Thursday, April 17, 2008

NEWS: Survey Says…

A recent study by Sirota Survey Intelligence, a firm that specializes in attitude research, recently published a survey reinforcing the widely known correlation between a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and employees’ attitudes about key drivers and motivators related to job satisfaction. Seventy per cent of the 1.5 million employees from 70 organizations responded that they are positive about their employer’s commitment to CSR. The data indicated that employees who feel positive about the company’s CSR initiatives also feel positive about other key indicators of the company’s success, such as:

- Senior management’s integrity
- Senior management’s inspirational sense of direction
- Organization’s competitiveness in the marketplace
- Company’s interest in employees’ well-being
- Employees’ engagement or pride in their organization

Click here to read the article and survey data:
http://www.crmlearning.com/blog/?p=31Workers Satisfied With Company’s Social Responsibility Are More Engaged and Positive

This is certainly not breaking news – in recent years, many studies have been conducted to determine what incentives motivate employees and repeatedly show that more employees are pursuing careers with companies that are socially and environmentally responsible. In addition to the cost savings of implementing “green” operations, employers also enjoy fewer recruiting, hiring and training expenses in the long-term, as companies with integrated CSR strategies are more likely to attract and retain top talent.

Monday, April 14, 2008

NEWS: SSC featured in Entrepreneur.com

Extra! Extra! Read all about Strategic Sustainability Consulting in this month’s issue of Entrepreneur.com – SSC was interviewed and asked to provide insight on the important role employees can play in greening business. With a circulation of over 2 million subscribers, Entrepreneur.com is a great way to spread the word about how easy creating more sustainable businesses can be.

This article shares a story about how the founder of a payroll and HR solutions provider not only ensured that recycled materials and energy-efficient lighting were incorporated in its new offices, but also engaged 14 employees in a Green Team to brainstorm other ways the company can be a good corporate citizen. This level of employee engagement supports the recent findings that over 50% of adult employees feel their companies should do more to be environmentally friendly. I noted in the interview that giving employees these opportunities to contribute outside of the scope of their daily responsibilities creates a sense of ownership and loyalty that conventional employee retention programs do not. These environmentally and socially responsible initiatives give smaller companies the edge needed to compete with bigger corporations.

And for all the executives and senior managers reading out there, here’s a key takeaway for you – lead the initial green efforts by choosing one employee from each department to serve on the Green Team, and work with them to create the scope of the team and set goals for the upcoming year. Help them get of the ground, then stay in the loop and make sure information consistently flows up to the “C” suite.

Read the entire article here:
Green Team: Make your employees part of the solution by tapping them for environmentally friendly ideas
by Chris Penttila, Entrepreneur Magazine April 2008

Also, if you’d like to find out how to make your company more eco-friendly, check out SSC’s new Sustainability Marketplace online – visit
www.sustainabilityconsulting.com and click on “Visit Our Store” to find publications like “Making Cents out of Sustainability,” “Green IT,” or “Ten Simple Ways to Cut Energy Costs.” Also check out our new webinar, Implementing a Green IT Program, hosted by Jessica Vreeswijk, Founder of GreenITtools.com, on Thursday, May 1.

Register for the webinar here

Thursday, April 10, 2008

NEWS: Strategic Sustainability Consulting Launches Online Marketplace

"This is another way SSC is reaching out to small businesses and providing simple, practical tools for creating sustainable operations," says SSC President Jennifer Woofter

Strategic Sustainability Consulting (SSC) is excited to announce the launch of the Sustainability Consulting Marketplace, an online bookstore where small businesses and individuals can purchase and download helpful tools with tips on sustainability and green living. Customers can choose from an extensive list of publications, such as SSC’s Sustainability 101series, and immediately download them right to their desktop.

Each Sustainability 101 series is comprised of three sections that form a comprehensive resource for businesses as they work toward greening their operations, from initially asking the right questions to harnessing the entire organization's or community's skills and enthusiasm. Customers can purchase and download Sustainability 101 for Healthcare Facilities and Sustainability 101 for Churches, as well as a host of other useful publications with tips and advice for "going green."

"We specialize in helping small and medium size organizations implement sustainability solutions usually reserved for larger companies," says SSC's President, Jennifer Woofter. "The Marketplace is another way we can reach these companies and provide resources and services to help them become more sustainable."

Visit the Marketplace by going to www.sustainabilityconsulting.com and clicking on "Visit Our Store." Check out other publications such as:

  • Ten Simple Ways to Cut Energy Costs
  • Guide to Buying Eco-friendly Paper
  • Sustainable Food Production
  • Green IT
  • Making Cents Out of Sustainability
  • Green Meetings and Events

    Orders of more than 10 publications may qualify for a discount. Contact SSC at info@sustainabilityconsulting.com for more information.
  • Friday, April 04, 2008

    NEWS: Strategic Sustainability Consulting Ranked Top 10 in 2007 CR Reporting Awards

    Strategic Sustainability Consulting (SSC) is pleased to announce that it received "Top Ten" rankings for two different categories in the 2007 Corporate Responsibility (CR) Reporting Awards. The CR Reporting Awards, presented by CorporateRegister.com, is the very first global, independent, online awards for CR reporting.

    SSC ranked ninth in the category of "Best First Time Report," against 31 other entrants. In the category of "Best SME Report," SSC ranked fourth among 13 entrants. CorporateRegister.com defines SME as a micro, small or medium-size enterprise with fewer than 250 employees.

    SSC works with organizations around the world to evaluate the environmental and social impact of their operations, then develops a sustainability action plan with practical steps for clients to take to "green" their footprint. An essential component of those recommendations is a communications strategy for sustainability topics. Strategic Sustainability Consulting hopes its sustainability reports will serve as an example to other small businesses, showing them that sustainability reporting isn't just for big companies-but can be beneficial for all organizations.

    "We tell our clients that transparency is the single most important factor in being a responsible organization" said SSC's President, Jennifer Woofter. "Sustainability is on everyone's mind these days, and businesses need to be able to communicate how they are dealing with issues ranging from carbon emissions and climate change to human rights in their supply chain. And that's true for us as well. We're honored and delighted to have received this recognition."

    The 2007 CR Reporting Awards included nine categories: Best Report, Best First Time Report, Best SME Report, Best Integrated report, Best Carbon Disclosure, Creativity in Communications, Relevance and Materiality, Openness and Honesty and Credibility in Assurance.

    CorporateRegister.com has an established online community of over 20,000 readers of the reports who have a proven interest in, and experience of, CR reporting. These users serve as judges and consider five essential element of each report - Content, Communication, Credibility, Commitment and Comparability. More than 20 industries were represented and 300 reports were entered into the Awards.

    Download the 2006 report here:
    http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/pdfs/2006_sustainability_report.pdf

    Information about SSC's current sustainability initiatives can be found here: http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/pdfs/2007_sustainability_report.pdf