My Action Plan for Building a Socially Sustainable Business

Submitted by: Gaurav Mahajan

Roll no: 26

Social sustainability: Social sustainability is one aspect of sustainability or sustainable

development. Social sustainability encompasses human rights, labor rights, and corporate governance. In

common with environmental sustainability, social sustainability is the idea that future generations should

have the same or greater access to social resources as the current generation ("inter-generational

equity"), while there should also be equal access to social resources within the current generation ("intra-

generational equity"). Social resources include ideas as broad as other cultures and basic human rights.

Also we can speak of Sustainable Human Development that can be seen as development that promotes

the capabilities of present people without compromising capabilities of future generations. In the human

development paradigm, environment and natural resources should constitute a means of achieving better

standards of living just as income represents a means of increasing social expenditure and, in the end,

well-being.

The different aspects of social sustainability are often considered in socially responsible investing (SRI).

Social sustainability criteria that are commonly used by SRI funds and indexes to rate publicly-traded

companies include: community, diversity, employee relations, human rights, product safety, reporting, and

governance structure.

Identification of social need with business plan:The social benefits of sustainable design are related to improvements in the quality of life, health, and

well-being. These benefits can be realized at different levels – buildings, the community, and society in

general. The built environment has a vast impact on the natural environment, human health, and the

economy. By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental

performance. Green construction methods can be integrated into buildings at any stage, from design and

construction, to renovation and deconstruction. However, the most significant benefits can be obtained if

the design and construction team takes an integrated approach from the earliest stages of a building

project. Potential benefits of green building can include:

Environmental Benefits:

Emissions Reduction. Pollutants released by fossil fuel fired electricity contribute to global climate change, cause air quality issues such as acid rain and smog, and pose risks to human health. 1 Green building technique like solar powering, day lighting, and facilitation of public transport increase energy efficiency and reduce harmful emissions.

Water Conservation. Recycling rainwater and grey water for purposes like urinal flow and irrigation can preserve potable water and yield significant water savings.

Storm water Management. Storm water runoff can cause waterway erosion, flooding, and carry pollutants into water sources. Harvesting and redirecting storm water, building surfaces with permeable materials, and using green roofs can control and utilize overflow.

Temperature Moderation. The heat retention properties of tall buildings and urban materials such as concrete and asphalt are the primary causes of urban heat island effect. These conditions may be offset by conscientious building design and site selection, as well as planting trees to accompany new developments.

Waste Reduction. Construction and demolition generates a huge portion of solid waste in the United States. Building deconstruction as an alternative to full-scale demolition results in massive decreases of waste production

Economic Benefits:

A common impression about green building is that the green premium is too expensive to be considered economically feasible. However, studies have shown that the costs of green buildings are not substantially higher than regular development projects. 3 Higher construction costs can generally be avoided by the inclusion of green design from the outset of the project. 4 Additionally, green buildings provide an assortment of economic advantages.

Energy and Water Savings . The resource efficiency provided by green design and technology leads to drastic reductions in operation costs that quickly recoup any additional project costs 5 and continue to offer dramatic long-term savings (see statistics). Money previously directed toward utility costs may be used for other purposes.

Increased Property Values . With energy costs on the rise, the low operating costs and easy maintenance of green buildings make for lower vacancy rates and higher property values.

Decreased Infrastructure Strain . Efficient buildings exert less demand on the local power grid and water supply, stretching the capacity of local infrastructure.

Improved Employee Attendance . Green design emphasizes increased natural lighting and control of ventilation and temperature-attributes that improve employee health and prevent absences. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports major reductions in health care costs and work losses resulting from commonly recommended improvements to indoor environments.

Increased Employee Productivity . Employee productivity has been positively correlated to indoor environmental conditions, and shows improvements where green principles have been applied.

Sales Improvements . Studies show better sales in stores that utilize natural light. Retailers are increasingly using day lighting in an effort to harvest the associated sales benefits.

