Become A Sustainability Champion At Any Career Level

BECOME A SUSTAINABILITY
CHAMPION:
At Any Career Level

SSC White Paper

Become a Sustainability
Champion

This presentation provides a summary of the white paper Become a
Sustainability Champion: At Any Career Level , which provides an
overview of what employees at any business level can do to work
toward sustainability.

www.sustainabilityconsulting.com
Copyright © 2012, Strategic Sustainability Consulting. All rights reserved.

Champion

The white paper provides you with the resources needed to make
sustainability an integral part of your business plan by providing
information on:
 Forming a green team
 Proper communication of sustainability issues
 Working to improve office and energy waste
 Sustainable purchasing
 Taking on sustainability goals
 Rewarding sustainability
 Sustainable buildings

Download this complimentary white paper to learn more!

Alternatives to Top-Down Change

Alternatives to Top-Down
Change

At many companies, CEOs and
boards are concerned about the
overall financial state of the
company, but they tend to miss
the everyday money-savers that
could be fixed with a little
„greening.‟ But if no one speaks
up about issues, how are they to
ever know a change is necessary?
Speaking with superiors and peers
about office changes you believe
would can aid the office as a
whole are crucial in reaching
sustainability in the workplace.


Change

 The importance of
“complaining”
 It is important to bring nuisances The peanut butter company
up to your boss. ConAgra lost $66 million
 Most of the time these „nuisances‟ due to a minor sanitation
are actually sustainability issues. issue which grew into
salmonella outbreak.
 By offering constructive criticism This could have been an
you are offering your company easy fix had an employee
the ability to achieve more. pointed out a hole in the
roof to their superior!
 But don‟t forget to backup your
ideas!


Change

Complaining, however, is not the only route. It is equally as important
to share ideas that could aid your company as a whole. Don‟t be afraid
to discuss new ideas or innovations with your superiors!


Change

 Create a green team
 Kirsch defines a green team
as, “A team together that has
a common interest in
bringing out the best in a
company by moving toward
sustainability.”
 By uniting like-minded
people who are passionate
about the environment,
employees can increase the
sense of community as well
as employee engagement in
the company.

Change

Tips for Building a Successful Team
To learn more download Become a Sustainability Champion here!

Make green
Communicate
Be inclusive. goals part of Make it fun!
appropriately.
the job.

Choose Bigger is
projects better for Stay focused.
wisely. green teams.


Change

Reflect on personal habits that
could be changed for the sake
of sustainability as well.
Consider taking on a “Personal
Sustainability Project” (PSP) and
encourage those around you to
do the same. Some plausible
PSPs include recycling, cutting
down on paper use, and
conserving energy.
Download, “Become A
Sustainability Champion: At Any
Career Level” to learn more.

Meeting in the Middle

Middle management is very important to the
sustainability of a company. It is vital that those
fulfilling positions at this level are aware of and open
to both employee and customer criticisms.



 Being a Good Listener
 Those in positions below you Ask yourself:
should feel as if they can
come to you with criticism. Am I listening to employee
complaints, comments, and
Never avoid complaints– they

suggestions?
may save you money!
 Rather, view complaints as Do I run away from criticism?
opportunities Do I ignore suggestions?
 Outside sources may see
your „blind spots‟



 Sustainable Purchasing
 Consider not only what products
you are purchasing but also, from
whom.
 Try buying locally, renting
machinery, or looking for green
certified companies.
 Look for products that reduce
waste and recycle what products
you can when you are finished
with them.
 Also, monitor „wasteful rooms‟ Don‟t forget about recycling your
(the lounge, kitchen, or break E-waste!

room) as another way of cutting
down on waste.


 Conserving Energy
 Many companies are now making the effort to turn off
electronics when they are not in use
 This includes photocopiers, computers, printers, fax
machines, and refrigerators.
 Upgrading to more efficient machinery, while recycling the
old, can save a company hundreds of dollars in energy
consumption.



