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December 14, 2009 by Gregg
Ask people to put their signature on something, and they know you’re serious, and if they do it, you know they’re serious too.
So goes the philosophy underpinning the proposed “Cleveland Compact” – a regional sustainability document whose purpose is to outline a vision, define core values, and secure personal commitments from all individuals – from public officials and CEOs to community activists and the general public. The compact’s goal is “building an economic engine to empower a green city on a blue lake.”
The compact (currently in draft form) asks people to be aware of social and environmental impacts before choosing to do or buy something, contribute to a sustainable economy, and minimize their carbon footprint. Of course, it’s not binding and getting people to “promise” to do everything in the public compact will be impossible.
But if people look at a compact as a menu of options and they take on what they can handle, they will be well on their way to doing their part. Whatever your audience, a menu of options is a great way to begin to secure buy-in for sustainability – you’re asking people how they would like to help, not telling them what to do.
December 07, 2009 by Gregg
Cleveland sports teams are not known for finishing in first place. But, when it comes to being a sustainable city, Mayor Frank Jackson insists that “Cleveland can and will be the first and we will do it best.”
The mayor, who is just starting his second term, envisions a 10-year effort to create “Sustainable Cleveland 2019: Building an Economic Engine to Empower a Green City on a Blue Lake.” It’s catchy and the ThreePs are well represented: People (city), Planet (green city on a blue lake), and Profit (economic engine).
The playbook has been written and it’s now available online in the form of the final report from this year’s first Cleveland sustainability summit. Here, you’ll find 28 key initiatives (think of them as offensive plays), covering everything from advanced energy, green building and communications, to local foods, transportation and “waste to profit.”
By putting out such a complete report, it’s open for all to see, evaluate and use. This, of course, means that even competing cities have the benefit of the same playbook – call it leveling the playing the field or sharing the wealth.
Quality of ideas is important, but it only gets you so far. At some point – in Cleveland’s case, that’s the next nine and a half years – the winner is decided by the determination of the players and the excellence in execution. In a city where “wait ‘til next year” is a familiar refrain, the building and rebuilding begin immediately, and we have until 2019 to get it right.
December 04, 2009 by Gregg
I have a lot of respect for paper companies that have embraced sustainability – and their customers who factor sustainability into their printing decisions.
I was reminded of their challenges recently when I got my copy of the 2010 National Green Pages, a 232-page “directory of products and services for people and the planet” published by Green America, an environmental group that measures and challenges organizations on a wide variety of sustainability issues.
The directory got my attention on two levels. First, I was struck by the obvious value that this environmental organization places on having a printed directory. The organization proudly uses recycled content and chlorine-free processing to produce the printed copies, but the directory is a printed piece nonetheless and also requires mailing and delivery.
Second, the back cover ad is interesting – a listing of 14 different sustainability certifications for printed materials, available from Recycled Paper Printing, Inc. Three types of forestry certifications. Two for wind energy and two for chlorine-free.
Do I need all of these certifications? Is it even possible or desirable to have all 14 in my paper? How much will a 16-page brochure cost if the printed materials meet all of these standards?
A lot to think about, courtesy of Green America’s 232-page directory.
November 23, 2009 by Gregg
More than 300 different organizations claim to certify organizations, facilities, processes products or services as “green” or “sustainable.” The alphabet soup of organizations and certifications seems to have no limits, with new rankings, ratings and indexes seemingly appearing on the scene almost monthly.
So what is an organization to do?
The first and most important step is research – not all ratings are created equal. Some ratings are frighteningly rigorous, others are “pay to play” and you’re in, and most others are somewhere in between. Some are geared to investors while others are consumer-oriented. Some systems you apply for, while others evaluate you without your knowledge and decide whether you’re worthy of being listed. Some work hard to include you but may be quick to drop you if you fall below certain criteria. Some won’t even consider you if you’re in businesses involved in animal testing, tobacco, weapons, alcohol and gambling. Some factor “reader opinions” into their ratings.
Once you have done your own research, if you’re interested, the ideal next step is to consult with a sustainability expert (in-house or external resource) to help you determine which rankings, ratings and indexes fit your business, goals and strategies. For many organizations, for example, the best opportunities will lie in pursuing sector-specific listings (e.g. sector indexes associated with the Dow Jones Sustainability Index). Many organizations also find it helpful to use the ranking systems for benchmarking and planning – even if they’re not going to proactively participate in the systems.
Here are some good places to start the research:
- Dow Jones Sustainability Index
- Carbon Disclosure Project
- KLD 400
- Calvert Social Index
- Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World
- Green Good Housekeeping Seal
- Good Company Seal
- U.S. Green Building Council
- Walmart Sustainability Index
What rating systems do you look at?
November 20, 2009 by Gregg
Last week’s joint sustainability seminar, presented by Dix & Eaton and Summit Energy Services, Inc., focused on walking the walk and talking the talk. Appropriately, we covered the walk first, and my previous entry hits the highlights on that subject.
Now, about talking the talk, here are my recommendations:
- Start small and build, by focusing on a particular audience or issue, utilizing existing communications tools, and committing to continuous improvement.
