Whereas corporate sustainability refers to the balance of the financial, social and environmental aspects of an organization, exponential sustainability is the achievement of such a synergy on a society level. This happens when companies begin to reach out and look beyond their own perceived interests. Companies are increasingly building coalitions and partnering with non-profits in order to achieve this goal, and in the process, realize several associated benefits.

by Anna Clark, President of EarthPeople and Author of Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits. Follow Anna Clark on Twitter.

As the business sector searches for new and better ways to go green, a strange but wonderful phenomenon is emerging.  Increasingly, companies are partnering with non-profits and building coalitions with each other to further green initiatives.  A good partnership can help participating entities maximize resources, grow their client base and enhance visibility.  We used to call this synergy.  Yet, the outcomes of such arrangements can be so far-reaching that “synergy” doesn’t describe it.  I propose a new term: exponential sustainability.

If corporate sustainability is the balance of the financial, social and environmental aspects of an organization, achieving this balance at a society level can lead to exponential change, hence exponential sustainability.  This begins to happen when companies reach outside themselves to pursue green initiatives that go beyond their own perceived interests.

Numerous case studies illustrate the ripple effect of positive partnerships and coalitions.  A good example is the Clinton Climate Initiative.  The William J. Clinton Foundation has created an arrangement among four energy service companies and five global banking institutions that will result in major environmental upgrades in 16 of the world’s largest, most polluted cities.

Collectively, the banks, which include Citigroup, Inc., Deutsche Bank AG, JP Morgan Chase & Co., UBS AG, and ABN Amro, will commit $1 billion to finance energy efficient building upgrades in municipal buildings in participating cities.  “They’re going to save money, make money, create jobs and have a tremendous collective impact on climate change all at once,” Mr. Clinton said of the partners in the initiative in a prepared statement.  That is exponential sustainability in a nutshell.

Another coalition leading to sweeping change is the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP). The group’s mission is to urge the federal government to cut greenhouse gas emissions 60-80 percent and to create business incentives.  The 22 USCAP member companies, including GM, Shell and Dow Chemical, represent industries critical to slowing climate change.  The corporate partners join six non-profit advocacy groups in this mission.

Fred Krupp of Environmental Defense says of the USCAP, “We chose a cap-and-trade approach because it guarantees the emissions cuts we need, while it unleashes cash and creativity from the private sector. This plan is a jobs winner as well as an environmental winner.” By teaming up with non-profits, big businesses are able to proactively shape and promote creative solutions before they must face potentially less- favorable regulations.

Even just one company together with one non-profit can change the course of an industry.  One example is the partnership between Allianz Group, one of the world’s largest insurance providers, and WWF, a global leader in environmental conservation.  The partnership seeks to address the growing impact of climate change-induced damages, such as flooding, forest fires and storm damages, on the insurance industry.

Allianz started the project to protect the interests of its customers, as climate changes could make insurance unaffordable for customers in high-risk areas.  In fact, in states vulnerable to hurricanes, insurance rates are already increasing and in some cases, insurers are exiting these markets altogether.  In the process of addressing the possible consequences of climate change, this partnership has been engaging governments and regulators to work with the insurance industry to find solutions.

The business sector used to focus purely on financials, leaving the job of curing societal ills to non-profits.  However, one recent survey revealed that 81% of MBA students polled said that business should work toward “the betterment of society.”  As more large companies embrace sustainability as a strategic goal, they recognize that non-profits may have superior experience in the business of “betterment.”

Partnering with non-profits was once a philanthropic endeavor.  Today, companies are discovering that by partnering with non-profits on green initiatives, they can gain expertise, resources and recognition without the costs of going green alone.  Such partnerships represent more of a symbiotic, rather than subordinate, relationship between the business and non-profit sectors.

As the threat of global warming becomes reality, sole focus on competitive advantage is giving way to cooperation among industry contenders, many of which are now building coalitions for the greater good.  Can this paradigm shift be the silver lining to climate change?

The concept of exponential sustainability may still lie at the far end of the sustainability spectrum.  Most companies would do well just to start evaluating their emissions and improve energy efficiency within their own walls.  But if you decide that exponential sustainability belongs on your company’s strategic horizon, the right partnership can rapidly propel you there.

Where does a company source partnerships opportunities?  How does a company begin to build a coalition?  Large companies are more likely to be approached by groups than small and mid-sized companies, although exponential sustainability can work for any-size enterprise.  Smaller companies can hire a sustainability consultant to help them craft a sustainability strategy that includes finding partnerships within their industry or community.

If you are the owner of a smaller company, there is no reason to reinvent the wheel if you can join an initiative in your town or neighborhood that is already gaining steam.  Seek out opportunities to support local programs spearheaded by your community or city council.  By adding your resources and contacts to the effort, you gain visibility and standing among the very people you would like for customers and clients.

Small businesses may find that by tying green initiatives to their communities, they can inspire employees and existing clients to participate. Even small-scale partnerships and collations can create momentum around sustainability.

I can’t help but think of the recycling container at my daughter’s school, filled to capacity every week by moms eager to see the school reap financial rewards from their refuse.  Yet, moms all over Dallas, when left to their own devices, often fail to put out their recyclables every week if the relatively low recycling rate in our city is any indicator.  My point: people will work harder when coming together to reach a collective goal than they will when acting alone.

Economist Milton Friedman said, “The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit.”  In the scheme of impeding climate change, partnerships and coalitions based on this principle do more than benefit the partners; they give hope to us all.   Now that is what I call exponential sustainability.

Photo Courtesy of Svilen Milev.

© 2010, Anna Clark. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

It may seem like big businesses are the only companies getting buzz for going green, but for small and medium-sized enterprises, there are countless ways to reap rewards by adopting sustainable practices.

by Anna Clark, President of EarthPeople and Author of Green, American Style: Becoming Earth-Friendly and Reaping the Benefits. Follow Anna Clark on Twitter.

