Sustainability & Innovation - Sustainability Academy

For the 6th consecutive year, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are organizing Green Week, an overarching umbrella for key environmental activities and events in the region. Green Week features programs and initiatives to raise awareness about the environment and sustainability and the need to follow a sustainable lifestyle. It also informs younger generations about the importance of rationalization of electricity and water and the conservation of natural resources; motivating them to innovate new solutions that support the transformation towards a green economy.

Under its umbrella, the 6th Green Week will host the 21st Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition. The Green Week also features the 4th Dubai Solar Show, the region’s largest solar power technology event; the 6th World Green Economy Summit; the International Desalination Association World Congress, the premier global event on desalination and advanced water treatment solutions; and the Gas and Oil Technology Showcase and Conference 2019.

The Green Week is based on a vision to promote a culture of sustainability in society, while also instilling a culture of creativity and innovation among the younger generations, who are considered by the UAE’s wise leadership as vital for anticipating and shaping the future. Green Week also focuses on developing young talents that will help shape a sustainable future for the energy sector, thereby supporting the national efforts to establish Dubai’s and the UAE’s leadership in the field of sustainable development.

The event will launch a ‘Centre of Excellence,’ which will target universities, students and the academia, welcoming more than 150 students.

Sustainability practitioners bring strong skills and out-of-the-box way of thinking to deal with the challenges ahead. After its sold out events in NYC, Houston, San Francisco, Seattle and Toronto CSE is holding its next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program in Dubai, November 17-18, 2019.

San Francisco, the heart of the tech world, has some of the most progressive environmental and social mandates in the US. One would think Silicon Valley corporations in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale would be equally sensitive to sustainability issues.

To answer this query, CSE has undertaken a series of research examining leader corporations in Silicon Valley. CSE’s 2016 research found Silicon Valley lagging on sustainability indicators compared to other sectors and even the FT 500. Key sustainability factors include Community, Environment, Ethics, Employees, Supply Chain and Philanthropy. At the time, only 21 of 100 companies in the study had a sustainability strategy that included all six concerns.

CSE is revisiting the research in 2019. Highlights from the report will be debuted at CSE’s Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program (Advanced Edition 2019), Oct. 15-16 in San Francisco. Spoiler alert: the tech world is doing better – but not good enough!

That is why training is key. CSE has developed unique training with leading Silicon Valley companies to instill a sustainability culture within those companies. CSE trainings start and finish by making the business case for sustainability. If a company cannot advance financially, they can’t help their community of stakeholders. With Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial spirit, investor relations are key!

Employees need to understand this as well as employers do. That is why so many tech leaders send attendees to our training. We’ve worked with Google, Workday, Netgear, LG Electronics, T-Mobile, Sandia National Laboratories and other tech organizations.

The same year Google won the Silicon Valley Community Foundation award for its corporate social responsibility (CSR), CSE president Nikos Avlonas received their CSR Practitioner of the Year award.

Coupled with its leadership in sustainability and having the pulse of the tech world, San Francisco is an ideal location for CSE’s Certified CSR-P Training, Oct. 15-16, 2019. Other upcoming trainings include Toronto, Oct. 31-Nov.1, 2019 and Miami, Jan. 16-17, 2020.

San Francisco is the heart of the tech world. The city also has some of the most progressive environmental and social mandates in the US. One would think Silicon Valley corporations would be equally sensitive to sustainability issues. CSE research shows this is not the case.

What are they missing that you’ll know after taking the CSE Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program (Advanced Edition 2020)?

CSE trainings start and finish by making the business case for sustainability. If a company cannot advance financially, they can’t help their community of stakeholders. A key stakeholder group is investors. Investors want to see that a company’s income is enhanced by its sustainability efforts.

A recent survey from Kin&Co asked adults about their attitudes toward sustainable business and climate action. Sixty-nine percent agree that climate change is an imminent “urgent issue” for brands, rather than a distant challenge. Fifty-nine percent want their favorite brands to declare a “Climate Emergency”. The research found that climate-related protests combined with mainstream media attention to climate change science, already influences consumer and employee behavior. Thirty-five percent want their employer to take bolder and more ambitious action on climate change. Over 30% responded they would respect their company’s C-suite more if they led on Climate Change. Consumer awareness drives sales. Employee satisfaction drives retention – both key to business success.

If you don’t want to dig into corporate reports, ranking agencies do the work for you.

The S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) recently added to its global Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) index family. The new set of indices provide ESG performance profiles enhancing leading indices including the S&P Global 1200, Europe 350, S&P/ASX 200 and S&P Japan 500. The new indices also include ESG versions of S&P DJI’s country and regional benchmarks covering North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. This release follows the April 2019 debut of the S&P 500® ESG Index. Eligibility criteria track companies’ ESG Scores, business activities and adherence to the UN Global Compact (UNGC). Index criteria also exclude companies such as those involved with tobacco or controversial weapons, for example.