Development of Local Talent Pool . With increased attention being paid to global climate change and the need for renewable energy sources, the field of building design and construction is moving toward sustainability as a permanent objective. As of July 2007, 23 states and more than 80 cities have legislated green standards for municipal buildings. Building green in Bloomington is an investment in the local economy, helping to foster a local talent pool: designers and builders experienced with green projects able to accommodate the growing market demand for sustainable development.

Social benefits:

Improved Health . Poor indoor environmental quality (IEQ) resulting from insufficient air circulation, poor lighting, mold build up, temperature variances, carpeting and furniture materials, pesticides, toxic adhesives and paints, and high concentration of pollutants (typically 10 to 100 times higher than outdoors11) contribute widely to respiratory problems, allergies, nausea, headaches, and skin rashes. Green building emphasizes ventilation and non-toxic, low emitting materials that create healthier and more comfortable living and working environments.

Healthier Lifestyles and Recreation . A key element of sustainable design is the preservation of natural environments, which afford a variety of recreation and exercise opportunities. Green buildings also seek to facilitate alternatives to driving, such as bicycling and public transport, which eases local traffic while encouraging personal health and fitness.

Design of Innovative Business Model and critical capital resources:

Siting and structure design efficiency

The foundation of any construction project is rooted in the concept and design stages. The concept stage,

in fact, is one of the major steps in a project life cycle, as it has the largest impact on cost and

performance. In designing environmentally optimal buildings, the objective is to minimize the total

environmental impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building project. However, building as a

process is not as streamlined as an industrial process, and varies from one building to the other, never

repeating itself identically. In addition, buildings are much more complex products, composed of a

multitude of materials and components each constituting various design variables to be decided at the

design stage. A variation of every design variable may affect the environment during all the building's

relevant life-cycle stages.

Energy efficiency

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy use. To increase the efficiency of the building

envelope, (the barrier between conditioned and unconditioned space), they may use high-

efficiency windows and insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors. Another strategy, passive solar building

design, is often implemented in low-energy homes. Designers orient windows and walls and place

awnings, porches, and trees[8] to shade windows and roofs during the summer while maximizing solar

gain in the winter. In addition, effective window placement (day lighting) can provide more natural light

and lessen the need for electric lighting during the day. Solar water heating further reduces energy loads.

Onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power, hydro power, or biomass can

significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building. Power generation is generally the most

expensive feature to add to a building.

Water efficiency

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable building. One

critical issue of water consumption is that in many areas, the demands on the supplying aquifer exceed its

ability to replenish itself. To the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their dependence on

water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site. The protection and conservation of water

throughout the life of a building may be accomplished by designing for dual plumbing that recycles water

in toilet flushing. Waste-water may be minimized by utilizing water conserving fixtures such as ultra-low

flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Bidets help eliminate the use of toilet paper, reducing sewer

traffic and increasing possibilities of re-using water on-site. Point of use water treatment and heating

improves both water quality and energy efficiency while reducing the amount of water in circulation. The

use of non-sewage and grey water for on-site use such as site-irrigation will minimize demands on the

local aquifer.

Materials efficiency

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include (Expanded polystyrene) rapidly renewable

plant materials like bamboo (because bamboo grows quickly) and straw, lumber from forests certified to

be sustainably managed, insulated concrete forms, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled metal, and

other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable (e.g. Tress, Linoleum, sheep

wool, panels made from paper flakes, compressed earth block, adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay,

vermiculite, flax linen, sisal, sea grass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fiber plates, calcium

sand stone, concrete (high and ultra-high performance, roman self-healing concrete , etc.) The EPA

(Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal

combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects Building materials

should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the energy embedded in

their transportation. Where possible, building elements should be manufactured off-site and delivered to

site, to maximize benefits of off-site manufacture including minimizing waste, maximizing recycling

(because manufacture is in one location), high quality elements, better OHS management, less noise and

dust.

Indoor environmental quality enhancement

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category in LEED standards, one of the five environmental

categories, was created to provide comfort, well-being, and productivity of occupants. The LEED IEQ

category addresses design and construction guidelines especially: indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal

quality, and lighting quality.