The “greening” of America is not just the latest trend; it’s a cultural revolution. What does this phenomenon mean for the business sector? Even if you’re not yet sold on the science of climate change, it’s hard to ignore the changing tide of public perception.

Magazines as diverse as Glamour, Fortune, and even Sports Illustrated are publishing green issues. Green has gone mainstream and smart business owners are looking for ways to capitalize on this phenomenon.

An aerial view of sustainability shows us a principle with the power to preserve our world intact for our grandchildren even as we consume resources today. When we apply this principle to business, we get “corporate sustainability,” which strives to balance the financial, social, and environmental aspects of an organization.

A company’s corporate sustainability strategy depends on such variables as its size and industry. Applications of sustainability can range from retrofitting facilities with energy-efficient features to integrating recycled and/or biodegradable materials into product design and packaging. Other applications exist and many more are still at the conceptual stage.

Large green companies, such as Starbucks and Whole Foods, experience remarkable consumer loyalty and earn a fortune in media attention. But to small and medium- sized enterprises, or SMEs, it may seem like big businesses are the only ones getting the buzz for going green.

Does sustainability offer any real advantages for SMEs? If so, how does the small business owner or even the executive management team of a mid-sized corporation apply such a lofty ideal to daily operations? There are many methods but only one formula: leadership, an inquiring mind, and creativity. For those pioneers eagerly embracing sustainability, the payoffs of going green are significant and the risks are minimal.

One way to describe how to green the SME is by example. Hot Lips Pizza in Portland has earned a reputation as “the most sustainable pizza parlor in the U.S.” Hot Lips’ pizza is made with locally-grown organic ingredients and is delivered in eco-friendly vehicles. Hot Lips pizza has been covered in print and broadcast media nationwide.

You don’t have to operate on the West Coast to cash in on going green, either. Even in Dallas, a town known for its culture of conspicuous consumption, successful strategies for sustainability are at work. Fashion designer Laura Chapuis uses organic fabrics for her line Habitude. She has been featured in magazines such as Shape and Town and Country — without the expense of a publicist.

Alan Hoffmann, a Dallas-based homebuilder searching for a better way to build, discovered insulated concrete forms, or ICFs, arguably the most energy-efficient type of home construction available. The Alan Hoffmann Company is now selling custom homes before the designs are even drawn and has earned media coverage in numerous regional and industry publications.

Good P.R. isn’t the only payoff to going green. Companies should consider the cost savings available through energy efficiency. The Energy Star website is rife with case studies of SMEs that have retrofitted their facilities with energy efficient features, recovering their investment within three years and saving thousands of dollars a year on operating costs. Adding wind power to your energy mix can also earn you points with your customers. Companies taking these measures can also earn recognition via EPA programs such as Climate Leaders.

Companies that want to start small can capture some of the market by adding a green product or service. Identifying opportunities can be a fun and creative process. Retailers, for example, can introduce an organic line or offer customers recycled bags. Banks can add loan products for green building. The possibilities are endless.

And, let’s not forget our most valuable resources — the human ones. Training employees on sustainability leads to material savings and increases efficiency, productivity, and loyalty in the workplace. The Human Rights Initiative completed such training through the company that I run, EarthPeople, a Dallas-based sustainability consultancy. CEO Cannon Flowers said his staff enjoyed the training seminar in energy efficiency, and added, “We’ve identified ways to reduce our operating costs through conservation. We’re also pleased to be able to set an example of environmental responsibility that other organizations can follow.”

Leadership is the key to successful implementation of sustainability initiatives, no matter the size of the company. For SMEs, going green is largely a voluntary action dependent upon the vision and conviction of one or a few individuals. One advantage is that SMEs are free to experiment with sustainability without the pressures of meeting compliance regulations or pacifying activist groups. Enterprising companies with a flair for promotion can earn immediate recognition from stakeholders and the media for their efforts.

Challenges arise when well-intentioned individuals lack the leadership ability to sell their CEOs on their vision. Moreover, most CEOs lack the time, interest, or expertise to manage sustainability initiatives, which they often deem ancillary to the company’s primary purpose. What’s a SME to do? Revisit the formula: greening the SME calls for personal leadership, an inquiring mind, and a little bit of creativity. For those lacking in one or all of these areas, a sustainability consultant is the best solution.

The moral of the story is that sustainability, while not for the faint of heart, is a strategy that SMEs can apply with phenomenal speed and success as long as the commitment is there. Smart SMEs will embrace the changes and recognize the process as evolutionary. Stagnant SMEs may give green a nod, but without commitment and consistency, it will never stick.

The business landscape in the 21st century offers some rich rewards to sustainability pioneers who can muster the courage to reach for the brass ring. The best part is that, in this game, we all win.

This article originally appeared on earthpeopleco.com.

© 2010, Anna Clark. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The idea sounds simple enough.  Create a team of volunteers from existing employees.  Have them focus on ways to green the business and culture.  In turn, create cost savings, attract top talent due to an improvement in brand recognition, and increase market share from the new found brand image, possibly even innovative product and services.  The idea and the goal sound simple, while the execution and plan of attack seem a bit more complex.  How can an individual or company go about implementing this team of sustainability focused volunteers?  Resources and guides may be abundant and abound.  The report, “Green Teams: Engaging Employees in Sustainability,” released by GreenBiz.com and Green Impact, provides a good starting point that captures the business case for these green teams, how to get started, four key areas behind best practices, and a breakdown of 10 best practices in developing green teams.

Challenges of Developing Green Teams

While advantages can be expansive, companies will encounter challenges.  Monitoring metrics and results of green team efforts is imperative in proving the worth of investment resources.  There are software tools now available to help with this.  Engaging business units can prove difficult if unable to articulate a clear business case for these green teams so be prepared to apply the purpose of green teams to all departments.  Finding a balance between linking green team efforts to overall corporate strategies or grassroot objectives is crucial in maintaining the functioning of green teams.  Ensure employees that their volunteered time will not impact their job stability as they still have their actual job responsibilities to manage.  And finally, balance the creative energy with the corporate structure needed to create progress.

