NEWS: Sports For Nature

What’s more fun than playing sports? Playing sports that raise money to protect our wildlife! This past April we joined seventeen other companies to sponsor an event called Tennis For Nature, a doubles benefit tournament held in Herndon, VA. Fifty-six players were cheered on by over 400 spectators to raise money for two environmental organizations: Defenders of Wildlife and Alaska Wilderness League. Winners were awarded trophies, a one-month membership to the Sport & Health Club, and most importantly, voted to split the funds raised 50/50 between the two organizations. In the end, the event raised a grand total of over $32,000! These funds will help to protect the gray wolf population of the Northern Rockies, support polar bears in Alaska, and improve and protect the habitat of gopher tortoises in Florida. Now, that’s an ACE for the environment!

NEWS: Companies Reporting Sustainability Data Come Out On Top

As many of us have suspected, a recent report by GMA and PricewaterhouseCoopers titled “The Food, Beverage, and Consumer Products Industry - Achieving Superior Financial Performance in a Challenging Economy - 2008” now confirms that those companies which report sustainability data consistently generate higher cash flow, outperform on gross margins and return on sales, and experience rising shareholder return and higher return on assets than non-reporting businesses. Greater return on assets and cash flows can likely be explained by wise investment decisions and operational improvements. Better overall performance may be attributed to the following two explanations. First, sustainable practices often result in leaner operations which in turn yields cost savings on energy and inputs. Second, consumers support environmentally-conscious companies, paying a premium for goods produced through sustainable practice. Still, it may be too soon to determine if green companies are better at a) meeting consumer demand, and/or b) adapting to fluctuating markets, than non-green firms. We can, however, safely conclude that sustainable practice is paying off at the bottom line for those companies committed to green business.

NEWS: A Recipe for Success – Sustainable Restaurants Pocket More Green

The Green Revolution hits the restaurant world as illustrated in a recent article on Entrepreneur.com, which details how restaurants (or any business, for that matter) can reap the benefits of “going green.” The National Restaurant Association estimates that one million U.S. restaurants serving 70 billion meals annually and employing 13 million people generate revenues of over $500 billion each year. Recognizing the industry’s substantial economic impacts, the article explores the pay-offs and steps to take for sustainable restaurant practices.

Logistics is a key first step for greening your restaurant. American food products are estimated to travel 1,500 miles before consumption- an unsustainable distance given today’s fuel economy. One offered solution is to use local food sources, which in turn provides consumers with food that is fresher and tastes better- a competitive advantage for you- while supporting the local economy.

And what about pay offs? Eric Haley, Vice President of America’s first franchised national green restaurant chain Pizza Fusions states, “What we are seeing is that customers are voting with their dollars in support of businesses that are offering green solutions.” We vote our support!

For a detailed guide of how to get your restaurant on the path to sustainability, check out our new book: A Recipe for Going Green: Sustainability 101 for Restaurant. Its three sections work together to form a comprehensive resource for restaurant owners and managers, from initially asking the right questions to harnessing the entire restaurant community’s skills and enthusiasm—from simple steps for energy efficiency and water conservation to collaboration with communities to support local economies.

NEWS: SSC publishes new book - A Recipe for Going Green: Sustainability 101 for Restaurants

Strategic Sustainability Consulting (SSC) is excited to announce a new addition to its online bookstore: A Recipe for Going Green: Sustainability 101 for Restaurant. This book is designed to help guide your restaurant on a path to sustainability. Its three sections work together to form a comprehensive resource for restaurant owners and managers, from initially asking the right questions to harnessing the entire restaurant community’s skills and enthusiasm—from simple steps for energy efficiency and water conservation to collaboration with communities to support local economies.

At SSC’s online bookstore, 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 101 series, as well as a host of other useful publications with tips and advice for "going green." The material can be purchased and immediately downloaded to the desktop.

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
• Sustainability 101 for Healthcare Facilities

Orders of more than 10 publications may qualify for a discount. Contact SSC at info@sustainabilityconsulting.com for more information.

VIEWS: Sustainability Consulting: One Size Does NOT Fit All

To remain competitive in an increasingly global marketplace, companies of all shapes and sizes and from different industries and sectors are introducing sustainability programs to gain a competitive advantage. Companies are expected to react to these changing dynamics and to address the changing consumer preferences for environmentally and socially sustainable products and services. The ideas of corporate social responsibility and sustainability are no longer fringe issues or passing trends, but are topping the list of strategic issues of executive management at Fortune 500 companies. Most multinational firms have incorporated some sort of sustainability initiative within operations, such as ethical sourcing, measuring and reducing carbon usage and recycling initiatives.

However, small- and medium-size companies are in a unique situation when it comes to sustainability. These firms don’t necessarily have the time, money or other resources to lead a full-blown, comprehensive sustainability program. Because of these differences, it is important to realize that sustainability consulting cannot be a “one size fits all” approach. What works for a Fortune 100 company most likely will not be a good fit for a small business. This is why it’s so important to hire consultants that really understand the process of developing and implementing sustainability programs, the resources available and constraints to expect, as well as the stakeholder “buy-in” necessary to execute a successful sustainability strategy for a small- or medium-size company. With these pieces in place, professional sustainability consultants can successfully navigate companies through the sustainability arena.

