Jumping into any new endeavor takes a good deal of planning, and sustainability planning is no exception. Whether creating a new business, greening your product, or looking to decrease your energy use, you’ll need to plan for sustainability. Learn about the skills you and your team will need to create the plan, what shifts you’ll need to make to your thinking, and how much time (and money) the planning process will take.
Shift Your Mindset
Looking for ways to conduct business that is easy on the environment, that increase the quality of life of people and that yield huge financial success? Look no further. We will help you, your family and your organization maximize your triple bottom line – planet, people and profit – working with all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
- What is Sustainability?
- Frameworks for Sustainability
- Key Drivers of the Green Movement
- Triple Bottom Line
Leadership and Interpersonal Skills
Collaboration is at the heart of every significant shift, and with sustainability planning, this is no exception. To form cohesive working groups that accomplish change takes the skills of effective and inspiring leadership. It takes patience and determination, and as David Eisenberg once said, “The way to effectively change the dominant paradigm is to have more fun and let everyone know about it!”
- Collaboration is Key: Great Facilitation
- Building the Green Team
Sustainable Business Planning and Policy
Business and strategic plans, SWOT analysis, sustainability assessments and reports all contribute to the path towards sustainability, including conservation efforts throughout the states.
- Green Business Plan Guide
- Green HR
Integrative Process
The integrative process provides a collaborative approach to creating outcomes that are more holistic and elegant. In this introduction the Integrative Design, you’ll learn about the “6 C’s” to a process and a mindset to achieve sustainability.
- Integrative Design
- Eco-Charrettes
Measuring and Reporting
Assess your organizational sustainability using performance indicators to measure your current sustainability activities (or lack thereof!) and to set goals and targets for future achievement. Once you’ve done this work, reporting on performance is a key to building stakeholder buy-in and support for your goals and ongoing achievements.
- Key Performance Indicators
- Annual Sustainability Reporting
- Carbon Footprint Sample Report
https://archive.epa.gov/region03/green/web/pdf/planning_for_a_sustainable_future.pdf
Standards and Certifications
Numerous organizations have created benchmarks for measuring and reporting sustainability; business and operations, green building, fair trade. Use third-party standards and certifications to achieve a higher bar, build consumer confidence and lead the sustainability revolution.
- LEED
- Living Building Challenge
- B Corp
- Pharos
Technology & Tools
A variety of tools are available to achieve sustainability – they range from a pen and a napkin to computational fluid dynamic modeling and everything in between. Get your technology fix and learn the tools of the trade.
- Code Compliance
- Building Energy Analysis
Ongoing Assessments
Once sustainability measures are in place, regularly verify that all of the time and effort is paying off by conducting regular sustainability assessments and reporting them to stakeholders. Find problems? Things not working quite as planned? Read on for strategies to get back on track.
- LEED for Existing Buildings
- Post Occupancy Evaluation
Resources, Education and Jobs
Further reading, case studies, education, training and workshops, all related to environmental sustainability.
- Organizations & Resources
- Education & Training
- Job Board