As stated by the report, understand that this a learning process for all companies and, “Engaging employees is more art than science, very dependent on a company’s culture and governance style…harnessing the power of green teams and aligning their efforts with corporate goals is a learning edge for most companies.”

© 2010, Michael D Tam. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

A recent survey found that the majority of corporate sustainability leaders believe that their sustainability initiatives have significant strategic value for their organizations, but also feel that measurement for these initiatives are lacking.

by Aysu Katun, Green Economy Post

A recent survey, co-sponsored by Crowe Horwath LLP, one of the largest public accounting and consulting firms in the U.S., and the Center for Business Excellence (CBE) at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, found that the majority of corporate sustainability leaders believe that their sustainability initiatives have significant strategic value for their organizations, but also feel that measurement for these initiatives are lacking, which makes communicating the outcomes of their efforts more challenging.

The survey’s 178 respondents represent companies with revenues ranging from less than $75 million to more than $10 billion. Of those responding, 50 percent were from public companies, 33 percent were from privately held companies, and the remainder were from not-for-profit and government entities. Nearly half of the respondents “own” the sustainability initiatives within their organization, while the other half are involved in one or more specific initiatives.

72 percent of the respondents believed that boards of directors place a high priority on sustainability and 74 percent say their organizations link their sustainability initiatives to company strategy. However, more than half of the respondents also said they thought measurement for the initiatives was lacking.

“While executives and boards understand that sustainability initiatives offer opportunities for long-term value, supporting those initiatives is difficult if they are unable to convey to shareholders and stakeholders exactly how the initiatives create such value,” said Brian Ballou, co-director of the CBE.

The survey identified multiple challenges in sustainability reporting, including:

• Inability to sufficiently measure sustainability initiatives
• Insufficient resources
• Inconsistent or unclear definitions
• Lack of a standard verification process
• Unclear reporting guidelines

Even with these challenges, more than eight out of 10 survey respondents issue sustainability reports designed to enhance their reputations with the public, customers, employees and suppliers. Nearly seven out of 10 organizations report their sustainability initiatives publicly. 51 percent of respondents indicated that they adhere to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sustainability reporting guidelines.

More than 50 percent of the respondents said their sustainability initiatives have led to operational efficiencies, but only 12 percent said that sustainability is fully embedded in the strategic actions and decision-making processes of the organization. “The survey shows us that many organizations have real opportunities to strengthen the ties between sustainability initiatives and the overall governance of the organization,” said Gregg Anderson, a director with Crowe Horwath.

“Reporting sustainability measures and issuing qualitative disclosures without a sufficient link to how these activities lead to long-term value creates a risk of efforts being perceived as ‘greenwashing’,” added CBE co-director Dan Heitger. Some companies, Heitger said, may focus more on the marketing of “green” activities rather than implementing business strategy and practices that improve the long-term viability of the environment and society.

Greenwashing is a serious problem. A survey conducted by McKinsey, the global management consultancy, in 2008 had found that consumers were becoming increasingly cynical and that the repercussions for companies that greenwash could be very serious.

Exacerbating the greenwashing risk is the finding that 48 percent of organizations do not have an independent review of the information presented in their sustainability reports. “Without an independent review, stakeholders may be skeptical about the relevance and reliability of the information provided, making them unwilling to use the information for decision making,” said Anderson.

It was encouraging to see that even with the economic downturn, nearly seven out of 10 organizations do not expect a decrease in annual spending on sustainability initiatives. “An increased emphasis on understanding how these initiatives tie to the overall corporate strategy could lead to enhanced long-term value to shareholders and stakeholders,” added Anderson.

This survey is part of the work that The Center has been doing on behalf of the American Institute of Certified Accountants (AICPA). They are representing the U.S. accounting body on the Accounting for Sustainability Project. The Accounting for Sustainability Project is a global effort involving major accounting bodies around the world and organizations that wish to see sustainability initiatives become more incorporated into strategy and financial reporting. They are developing practical tools to enable environmental and social performance to be better integrated into organizations’ core strategy and financial performance. Currently, the Project is piloting the “Connected Reporting Framework” and the A4S Decision-Making tool with key public, private and third sector partners. Read their new report, Connected Reporting in Practice, which includes case studies of organizations who have used the Connected Reporting Framework or visit the Connected Reporting microsite.

© 2010, Aysu Katun. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

A summary of the second webinar in the Sustainable Brands Boot Camp series, Innovation Opportunities in Response to Today’s Environmental Hot Buttons: Climate Change, Water & Waste.  The webinar was led by Will Sarni, CEO and founder of Domani Consulting, an integrated sustainability consulting firm, and featured examples of new, innovative business and product strategies from various markets that are successfully being brought to market in response to emerging environmental and social strains.

by Abhijit Khanna, Green Economy Post

Sustainable Life Media continued their Sustainable Brands Boot Camp on Friday, November 20th, with the second webinar in the series, Innovation Opportunities in Response to Today’s Environmental Hot Buttons: Climate Change, Water & Waste. The webinar was led by Will Sarni, CEO and founder of Domani Consulting, an integrated sustainability consulting firm, and featured examples of new, innovative business and product strategies from various markets that are successfully being brought to market in response to emerging environmental and social strains.

© 2009 – 2010, Abhijit Khanna. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The Harvard Business School is now accepting papers for the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability 2010 Conference.  The conference seeks to bring together scholars from a variety of disciplinary and methodological perspectives interested in advancing research on corporate sustainability. This is the second annual conference of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS), a consortium of universities that provides data, tools, and networking opportunities to researchers who are developing a greater understanding of the opportunities and limits of policies and strategies to create sustainable businesses. This conference builds on the successful inaugural ARCS conference at the University of Michigan last spring.

The conference will be held at Harvard Business School, in Boston, Massachusetts from May 12 – 14, 2010.

