy, coordinated seamless approach to how we live, work and play.
- Conservo is a declaration to business and government; put your money where your mouth is. Lets be responsible for our actions, lets be responsible for our time here in history. Let’s make decisions that we can look back on with pride when we are old.
- To be a sustainable society, we need not abstain from the fruits we are offered, but in eating them we must ensure the tree still bears fruits for our children.
- Conservo also became the name for a pilot service station that was set up on High st Prahran, Melbourne.
- At the Prahran Conservo service station offered the following Products and Services:
- Conservo Biofuels is a service station, selling E10 Ethanol Unleaded along with B20 and B100 Biodiesel, these 3 fuels can operate in any unleaded or diesel engine respectively. Eventually Conservo Biofuels will also sell, LPG, Electric, NCG.
- Conservo Mart, a chilled out space with plants and tunes, selling healthy organic snacks and drinks, along with convenience store items such as pasta, cornflakes and milk. Education and Informative eco tips are featured throughout Conservo Mart, along with a section dedicated to eco products.
- Conservo Eco-Products are offered in Conservo mart to maintain the theme of Conservo; to conserve. These products are simple and cost effective ways to minimise water, energy and waste in the home, business and school environment.
- Conservo Parking parks up to 25 cars on most weekdays. Ultimately Conservo Parking will tandem with Conservo Bikes, a bicycle lending system under development by Melbourne City Bicycles.
- Conservo Flexicar is a car sharing company who offers cars for short term rent to members. One Flexicar removes 6 cars from the road, as members do not have to own a car to use one.
- Conservo Home Services provides energy and water audits for households.
- Conservo Business Conservo Business works with small to medium businesses to help them realise their business and sustainability objectives. As well, Daniel Epstein offers public speaking services discussing biofuels, sustainability in the business world today, and how to be a pioneer.
- Conservo Sustainiversity is an eco-living education showroom; showcasing “The path of sustainability”. Sustainiversity is a large open space developed in the mechanics garage of the servo (still under development at Conservo Prahran). Sustainiversity is a space where students, businesses and the general public can be educated or educate themselves on the various options available on the path of sustainability;
- Garden (perm culture/compost/drought resistant plants/Biodiversity)
- Biofuels/renewable energy production education, why, how and who.
- Solar Electricity (Education on the what is it, the how, the why and by whom of solar electric systems for the home or business)
- Solar hot water (Education on the what is it, the how, the why and by whom of solar hot water systems for the home or business)
- Grey water system (Education on the what is it, the how, the why and by whom of grey water systems for the home or business)
- Rain Water Harvesting Systems (Education on the what is it, the how, the why and by whom of rain harvesting systems for the home or business)
- Chemical and Electromagnetic pollution (education on pollution in the home, and how to minimise it)
- Waste (Education of wastes lifecycle in Australia, along with information on how to reduce household waste)
- Recycling (Education on the why, how and when of recycling, including services for recycling used vegetable oil, household batteries, compact fluorescent tubes, metal)
- Sustainable inventions section
- Discussion and projector/seating area for seminars and public debate on Sustainability issues.
- Conservo: Driving Sustainability is a combination sustainability products and services along with its principals legal and project management skills and a healthy passion for sustainable living. The company will benefit customers by providing them a one stop shop for sustainable product and service.
- I started the company because of a rich history in the sustainability industry where I had forged relationships with many of the private and public players in the Victorian sustainability Sector.
- I along with many environmentalist have been frustrated by the Australian Government, and businesses lack of initiative when it comes to environmental issues. For many years now the Australian and states governments have had qualified scientific data regarding the care with which we must start treating the earth and its resources; and yet they have done little.
- Conservo is a response to that lethargy.
- The target audience varies depending on the skill set required. Conservo biofuel, mart, parking, and eco products and services are offered and available to the public generally. Conservo business targets small to medium businesses/schools/not for profits with either sustainability projects, products or goals whom need legal and/or project management advice and services. Daniel’s public speaking engagements are in the private and public sector.
- Conservo was a successful business for 5 years with the following key advantages:
- The ability to remain at the cutting edge of sustainable products and services for household and business.
- The existing passion and commitment to the cause of sustainability.
- The ability to treat potential business partners, colleagues, employers, employees, and general public with respect and integrity and a friendly face.
- Two degrees and numerous certificates reflect an ongoing interest and ability to learn in bursts or over a sustained period.
- The ability to network and communicate effectively with people generally.
- An interest and commitment to my local and wider community.
- After the initial set up of the company, setting up the service station and agreeing to a venture capital partnership with Conservo’s principal joint venture partner the Victor Smorgan Group I stepped away from day to day operations of the service station and focused on public speaking, community and corporate consultation in sustainability projects.
- The single Conservo Biofuels service station never generated enormous revenue, but worked as a substantial foundation to push biofuels in the industry and consulting services.
- See below images of the various press releases associated with Conservo;
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-06-27/green-service-station-opens-in-vic/81788
- https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/biofuel-servo-a-big-hit/news-story/376278c79492d0a9c97e6ad9fd8706da?sv=5e65b23e7523a396a0dc6c3e59844497
- https://www.theage.com.au/national/smorgon-heir-puts-money-into-green-service-stations-20070626-ge57pc.html
- https://pigswillfly.com.au/2007/06/sustainable-biofuel-here-in-the-us/
- http://www.sustainablemelbourne.com/policies/resource-daniel-epstein-from-conservo-at-the-sustainable-cities-round-table-17-march/
- This one also has the video that it would be cool to have there.
- There is another video https://tenplay.com.au/channel-eleven/scope/episode-details
- Activist turned barrister aims to be solar-powered for winter (this is the PDF that is attached to this email.
- See below link to video of scope program which I co-presented on biofuels in 2006.
Conservo Biofuels Stop powerpoint slides
Daniel Epstein of Counsel
