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A Sustainable Vision(Part 1: Overview, Social metrics, GRI)

Barbara BurtonThe Burton Company

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What is it?

Sustainability is

How you treat (respect) people (Social)Labor rightsHuman rightsCommunity building (philanthropy)Consumer health & safety

How you treat (respect) the environment (Environmental)ConservationNatural resource management: air/water/soilWaste managementHealthy EcosystemsClimate Change

Making your business profitable (Economic)

JobsEconomic growthIncreasing revenue

TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE: SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMICPEOPLE PLANET PROFIT

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What is it?

Sustainable Business Perspective

ECONOMY

Society

Environment

SUSTAINABLE

ENVIRONMENT

SustainableSociety

SustainableEconomy

Typical Business View

Journey to

Sustainability

Sustainable Business View

Source: The Next Sustainability Wave

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Daly PyramidA fourth bottom line?

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Where to begin:

Vision before Metrics

1. Where do you want to begin:Vision for company

2. What are your values, including sustainable values that the companylives by

Example of Sustainable Value:Stewardship(Conservation, climate change: GHG emissions, Resource Management:air/water/soil, etc.)

3. What are your sustainable goals/objectives

4. What are you currently measuring (Audit of current metrics) & Duediligence of current examples

5. What do you want to measure: Existing & New Metrics

VISION VALUES GOALS/OBJECTIVES METRICS

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Due diligence:

In the Metrics Task Force (for SDRSP),conducted due diligence of San Diego, key UScities, national and international metrics to

provide a benchmark for our efforts. Includedinternal interviews of SDRSP partners.

Where to begin:

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Four Steps to Development ofSustainable Metrics

STEP 1:

Establish Broad Vision for Region:

Sustainable Ecosystems

Safe & Friendly Region

Programs to protect public health

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Four Steps to Development of SustainableMetrics

STEP 2:Outline Goals & Objectives to Match the Vision

Social Metrics Development Example

1. Vision: Social Cohesion, Engagement, Education

a. Objective: Promote active engagement w/communityMETRIC:Increase civic participation by X amount

b. Objective: Enhanced Educational AchievementMETRIC: Increase literacy rate and average reading level

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Four Steps to Development of SustainableMetrics

Step 3:Determine Metrics: Existing & New

Started with 197 metrics to 16 core

metrics. Process took approx. one year

Conducted weighing exercise (conceptualmodeling) to reduce number of metrics and

weigh what stakeholders thought important

Used various tools to categorize (e.g., GRI)

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Four Steps to Development of SustainableMetrics

Step 4:Measure & Report (GRI); Examine Next Cycle

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative): Non profitorganization that produces one of the worlds mostprevalent standards for sustainability reporting

*Environmental/social/economic indicators outlined for

companies voluntarily applying the initiative

*Used to benchmark & performance & compare internal

and between all size companies

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San Diego Regional Sustainability PartnershipRegional Metrics Task Force

A. Vision, Objectives and Metrics

I. Vision Statement: SOCIAL COHESION, ENGAGEMENT &

EDUCATIONObjective: Promote an Active Engagement with the Community

Social Metrics:

*Voting: Metric: % voters in national/regional

elections

*Volunteer Hours Metric: total number volunteer hours2004-09, showing cumulativegrowth

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Success of Sustainability Depends onNew Leadership Models

Stakeholder focused approach to business, withemphasis on shared learning (collaborative learning),and deep levels of listening (not business as usual)

Clarity of sustainable vision (backcasting)

Adding new measurements/metrics and newevaluations

Adding new reporting methods (GRI) to focus on thetriple bottom line

Greater disclosure on these issues to create trust

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Final Thoughts

What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary

people willing to confront despair, power andincalculable odds in order to restore somesemblance of grace, justice and beauty in theworldhumanity is coalescing.

This is your century. Take it and run as if your lifedepends on it.

Paul Hawken commencement address, 5/2009

Author, The Ecology of Commerce