Submission Guidelines:

The conference welcomes unpublished working papers focused on business and sustainability (both social and environmental) from all disciplines and research areas. It is receptive to a wide range of perspectives and method including empirical research, theory development, formal theoretical modeling, and experimental methods. It is particularly interested in papers that have implications for management and organizations. Papers drawn from organizational theory, strategy, operations, sociology, psychology and decision making, law, economics, political science and other fields are within the realm of the conference.Examples of suitable topics for the conference include non‐market strategy, climate change management, sustainability reporting and disclosure, green supply chains, green marketing, sustainable finance, renewable energy investments, business/NGO partnerships, sustainable mobility, social dimensions of sustainability, cleantech innovation, green entrepreneurship, sustainable natural resource management, and “bottom of the pyramid” development strategies. Please email submission to ARCS Managing Director Erika Herz (herze@darden.virginia.edu) by December 15, 2009.

Submissions must be working papers not yet accepted for publication. The program will be announced on January 15, 2010.

Deadline:

December 15, 2009

Contact:

For more detailed information:

Please visit the site for the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability 2010 Conference Call for Papers.

Note: Please do not contact the Green Economy Post regarding this opportunity.  We are not affiliated with the sponsoring organizations, and therefore have no additional information. Sometimes the link is changed for the opportunities.  When this happens, go to the home page of the organizers to locate information on the opportunity or contact the organization directly.

© 2009, Abhijit Khanna. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

Corporate sustainability communicators are beginning to exploit social media to tell their stories and get quick feedback.  Which new media offers you the greatest potential- what is their digital bottomline?

by Peter T. Knight, President Context America

Corporate Blogs
While still very much a minority sport among corporations, blogs are already the grandfathers of Web 2.0. CEO s and corporate specialists have been blogging for many years, especially in the technology industry. Intel, for example, has a range of internal and external blogs, some focused on corporate sustainability. Suzanne Fallender, head of corporate responsibility communications at Intel, blogs regularly on the company’s CR blog.

Bob Langert, VP at McDonald’s, has confounded critics of the fast-food restaurant chain by engaging with them through his blog. One of the more prolific among the corporate sustainability bloggers is Kevin Moss, head of CSR at BT Americas, the US arm of the UK-based telecoms giant BT.

When used for internal communications, corporate blogging by senior executives can be highly effective because the medium gets you as close as possible to conversing with your employees.

But corporations find it much more difficult to talk openly with outsiders. All external sustainability blogs are, by necessity, rather anodyne. It is naive to think that a company can engage in a rumbustious conversation with all-comers: there are just too many legal and reputational risks involved.

Digital Bottom Line (DBL ): Blogs are useful ways to personalize messages, respond to critics and show that you are willing to engage. But avoid blogging unless you have something interesting to say, and the energy to keep it current.

McDonald’s Bob Langert on Blogging
“My advice is take it seriously. If you are going to get in, then get in. And have a thick skin.”

Social Networking – Connecting with Digital Communities
The success of social networking sites, such as Facebook, has spawned others that attempt to build digital communities within a social niche, such as LinkedIn, the professional networking site. Justmeans, a sustainability-focused website that offers a range of social networking options (jobs, forums, Twitter feeds…), is trying to build a community of people interested in sustainable development and philanthropy.

This group will not only generate beneficial interaction (debates, networking etc) for itself, but it could also offer companies a ready-made stakeholder engagement audience that can be accessed for a fee. For example, Timberland is using Justmeans to disseminate its quarterly online sustainability reports, and to solicit feedback. Campbell’s is trying something similar.

Such a ready-made audience is potentially good news for companies because it can save a lot of time, effort and money trying to reach specialist groups in traditional ways. The challenge for social networking sites is to attract an audience of the right quality and breadth to suit fee-paying users.

Some companies have tried to build their own digital communities as part of their marketing and public affairs engagement. Chevron, for example, has invested heavily in developing and advertising its willyoujoinus website that promotes energy-saving lifestyles.

Intel’s Suzanne Fallender on the Use of Social Media
“Social media are going to change corporate responsibility communications in a dramatic way. But there is still a lot of development ahead. The secret of success will be in the way you mix your media.”

DBL : Corporate sustainability communicators ignore social networking at their peril. Specialist digital communities promised by some sites could be too narrow for one-stop stakeholder engagement.

Forums
Corporate online forums have existed for over a decade, with Shell pioneering its Tell Shell forum in the 1990s. Usually connected to popular blogs, news outlets and social networking sites, forums offer opportunities for all-comers to express views and discuss issues. Companies selling controversial products, such as alcohol beverages, are using online forums to encourage debate on topics such as drunk driving and binge drinking. Brown-Forman, owner of Jack Daniel’s and a host of other brands, recently launched an online forum called “Our Thinking About Drinking”.
This contains serious articles on key topics of public concern, as well as expert views. It also provides an opportunity for anyone to join the debate.

DBL : Most public forums are blighted by debaters who are more interested in self-promotion than moving the conversation forward. Forums run by corporations send out a clear signal of openness, but this message is quickly undermined if the discussions are dull or too sanitised.

twitter
Business is still puzzling how to use this much-hyped service. Smaller companies are tweeting news about their products but the main benefit for large companies appears to be in helping to manage reputation. This is because Twitter can be used by companies to monitor what is being said about them in cyberspace, and to respond directly – and immediately – to those who might be spreading potentially damaging information.

Motorola’s Tama McWhiney on twitter
“Twitter has provided a new way for the Motorola Foundation to highlight its education programs and connect over 100 grantees with each other and other organizations with similar focus areas. We believe using Twitter makes the depth of our program more visible while sharing best practices among our grantees.”

DBL : The jury is still out on how useful Twitter will be for companies wanting to tweet about sustainability. But it is prudent to understand the medium and ponder its potential.