Tips for Greening Your Business
Reducing Waste Energy Water Efficiency Travel Product Life-
Efficiency Cycle

Reduce office Conduct an Reduce and Encourage Understand your
waste energy audit conserve water alternate impact
transportation

Create a Lower your Install efficient Green your fleet Design for the
recycle-reuse energy needs water fixtures environment
community

Rent equipment Equip with Reuse water Make your Reuse any
efficiency meetings matter excess



Other than taking the initiative
to green up the
office, encourage others to
follow your lead. Make being
sustainable a rewarding
experience and show your
employees you appreciate their
participation.


Leading from the Top

It does not take power and money to make green
changes at a company, but it does take power and a
leadership role to integrate sustainability into a
company's business model and organizational
culture.

If you want to be a leader in your business sector
consider being a leader in sustainability as a way to
make it to the top.



Try leading by your own
example, asking yourself:
 What messages am I sending
employees?
 What am I doing to motivate my
employees to be sustainable?
 What types of goals am I setting for
them?
 Am I getting feedback from my
employees regularly on these goals?



Sustainability is not a one time
fix. Thus, sustainability goals
must work with the business‟s
main goals.

Integrate sustainability into all
aspects of the business plan and
be sure not to isolate it as a
separate entity.



 Eight Tips to Get a Sustainability Project Going
1. Look at the big picture to identify your company‟s greatest
impacts.
2. Land some quick wins first.
3. Be authentic.
4. Develop internal partners.
5. Engage your stakeholders.
6. Engage employees.
7. Develop a communications strategy.
8. Develop a long-term strategy.



Remember to set sustainability
goals that your entire company Create a North Star goal
which is:
can follow and that will affect
Aspirational
your bottom line.
Optimistic
Long-term
Make this goal attainable. Strengthening
Discuss how it can be achieved To learn more download Become a
by meeting frequently with Sustainability Champion!

employees at all levels.



Employing a sustainability
consultant is another great
way to integrate
sustainability into your
bottom line. They will be
able to find where your
company is wasting time
and money. SSC has
Join us consultants nationwide for
on the this very purpose!
web!



The Benefits of Integrating Sustainability
Lower cost through reduced resource use. Reduced risk of backlash.

Increased access to new locations by Capitol investments in more efficient
community outreach. infrastructure, saving money and resources.

A more healthy, less wasteful, less toxic, and Monetizing resource use reductions by
more pleasant workplace. trading greenhouse gas credits or selling
waste materials.

Providing input to business units at planning Turning waste streams into revenue streams.
stations to design for financial and
environmental efficiency.

Modeling all of the energy and materials flow Studying the life cycle of the value chain.
in and out of a business.


 Encourage a Green
Team
 Set a North Star goal with
them.
 Set a goal that is innovative,
strategic, and attainable.
 Consider the team‟s leader,
integration of goals into the
job, the team‟s budget, and
the various roles that team
members fulfill.



 Green Your Building
by Updating:
 Windows
 Lighting
 Water Sources
 Heating/Cooling Systems
 Waste Systems
When constructing a new building, be sure that
materials support sustainability goals.



All executive managers have the
opportunity to aid in company
sustainability plans. It is
important to do more than just set
a goal– enforcing these goals is
key to sustainability survival. Be
sure that when a sustainable
initiative is enacted, it‟s progress
is checked frequently.



As an individual in a higher
position, it is critical that you
monitor the messages you send
your employees. Alignment of the
„talk‟ with the „walk‟ is critically
important to building a
sustainable environment in the
workplace.



Concluding Thoughts

When integrating sustainability into the workplace, your career
position is not a hindrance. You can align sustainable concepts
and goals with your company‟s bottom line whether you are a
CEO or working at an entry level position. By integrating
sustainable concepts rather than making sustainability its own
entity, it becomes an attainable goal rather than a far off dream.


Champion

This white paper will show you just how to do so! It will also help you
understand sustainability efforts that you can make and specific plans
for developing a sustainability goal for your business. Become a
Sustainability Champion: At Any Career Level will provide you with the
resources needed to take action.


Download the complimentary white paper in it‟s
entirety by visiting the SSC website today:
Become a Sustainability Champion:
At Any Career Level

What are your thoughts? Join the
conversation on twitter @jenniferwoofter!

Become A Sustainability Champion At Any Career Level

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