Environmental SustainabilityConcerns for the Planet & how this affects Organizations

By: Vikki Dorsey, Paula Lee, Kristina Petro, Sarah Rowe, Alice Tang

Objectives

The Journey we would like to take you on is…

How we got here

Where are we now

How can we move forward

How we got here

Where we are now

How we can move forward

What is Environmental Sustainability?

“Sustainable development focuses on improving the quality of life for all of the Earth’s citizens without increasing the use of natural resources beyond the capacity of the environment to supply them indefinitely”.

Source: sdgateway.net

How we got here

Why Should I care?

Addicted to and dependent on Oil

Outsourcing of all manufacturing jobs overseas

Urban sprawl, cities grow outward, mass traffic jams

How we got here

Building scalable clean energy alternatives

Focus on jobs using technology & expertise to re-build a smarter energy grid

Cities grow upward with mass transit systems

FROM TO

How did we get here?

Affluenza: Our natural resources and the pursuit of “More”

Energy crisis: As the price of oil goes up, the pace of freedom goes down.

Climate change: The frog is in the water.

How we got here

An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore• Global Warming is described as a continuous rise in temperature of the Earth’s climate.

• Greenhouse Gases are gases in the Earth’s atmosphere that traps in the heat.o Carbon Dioxide = 80% of total greenhouse gas

emissions!o Methaneo Nitrous Oxide

• The Greenhouse Effect is a process where the greenhouse gases maintains the Earth’s warm temperature.

Where we are now

Effects of Global Warming

Glaciers are Melting

Heat Waves

Warm Ocean Waters

Coral Reefs are being killed

Where we are now

*The U.S. is responsible for 30.3% of emitting more greenhouse gas pollution.

The Greenhouse Effect

Image from www.ecy.wa.gov Where we are now

How does this relate to Organizations and Business?

Corporate Social Responsibility

What is CSR?

Why is it important? Gen Y impact Beyond recycling

Consumers demand for CSRWhere we are now

Case Studies

• External/client impact• Internal impact

• Awards• Carbon footprint reduction

Where we are now

Globalization & Sustainability

Globalization – Impact:

• Environment• Culture• Economic Development

UN Global Compact

International Labour Organization (ILO)

Where we are now

Business Strategies

Organizational BehaviorEmbeds sustainability into organization’s culture & actions

EntrepreneurshipDevelops new business solutions inside and outside organization

OperationsResponsible for the impacts of sustainability efforts throughout organization/product’s life-cycle

MarketingDesigns and promotes sustainability options/opportunities for organization

How we can move forward

Business Strategiescont…

AccountingEstablishes targets & systems for sustainability practices and initiatives

FinanceManages responsible impacts of company on environmental arenas

EconomicsAddresses the larger environment in which the business works and influences; enables companies to optimize contributions to sustainable development

EthicsAddresses good management, corporate governance, ethical behavior

How we can move forward

Implement Sustainability Strategies

Mainstream all sustainability efforts into the organization

CEO buy-in

Develop environmental assessments

Prepare for Audits

Develop environmental management systems

Use sustainability standards to guide efforts

How we can move forward

Business Strategy

LEEDLeadership in Energy & Environmental Design

• Green Building Program• Certification• International participation with 32 partner countries

How we can move forward

Business Strategy

SEERSocially, Environmentally and Ethically Responsible

Four macro-values– Corporate social responsibility– Environmental stewardship– Financial strength– Product/service quality

How we can move forward

http://www.michaelcrooke.com/about-seer/

Advantages

Reduced costs

Preserve company’s resource base

Environmental legislation

Positive reputation = increased advantage

Satisfy demands and expectations of customers to meet green standards

Increase competitive advantage within a growing global market of environmentally-minded consumers and systems

How we can move forward

Challenges

Up-front costs

Lack of awareness about impact

Competitive marketplace

Customer awareness

Short-term vs Long-term results

Insufficient technology, training, expertise and capital

Greenwashing

Gap between values & expectations

Misalignment with suppliers

Employee engagement

Integrated strategy

How we can move forward

How can you help?

Solar Panels

Fluorescent Lightbulbs

Green Roofs

Hybrid Cars

Geothermal Power

Stations

Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Buses

Wind Power

How we can move forward

Reflection

Why is this important?

What does this mean?

How can my organization play a role?

How we can move forward

References

Weybrecht, G. (2010). The sustainable MBA: The manager's guide to green business. Chichester, England: Wiley

Friedman, T. L. (2008). Hot, flat, and crowded: Why we need a green revolution-- and how it can renew America. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Lovins, A. B., & Rocky Mountain Institute. (2011). Reinventing fire: Bold business solutions for the new energy era. White River Junction, Vt: Chelsea Green Pub.

Appendix 1:Opposing Views to An Inconvenient Truth

• Carbon Dioxide is plant food

• Arctic climate fluctuates

• The Earth has a constant rate of temperature in the past 30 years

• Cold air can also cause hurricanes

• Coral Reefs had higher CO2 levels in the Mesozoic Period