How to be Heard Above The Digital Noise
For the information-rich world of corporate sustainability, social media offer myriad opportunities to communicate, debate and solicit feedback.But digital public places are crowded and noisy.A clear strategy is needed to participate and be heard. While the media might be new, the fundamentals of good communications still apply: be precise in your messaging; clearly identify your audience; show respect; be honest. The magic ingredient is to offer value in your communications, instead of flooding the already noisy networks with more self-interested opinion.  This means working hard to understand the needs of the audience and finding ways to truly engage with them. A good conversation is as much about listening and sharing as it is about talking.

Tune in tomorrow to read to the response of Kevin Moss, Head of CSR at BT Americas.  He argues that in the post above,  Context misses the true value of blogging to corporate responsibility.

© 2009, Peter Knight. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The following is an account of a day on the job with Kathrin  Winkler.  She is Sr. Director and Chief Sustainability Officer at EMC Corporation, where she has a history of taking on entirely new roles in which she has to fill in the interstices between more traditional functions.  She took on the full-time sustainability position in July of 2008.

by Kathrin Winkler, Sr. Director of EMC Corporation, Office of Sustainability.

“What do you do?”

“I’m Senior Director of Corporate Sustainability.”

“Oh.” Pause. “What does that mean?”

“Well, I’m responsible for making sure that the interdependencies between our business, the environment, and society are identified and explicit in our strategy, and that the opportunities and risks from environmental and social developments are integrated into our day-to-day decision-making.”

“Huh. Right.” Another pause. “But, uh….. what do you, y’know, actually do? Like, y’know, when you get to work?”

Ever have that conversation? True, the last sentence isn’t usually said out loud (unless by my mother, of course). But it’s no less obvious in the body language. So in case you’re wondering, I’ll try to explain.

First of all, let me dispel all notion of the concept of “typical day” right out of the chute. No such thing. Which, truth be told, suits me to a T.  Assuming I’m not traveling to visit a customer or another EMC office, or to speak at or attend a conference, here’s what a sample day might look like:

© 2009, Kathrin Winkler. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

Are you a recent graduate discovering how difficult the current market is, unemployed, worried you might soon lose your job or just feel that your career seems stuck in place? Are you thinking that now may be the best time to re-tool your career? Going for a green MBA, now, while the job market is stagnant may be a smart move; both for recent graduates, currently unemployed (or underemployed) professionals as well as for those who want to forge a path into a career in corporate sustainability. But what is a Green MBA, why is it important and what schools are offering them? These are the questions this post delves into.

Why a Green MBA Is Important

More and more companies are taking corporate sustainability and environmental practices seriously. Companies are discovering that an approach to business that factors in sustainability can not only be good for the earth, but can also have a positive impact on the bottom line as well as build the company’s green brand. For example, in an Arthur D. Little survey of 481 companies, 95% of responding executives counted sustainable development as important to their business future.  With the world turning its attention to the environment, companies across the country are spending more time focusing on creating and implementing green programs.  The perfect storm of emerging regulations, increased requirements for reporting and transparency, heightened pressure from investors, energy price volatility and market demands for green products and technologies is driving Sustainability as a business imperative.

This has created a growing need for a new generation of business leaders with a focus on corporate sustainable practices. This is backed up by the CSR Jobs Report, jointly released in 2008 by Net Impact and Ellen Weinreb CSR Recruiting, which found that the number of corporate social responsibility (CSR) job postings has increased by 37 percent in a three-and-a-half-year period, based on an analysis of 1,255 CSR job openings posted between January 2004 and June 2007. The report also found that that demand for CSR MBA level candidates still outpaces supply.

A recent GreenBiz survey of more than 600 companies found that these organizations are increasing their hiring of environmental and sustainability professionals while other departments are contracting. The number of large companies citing open positions and plans to increase staff doubled from 8 percent in late 2008 to 17 percent this summer.  Backing up those figures is a recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder,  which revealed that one-in-ten employers have added green jobs, in the last 12 months.

While hiring has been dismal in all areas, according to Green Dream Jobs and green workforce development consultant Jim Cassio the the green job announcements most frequently posted are those jobs often held by people with green MBAs. The MBA titles that where among the top 20 jobs are: Executive Director, Nonprofit; Project Leader/Manager; Sustainability Program Director/Manager; Marketing Manager/Coordinator; Business/Data Analyst; Research Analyst/Manager; Account Executive/Manager, Sales; Sustainability Analyst/Consultant; and Operations Manager. Despite the bleak job market, energy efficiency companies are hiring and clean tech jobs are starting to replace old jobs that have been lost.

What is a Green MBA?

A Green MBA is basically a Master of Business Administration degree with a focus or concentration on corporate sustainability in addition to the core MBA curriculum. Like traditional MBA’s it is granted after one to two years of graduate-level university study that provides training in the theory and practice of business management with a focus on managing the enterprise in a sustainable fashion. This includes managing the environmental impact of the business, increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste, finding ways to promote sustainable practices in all aspects of the business from product development, to supply chain, production, packaging, distribution and marketing.

The green MBA, also called a “sustainable business degree” teaches an approach to business that changes the focus of business from short term financial gains only, to a long term appreciation of economic, social and natural capital; often called the triple bottom line. The phrase: profits, people and planet also evokes this broader metric for measuring a business’s long term success. The green management philosophy taught seeks to position the enterprise for long term success, by finding ways to use less energy and material, become more efficient, less wasteful and resourceful in how it does business.

The Number of Schools Offering Green MBAs Is Increasing

As interest rises in corporate sustainability an increasing number of universities are offering Master’s of Business Administration degree programs that have a focus on sustainability. These degree programs as well as certificate programs can have several more specific areas of concentration and are also available online for those students who wish to explore this option.  In the past few months, several green MBA programs have been established. They include the Clark University Dual MBA/MA in Environmental Science and Policy; Marylhurst MBA in Sustainable Business; City University of Seattle MBA in Sustainable Business; and the Concordia University Wisconsin MBA with a Concentration in Environmental Studies.