Indoor Air Quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOC's, and other air impurities such as

microbial contaminants. Buildings rely on a properly designed HVAC system to provide adequate

ventilation and air filtration as well as isolate operations (kitchens, dry cleaners, etc.) from other

occupancies. During the design and construction process choosing construction materials and interior

finish products with zero or low emissions will improve IAQ. Many building materials and

cleaning/maintenance products emit toxic gases, such as VOC's and formaldehyde. These gases can

have a detrimental impact on occupants' health and productivity as well. Avoiding these products will

increase a building's IEQ.

Personal temperature and airflow control over the HVAC system coupled with a properly

designed building envelope will also aid in increasing a building's thermal quality. Creating a high

performance luminous environment through the careful integration of natural and artificial light sources

will improve on the lighting quality of a structure.

Operations and maintenance optimization

No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and construction, it can only remain so

if it is operated responsibly and maintained properly. Ensuring operations and maintenance (O&M)

personnel are part of the project's planning and development process will help retain the green criteria

designed at the onset of the project. Every aspect of green building is integrated into the O&M phase of a

building's life. The addition of new green technologies also falls on the O&M staff. Although the goal of

waste reduction may be applied during the design, construction and demolition phases of a building's life-

cycle, it is in the O&M phase that green practices such as recycling and air quality enhancement take

place.

Waste reduction

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction.

For example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste comes from commercial buildings During the

construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed

buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing on-site

solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.

To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. "Grey water", wastewater

from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if

treated, for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for

similar purposes.

Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy. An alternative to this

process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer, which avoids these costs and shows other

benefits. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semi-centralized biogas plant with

other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This concept was demonstrated by a settlement in

Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like these provide soil with organic nutrients and

create carbon sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, offsetting greenhouse

gas emission. Pro ducing artificial fertilizer is also more costly in energy than this process.

Critical capital resource identification and mobilization plan

Green building resources are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable resources. Green

materials are environmentally responsible because impacts are considered over the life of the

product .Depending upon project-specific goals, an assessment of green materials may involve an

evaluation of one or more of the criteria listed below.

Overall material/product selection criteria:

Resource efficiency

Indoor air quality

Energy efficiency

Water conservation

Affordability

Resource Efficiency can be accomplished by utilizing materials that meet the following criteria:

Recycled Content: Products with identifiable recycled content, including postindustrial content with a preference for postconsumer content.

Natural, plentiful or renewable: Materials harvested from sustainably managed sources and preferably have an independent certification (e.g., certified wood) and are certified by an independent third party.

Resource efficient manufacturing process: Products manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and or source reduced product packaging), and reducing greenhouse gases.

Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems found locally or regionally saving energy and resources in transportation to the project site.

Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured: Includes saving a material from disposal and renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product.

Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can be easily dismantled and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.

Recycled or recyclable product packaging: Products enclosed in recycled content or recyclable packaging.

Durable: Materials that are longer lasting or are comparable to conventional products with long life expectancies.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is enhanced by utilizing materials that meet the following criteria:

Low or non-toxic: Materials that emit few or no carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, or irritants as demonstrated by the manufacturer through appropriate testing.

Minimal chemical emissions: Products that have minimal emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).  Products that also maximize resource and energy efficiency while reducing chemical emissions.

Low-VOC assembly: Materials installed with minimal VOC-producing compounds, or no-VOC mechanical attachment methods and minimal hazards.

Moisture resistant: Products and systems that resist moisture or inhibit the growth of biological contaminants in buildings.

Healthfully maintained: Materials, components, and systems that require only simple, non-toxic, or low-VOC methods of cleaning.

Systems or equipment: Products that promote healthy IAQ by identifying indoor air pollutants or enhancing the air quality.

Energy Efficiency can be maximized by utilizing materials and systems that meet the following criteria:

Materials, components, and systems that help reduce energy consumption in buildings and facilities.

Water Conservation can be obtained by utilizing materials and systems that meet the following criteria:

Products and systems that help reduce water consumption in buildings and conserve water in landscaped areas

Affordability can be considered when building product life-cycle costs are comparable to conventional materials or as a whole, are within a project-defined percentage of the overall budget.