Sustainability consultants must remain flexible and adaptable, and should be competent in assessing the feasibility of programs and identify long-term opportunities and constraints. Consultants should recognize that a company typically cannot make one isolated change without addressing the impact of that change on other issues in the business. This “results-oriented” thinking ignores the complexity of execution and implementation of programs and does not provide opportunities for the necessary reflection and evaluation of the sustainability initiatives.

One of the key factors contributing to success of a sustainability plan is the level of collaboration and engagement among employees and other stakeholders during the planning process. This balance of top-down and bottom-up planning increases the likelihood of the plan gaining support and advocacy from stakeholders during the implementation phase. Finally, consultants should work with companies to plan long-term sustainability programs that are tied into business objectives, which will deliver a more integrated approach to sustainability. This is critical, as most “knee-jerk” programs that are not well-thought out, planned or executed have not proven to be very successful or sustainable.
If you are a small business that is interested in hiring a sustainability consultant, contact us for a free consultation. We can help you think through the best way to approach "going green" with special attention to your small business realities. Call (202-470-3248) or email us (info@sustainabilityconsulting.com) today!

PEOPLE: SSC Summer Interns

We'd like to take a minute to welcome our new spring interns. They are an intrepid bunch with a wide-ranging skill set, and we're looking forward to tapping into their knowledge!

Brittany Durbin is a freshly minted graduate of Bucknell University where she studied management and studio art, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Her immediate career plans include beginning her first full-time job with Lord & Taylor in New York City this September, entering their esteemed executive trainee program in order to earn job status as a buyer and financial planner. Ms. Durbin is passionate about helping companies become more (if not entirely) sustainable and plans to make this a part of her career in the future. She currently resides in her hometown of Ellwood City, PA, and enjoys all things "Pittsburgh," tennis, music new and old, and art.

Ida Arabshahi is currently a graduate student in a dual MA degree program at American University and the University for Peace in Costa Rica where she is studying natural resources and sustainable development. She has experience working on a wide range of issues in the environmental field including environmental justice, environmental education, and environmental legislation. Ida is interested in sustainable supply chains and transboundary environmental conflict management.

Joe Vandette is currently pursuing undergraduate degrees in Environmental Studies and Marketing at the University of Utah. His interest in sustainability began while studying resource management at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Joe returned to the States and helped conduct carbon emissions inventories as a volunteer at the University of Montana and as an intern at the University of Utah Office of Sustainability. When not involved with sustainability-related initiatives, Joe can be found outdoors, hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding.

April Hansgate is currently pursuing a master's degree in Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology at the University of Maryland. She has a strong background in scientific research, plant conservation, economics, and adaptive management for planning conservation programs.

Claire Miziolek is in her last year as an undergraduate at Cornell University where she has been pursuing a double major in Economics and Psychology. She is interested in combining these skills to assist and promote businesses into more sustainable practices. She was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where she lived next to a forest, sparking her early interest in the environment. She is an active member of the Sustainable Enterprise Association at Cornell and recently became a Master Composter.

NEWS: Further Evidence Supporting Positive Impact of Engaged Employees

If you aren’t already convinced of the business case and competitive advantage that can be gained by developing employees who are fully engaged in your organization’s work, the 2008 State of Employee Engagement report, published by BlessingWhite, will turn you into a believer. BlessingWhite, a global consultancy that recognizes the important link between employee engagement and leadership development in creating high-performance and sustainable organizations, released it’s annual report on the state of employee engagement in North America just last month. The report highlights global research and shares strategies for implementing employee engagement initiatives. BlessingWhite also presents a framework that illustrates the five levels of engagement and shares best practices gleaned from interviews with managers around the world.

One of the most noteworthy topics the report addresses is the challenge of varying definitions of “engagement.” While some organizations describe engagement as strictly job satisfaction or emotional commitment to the organization, BlessingWhite’s model for employee engagement blends maximum job satisfaction (employees enjoy what they do and do it well) and maximum job contribution (employees recognize the contribution they are making to the organization’s overall goals). The report also differentiates between engaged and disengaged employees in terms of retention, highlighting that engaged employees stay with a company or job for what they give (they like their work), while disengaged employees stay for what they get (favorable job conditions, growth opportunities or job security). BlessingWhite notes the popular correlation between employee engagement and retention, noting that 85% of engaged employees in North America indicated that they plan to stay with their employer through 2008.

One of the key takeaways of the report is that the most successful organizations implement and multi-faceted approach to employee engagement and consider it an ongoing priority, not just a once-a-year event.

Click here to read highlights and key findings of the report: http://www.blessingwhite.com/EEE__report.asp Employee Engagement Report 2008 – North American Overview – Published April 2008