In order to help our readers find a school with the kind of Green MBA Program that they are looking for Green Economy Post has published the Green MBA Program Directory, an up to date comprehensive guide to Green MBA degrees and certificates around the country. It features profiles of over 80 Green MBA, Dual Degree and Certificate Programs from across the United States as well as from institutions offering online Green MBA Programs. This guide is continually updated as we find out about new Green MBA programs. The Green MBA Program Directory currently lists Green MBA programs found in 25 states including: Arizona, California, Colorado, District of Colombia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

These increasingly widely available Green MBA programs all seek to develop a core competency in sustainable management and in business management in general. In addition many of these programs also have specific concentrations that range from renewable energy to social and environmental responsibility, sustainable supply chains, marketing in a new economy, environmental accounting, and sustainability and business opportunity.

Conclusion

As ever more corporations begin to focus on strategies to gain competitive advantage through environmentally sustainable practices, such as carbon reduction, energy efficiency and clean technologies and discover that considerable opportunities to save money exist by doing so they will need business leaders who can lead in these efforts and who understand the issues and opportunities that exist. A degree in a Green MBA positions one to become a leader in this exciting transformation of the way business is being conducted around the world. It can help those who are driven to achieve help make this world a better place while they help their enterprises turn a long term sustainable profit.

FEATURED GREEN MBA PROGRAM

Argosy University Master of Business Administration – Sustainable Management Concentration. Argosy’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) online program offered by the College of Business emphasizes leadership, action, and solutions. The Sustainable Management concentration stresses the development and implementation of sustainable business practices to create a competitive advantage. Our program enhances your professional abilities and gives you the skills sought by contemporary businesses. You can learn to identify challenges and opportunities, draw on technology and information, and use advanced analytical and planning approaches that position you to create positive changes for an organization. Click here, for more information about the Argosy University Master of Business Administration – Sustainable Management Concentration.

© 2009, Chris de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner of Taiga Company

With global eco awareness expanding on climate issues, it is not a surprise to many that the fastest growth in CO2 levels has occurred in the last 10 years. Studies indicate that electricity generation and consumption is the largest contributor and is increasing faster than any other energy sector. However, efforts to manage electricity show the slowest decline in emissions progress.

According to this publication by the International Energy Agency:

• 82% of energy production comes from fossil fuels
• 83% of the worlds emissions come from energy production
• 94% of energy production emissions are CO2

With climate change legislation and policy discussions on-going, the business world is actively evaluating the impacts to industries as a whole and to individual company performance. As a result, companies across the country and around the globe are developing business sustainability strategies to reduce their ecological footprint as part of internal environmental policies or a corporate sustainability plan. With legislative penalties coming, many efforts are now driven by economic considerations as much as environmental concerns.

In a recent post, Energy Efficiency: Use Less = More Profits, we discussed how energy efficiency can be a quick hit for many businesses to reduce emissions and manage cost. In addition to the benefits, there are incentives for US companies and individuals to take specific action.

• Corporate Deductions
• Industry Recruitment/Support
• Production Incentives
• Property Tax Exemptions
• Property Tax Financing Authorization
• Sales Tax Exemptions
• State Loan Programs
• Utility Loan Programs
• Utility Rebate Programs

For both individuals and businesses seeking to integrate sustainability into their daily lives and operations, energy management is a sustainability concept that can add value. As an energy consultant, we advise our clients to focus on solutions that have immediate and long term impacts.

By raising general eco awareness, individual and business consumers can make decisions that are right for them. At Taiga Company, our business sustainability programs help clients understand the nature of their consumption and identify mitigation strategies to include in an overall sustainability plan.

© 2009, Julie_Urlaub. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

The movement to adopt sustainable practices in the corporate world traces its roots back to the environmental movement and it continues to share many of the same goals and ethical perspective as environmentalism. However corporate sustainability is not just a synonym for, or re-branding of environmentalism. Sustainability is best understood as being its “own thing”; grasped in its own terms. What sets it apart from being just a form of advocacy is the growing realization, within the executive decision making centers of corporations, governmental, educational and other organizational bodies across the world that there is a powerful win-win dynamic that can be harnessed by adopting sustainable practices and that sustainability is not a zero sum game that will produce winners and losers. The public wins, the environment wins, those cute little animals win, but shareholders also win as well because sustainability makes excellent sense purely from a bottom line perspective.

In many cases business are discovering that, to an important degree, their businesses themselves can be sustained by adopting sustainable practices. There is a business case that can be made for sustainability and this argument is increasingly making it into the mind space of decision makers.

Energy Efficiency & Resource Efficiency Helps at the Bottom Line

Increasing the energy and resource efficiency within the organization increases its long term potential for making profit and can help protect a company from swings in the commodity markets or disruptions in supply. Finding ways to re-use what was previously thrown away not only reduces wastes it can often save money, open up new business angles and markets for a business that can generate brand new revenue streams. Insulating the core business from the severe and immediate impacts caused by often sudden and hard to predict resource scarcities is an important strategic consideration and sustainability, by reducing resource needs and eliminating wasteful inefficiencies can make the organization less exposed.

The Long View

The careful long term planning that is required for developing sustainable practices can often lead to better architected and better engineered organizations, to more efficient production systems, to better supply chains, to a more contented workforce and to a happier customer. Sustainability can be the institutional stakeholder that provides and advocates for this long term view. If done well sustainability can become a key corporate asset that builds value into the organization for the long haul.

More and more companies are “getting it” and sustainability is rapidly becoming a core part of an increasing number of enterprises around the world. What is telling is that these organizations are starting to discover the real tangible bottom line benefits as well as the intangible, but equally vital benefits of good will that sustainable practices generates for the organization and that doing so is becoming critical for the long term success of the organization. No longer dragged, kicking and screaming to implement the bare minimum required by an outraged society, company after company are now going further, with a few going much further and re-inventing themselves in a sustainable manner.