- Dare to be a leader, which could include taking the “high road” when dealing with a tough issue and even “sleeping with the enemy” in pursuing joint problem-solving.
- Manage reputation and perceptions just like you manage the technical aspects of your sustainability program; great performance on the technical and operational aspects of sustainability is not enough for a achieving a good reputation and positive perceptions.
- Avoid both greenwashing and greenblushing, the latter of which ThreePs is introducing as “limited or no information disseminated by an organization so as to understate or ignore its commitment to and actions on environmental responsibility.” It means you’re walking the walk but you’re too unsure, shy or wary of recognition to talk about your performance.
Put the walk and the talk together and you’ve got the makings of a successful, sustainable program.
You can also follow the conversation as it happened by searching for #wwtt on Twitter. Thanks to all who attended and have been following the online conversation.
November 17, 2009 by Gregg
Last week’s joint sustainability seminar, presented by Dix & Eaton and Summit Energy Services, Inc., focused on walking the walk and talking the talk. Appropriately, we covered the walk first, led by John Hoekstra, manager of sustainability for Summit Energy.
His recommendations were strategic, straight-forward and actionable:
- Develop a strategy that considers stakeholder concerns, current programs and competitive landscape
- Measure baselines and progress in areas of greatest impact: energy usage, water usage, carbon footprint and waste
- Reduce operational waste through energy efficiency, waste reduction and water efficiency
- Consider cleaner alternatives for raw materials, energy, etc.
- Engage employees and executives to support the efforts internally and become ambassadors externally
My job was to cover the talk. Check back later in the week for my four main recommendations, or follow the conversation as it happened by searching for #wwtt on Twitter.
November 09, 2009 by Gregg
Tomorrow morning, on Tuesday November 10, Dix & Eaton will be presenting a sustainability management seminar on “Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk.” Special thanks to John Hoekstra, manager of sustainability for Summit Energy Services, Inc., for co-presenting with me.
Big agenda planned: consumer perceptions; sustainability roadmap; energy, carbon, water and waste strategies; reputation management; greenwashing vs. greenblushing; and sustainability indexes.
Unfortunately, the room can accommodate only about 20 people so we’re going to be live tweeting the event. Follow @D_and_E and/or #wwtt for live updates tomorrow. Program and tweets start at 8:30 sharp; ends at 10 a.m.
November 02, 2009 by Gregg
If you write, you should also read.
So, here’s my list of some ThreePs-related blogs/Web sites I enjoy because they’re either mainstream and full of useful information; or they’re a bit unconventional and entertaining:
Environmental Leader: Energy & Environmental News for Business. Newly redesigned and better than ever
Best Green Blogs: A directory of more than 1,200 sustainability-themed blogs
Sustainablog: Blog entries from across the field, going strong since 2003
CSRwire: Where companies communicate their CSR activities
Taiga Company: Great blog by a sustainability consulting firm
Treehugger.com: Premiere site for thinking and living green
Green Wombat: Fortune’s Environment + Technology blog
GreenInc.: New York Times blog on Energy, the Environment and Bottom Line
EnergyBurrito: From Summit Energy; full disclosure: they’re a client but this blog adds spice to the conversation
So, what’s on your reading list?
October 26, 2009 by Gregg
In the world of sustainability, we know to be wary of greenwashing, which the watchdog group CorpWatch defines as “disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.” It’s “talking the talk” without “walking the walk.”
Starting today, greenwashing has an opposite term.
Introducing… the equally challenging condition I have coined “greenblushing,” which I define as “limited or no information disseminated by an organization so as to understate or ignore its commitment to and actions on environmental responsibility.” It’s walking the walk but being too unsure and shy to talk the talk.
How big of a problem is it? Right now, probably more so than greenwashing. While warranted in some cases, the attack on greenwashing has had a chilling effect on proactive, successful companies, who are now wary of telling their sustainability stories.
What are some symptoms of greenblushing?
1. Believing you need “all the answers” before you can talk about your progress and the ongoing journey
2. Being reluctant to talk about your sustainability activities, even when asked to or recognized by outside parties
3. Downplaying your achievements internally, which can be very de-motivating
4. Afraid to bring it up with customers in case they’re ahead of you or not particularly interested
5. Always assuming there’s more risk than reward in talking about your sustainability activities
6. And, finally, feeling that what you’re doing is “not that special,” when, in fact, others could learn a lot from your ideas
You’ve been warned before about greenwashing, but beware of the other extreme, greenblushing.
October 22, 2009 by Gregg
The Good Human, one of the most interesting eco-bloggers and Tweeters, has posted 101 Quotes About The Environment. A little inspiration and perspective never hurt anyone, so here are a few of my favorites:
1. “Because we don’t think about future generations, they will never forget us.” (Finnish author Henrik Tikkanen)
2. “I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn.” (author unknown)
3. “The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.” (businessman-turned-philosopher? Ross Perot)
4. “For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.” (20th century scientist Richard Feynman)
That last one – harsh words for public relations, but, OK, we get the point!
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