Despite the Recession, Sustainability Practices Are Becoming Integral to How An Ever Larger Number of Businesses Do Business

Despite the current recession and the severe contraction in the global capital markets, leading corporations across all industry sectors are increasingly making sustainability an integral element of their business strategy. Sustainability is becoming ever more integral to product development, to manufacturing, to the supply chain, to marketing and to public relations and communications. For many well run companies, sustainability is now a central factor in every single facet of their business. Not the sole or determining factor of course, but an important consideration that effects decision making at each step in the business process.

Too Many Are Still Dragging Their Feet and Much Remains To Be Done

Of course sustainability still has a very long ways to go before it is globally adopted; it is still far too peripheral in all too many corporations and business sectors. Far too many companies still do not fully incorporate sustainability into their business practices and some of these foot draggers still fight tooth and nail against the very idea of sustainable practices, seeing in them some ill defined but vaguely threatening idea… some sinister plot perhaps. Many executives and institutional cultures that continue to reject the very idea of sustainability out of hand are operating on a kind of unexamined certainty that somehow sustainability will cost them and their organizations money and make their businesses less profitable.

For some businesses this is indeed true. For businesses, whose business has been the pillage of the planet’s material and living resources, who extract a resource from one place with no other consideration beyond maximizing the immediate (and very narrowly defined) short term gain, leaving it severely impoverished and polluted, only to move on to the next place, this may indeed be the case. But it can be argued that perhaps it is best for all of us if that kind of mindset be put out of business.

Sustainability Promises a Good ROI As Well As Producing a Good Vibe

Fortunately, for many, even perhaps for most companies, a well thought out and developed sustainable practices strategic plan that is carefully staged and implemented can over the long term lead to substantially greater profitability and to greater business stability.

For example, a business that radically reduces its resource waste and energy inefficiencies is much less exposed to the potentially wild swings in resource spot prices and resource availability than its competitor that has chosen to remain less efficient per unit of output. On top of these tangible and lasting benefits an organization that pursues a bold sustainable practices agenda gets the added benefit of public and employee goodwill attached to its brand. That good will may be the deciding factor in a consumers purchasing decisions or in a promising hires decision to join the firm. That good will has real economic value.

More decision makers are realizing that sustainability can be a key factor to sustaining the organization itself; that it can indeed be a win-win proposition. These are the organizations that are positioning themselves to prosper in the green economy that will characterize the near future. Sustainability promises a good ROI as well as producing a good vibe.

Recommended Resources

Lean SCM Professional On-line Certification Program This On-line Certification Program has been developed in association with the American Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Irish Institute of Industrial Engineers, and the Canadian Professional Logistics Institute. The Program consists of 9 on-line lessons that provide participants with a comprehensive overview of Lean Thinking and its application. It also outlines and demonstrates the essential lean tools and practices that can be applied to your business in order to achieve significant savings to your bottom line. It can be undertaken by individuals through on-line distance learning study.

© 2009, Chris de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

Guest post by Simon Propper, Managing Director, Context

I’ll never make a life-coach. My career has evolved by empirical experiment, twists and turns prompted by sometimes random experience – on one occasion an Andrex ad changed my life. And yet, I can’t imagine doing anything else, except perhaps one day building wooden boats in a shed by the sea.

I’m lucky, I found my vocation. But CR is becoming much more mainstream and now appeals to a wider group as a potential career. I receive emailed CV/resumes every day and aim to reply to all of them – I did say ‘aim’ – one of CR reporting’s most useful qualifications. Feel free to chase me.

Opportunities are expanding in major companies, business organizations, NGOs and think tanks, socially responsible investors, academia, regulators and political parties and consultancies (us).

But does CR offer the many interested graduates and mid-life changers prospects of a fulfilling and rewarding career? Here’s a test of your aptitude for the majority of CR positions available today…

1) Do you seek to make a rapid impact on society and the environment?
2) Do you want to be rewarded on a par with other professionals such as lawyers, accountants or marketing executives?
3) Would you expect to interact face to face with CEOs and senior politicians?
4) Do you relish managing a large budget for consulting and agency support?
5) Would you like a glamorous work environment?
6) Would you like to be able to talk about your work at dinner parties

OK enough – you got it already. Most CR jobs are still a ‘No’ to the above. And yet there is something hugely rewarding about chipping away, year in year out, making the arguments and constructing the business cases for better environmental and social performance. Once in a while quite significant breakthroughs are achieved, and if we look back over five years or so with any of our clients, we can all be proud of how far we have come. At least we don’t have to come home and say ‘hey honey (male or female honey) guess what, we put two points on the market share of [insert brand of room deodorizer] in Lichtenstein in May’.

Here are my tips for spotting the better corporate positions (I won’t attempt all the categories here):

1) Look for a short reporting line to the CEO.
2) Check the CEO’s speeches – any on sustainability?
3) Where does the potential position fit in? Be wary of positions in regions other than where the HQ is located because they often have insufficient influence.
4) Is there a contradiction between the core business and sustainability? Check the annual review as well as the CR report.
5) Are there significant sustainability issues? This is the opposite of the previous point. Problems too big or too small can be equally disempowering.
6) Who does the CR team report to and what is the senior decision making body? Look for clarity, seniority and engagement of the powerful operating functions of the company.

Even if this list is imperfect, just asking these questions at interview will single you out as the smartest candidate on the block. It may also precipitate deep career depression in your potential new boss if he or she is laboring eight rungs from the CEO in a different time zone and reporting to the head of janitorial supplies.

It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when progress is glacial or even backsliding. At Context we have a secret blackboard on the private side of the kitchen wall. Here, in addition to caricatures of Peter Knight and I, is a list of our clients’ achievements and milestones. Steps, not all memorable in themselves, that collectively amount to a body of evidence that a career in CR is worthwhile and rewarding.

So if you are considering a getting into CR ,or corporate sustainability as we now call it, I encourage you to persevere. It’s a broad and challenging field that will motivate and interest for many many years. One word of caution – if you are seeking a husband, it’s not the right place. 70% of CR professionals are women. On second thoughts, I may have just righted that imbalance.

FEATURED GREEN MBA PROGRAM

The UMassOnline Certificate in Sustainability Studies helps students gain an understanding of the theory and practice of sustainability. This program is available for both full time students and working professionals. Sustainability Studies looks to discover and examine humanity’s philosophies and practices, past and present, as they relate to the natural and social world, and consider what new or alternative philosophies and practices might be capable of providing a sustainable, balanced, and ethical future for the planet and its inhabitants. Click here, for more information about the UMassOnline Certificate in Sustainability Studies.

© 2009, Simon_Propper. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

It appears that Google is getting ever deeper into the sun business. Stating that it is dissatisfied with the general lack of progress on achieving breakthroughs in green technology, the company wants to build better highly reflective and rugged mirrors — as well as the mirror substrate that the reflective surface is mounted on. By reflecting more light and more of the solar spectrum than ordinary mirrors these mirrors have the potential to reduce the cost of solar thermal systems by up to 25 per cent.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are already involved in the solar energy sector as a key investor in several solar technology firms, notably in NanoSolar and Google itself has recently participated in a $115 million round of funding for BrightSource Energy, an Oakland, Calif., solar thermal startup. Google is also invested in eSolar, a utility scale solar thermal startup headquartered in Pasadena, Ca.

Solar Mirrors Are Critically Important

So this latest move should not really surprise; it is a logical progression into the space. The folks at Google realize that one of the critical elements of all solar thermal systems is very high quality mirrors that have the requisite high reflectivity needed to build efficient and lower cost solar thermal systems, whether they are trough based systems, dish type systems, or solar towers using fields of heliostats to focus light energy.

“We’ve been looking at very unusual materials for the mirrors both for the reflective surface as well as the substrate that the mirror is mounted on,” Google’s green energy czar Bill Weihl said at the Global Climate and Alternative Energy Summit in San Francisco.

The cost of the mirrors or heliostats, which focus the sun’s energy on a small area heating some carrier fluid, such as oil or molten salt to very high temperatures, is a major component of the overall capital costs of a solar thermal plant.

Weihl said Google is looking to cut the cost of making heliostats, the fields of mirrors that have to track the sun, by at least a factor of two, “ideally a factor of three or four.”

“Typically what we’re seeing is $2.50 to $4 a watt (for) capital cost,” Weihl said. “So a 250 megawatt installation would be $600 million to a $1 billion. It’s a lot of money.”

In his remarks Weihl also stated his view that it is critical – especially at this early stage – that the federal government fund basic research to encourage breakthrough ideas that can help transform our economy away from fossil fuel dependency.

He said, “I’d like to see $20 billion or $30 billion for 10 yrs (for the sector). That would be fabulous. It’s pretty clear what we have seen isn’t enough.”

Google is also Looking at Solar Powered Gas Turbines

The company is also researching the idea of using gas turbines driven by solar energy instead of natural gas as a means of further bringing down the final per kilowatt hour cost of solar thermal electricity down to grid parity.

“In two to three years we could be demonstrating a significant scale pilot system that would generate a lot of power and would be clearly mass manufacturable at a cost that would give us a levelized cost of electricity that would be in the 5 cents or sub 5 cents a kilowatt hour range,” Weihl said.

Google has shown itself to be quite proactive and progressive on energy efficiency policies. For example its vast datacenters are some of the most energy efficient datacenters out there and they have been exploring ways to keep improving energy efficiency. Google also aggressively recycles its IT hardware. And has covered the roofs of its corporate campus with over 9,000 separate solar panels, amounting to a total of 1.6 megawatts of power, which is 30% of its peak power usage. Note the picture that is paired with this article is of the Google corporate campus and shows the solar panels arrayed on its roofs. If only all other companies of its heft were half as green as Google is showing itself to be the world would be in much better shape than it is today.

© 2009, Chris de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.

Corporate Sustainability in Context: A Pocket Guide to (Nearly) Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Corporate Sustainability provides a very thorough overview about corporate sustainability.  This 55-page booklet, published by Context, a corporate sustainability consultant organization, has been updated to include recent developments in this rapidly evolving area.

Topics covered include the following:

• The birth of corporate sustainability and its evolution.
• A look a corporate sustainability in maturity.
• Two stand out issues in corporate sustainability:  climate change and supply chain standards
• A look at how industry sector imapacts on which iisues become priorities
• sustainability reporting
• The importance of engagement and stakeholder dialogue
• The changes that need to take place in corporate sustainability
• Seven corporate sustainability leadership guidelines
• The guide also contains a corporate sustainability glossary

Download Corporate Sustainability in Context

Excellence in  Corporate Sustainability – Context also has a has a free report on Excellence in  Corporate Sustainability.  The report uncovers many valuable examples of innovation in corporate sustainability from companies less frequently in the spotlight as well as recognized leaders – in reporting, climate strategy, stakeholder engagement, sustainability marketing and communications.    It answers some of the  most common questions from companies starting into the sustainability arena including:  “Who has the best corporate sustainability strategy?”; “Which company has the best climate change strategy?”; “Who uses the web best?” and “Who writes the best blog?”  The report is based on discussions with companies, commentators and practitioners worldwide.  Download Excellence in  Corporate Sustainability

Recommended Resources

Lean SCM Professional On-line Certification Program This On-line Certification Program has been developed in association with the American Institute of Industrial Engineers, the Irish Institute of Industrial Engineers, and the Canadian Professional Logistics Institute. The Program consists of 9 on-line lessons that provide participants with a comprehensive overview of Lean Thinking and its application. It also outlines and demonstrates the essential lean tools and practices that can be applied to your business in order to achieve significant savings to your bottom line. It can be undertaken by individuals through on-line distance learning study.

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© 2009, Tracey de Morsella. All rights reserved. Do not republish.