If you didn’t follow that last paragraph, you will after taking the CSE training. Corporations need customers, employees and investors to grow. These key stakeholders are demonstrating their reliance on sustainability issues to judge which products to buy, where to work and where to invest. Without them, there is no business. So, expect to leave a CSE training knowing how to make the business case for your company.

Upcoming trainings include London, March 12-13, Seattle 27-28 April 2020, Toronto 23-24 April, NYC 11-12 June and Brussels 25-26 June.

Bosses across industries are increasingly tasked by long-term ESG (environment, social, governance) concerns. Toronto business leaders are no different. College grads or corporate managers growing as leaders are finding opportunities around sustainability.

A key driver in and around Toronto is the Aerospace industry. Space may be “the final frontier” for exploration, but it’s also a frontier for sustainability practices. Concerns include managing debris, ensuring fair access to satellite orbits, increasing rocket efficiency and developing systematic methods and practices for LCAs (life cycle assessments). Space exploration and delivery are benefiting from AI and adding applications from environmental monitoring (AGRICULTURE) to navigation (TRANSPORTATION).

Opportunities exist for envisioning space as a resource for sustainable development (ok, not in 2019, but the plans are being outlined now!). Space research has inadvertently created products which advance sustainability. Now, sustainability is a clear mandate for the Canadian Space Agency, ESA and NASA. CSA has been monitoring the ozone, mapping geological features and determining the environmental impact of mineral exploration for decades.

CSE’s 2018 research Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Trends North America focuses on the influence of Sustainability on Financial Results. We find confirmation of the link between Sustainability Reporting and Financial Performance. Paying attention to long-term concerns pays off in annual profits.

CSE research highlights findings from key sectors such as Telecommunications, Transportation, Energy, Construction, Agriculture and Financial Services, and many other industries becoming increasingly important to sustainability.

Through consulting, research and training, CSE research breaks down CSR (corporate social responsibility) data, tracking the issues which keep telecom CEOs and administrators on edge such as:

Sustainable product design,
inclusion and diversity,
talent management,
customer service and transparency,
privacy and security,
waste and recycling,
energy and emissions.

Whether you are an engineer, from HR, client relations, IT or operations, established and emerging industries need sustainability experts.

Be among those driving successes. CSE has worked with NASA’s sustainability champions and has trained participants for NASA’s Johnson Space Center. We have an incredibly strong presence in other Canadian industries such as mining, construction, real estate and energy. We all need to work together and learn from each other as we prepare for the future.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program (Advanced Edition 2019) offers trainings on these key topics and many others. CSE’s first Toronto training is April 11-12.

In times of volatility, Corporate Sustainability Leadership guides legislation and successfully manages internal risks.

In this age of globalization, CEOs and the entire C-suite must focus beyond their office buildings, factories and retail outlets. To protect their interests, employees, suppliers and vendors, they must and do affect policy, regionally, nationally and globally.

Recently, a group of companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Interface and United Technologies signed a statement encouraging the EU to set the stage for a climate-neutral economy by 2050. While there is certainly a component of altruism to their request, their motives have a basis in economics. Long-term certainty makes for economic prosperity.

If you doubt that companies believe this, look at what happens to the markets whenever there is extreme volatility. Investors want certainty, even if that certainty may lead to increased oversight, legislative restrictions and even taxes.

Just as the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) research shows increased profitability among those companies with a strong sustainability strategy, multinational corporations have run the numbers. They believe the economic value of achieving a net zero economy by 2050 is greater than the economic benefits of less ambitious goals.

Companies know their factories are in threatened coastal zones. They know their employees are at risk of poor health from air pollution, hunger, increased costs of living. At a corporate level, wielding the power of the purse, corporations can influence policy for the good of their revenue stream and the good of the communities which drive their profitability.

Larry Fink, CEO of Blackrock, wrote in his annual letter to the companies in which Blackrock invests, “the world needs your leadership.” He said purpose and profit are inextricably linked. “Stakeholders are pushing companies to wade into sensitive social and political issues,” he wrote, “especially as they see governments failing to do so.”

CEOs and the whole C-suite need to be sustainability experts. They must address geopolitics, talent acquisition and retention, international supply chains, national legislation and global commitments not only from their countries of incorporation but from the countries in which they have holdings, factories, and employees.

What they need to know should not be left to “on the job” training nor delegated down the ranks. Corporate heads need to come together as a cohort of leaders, learning from each other and driving changes outside their domains which are inextricably linked to their own success.

Want to learn how to leverage sustainability efforts to demonstrate global leadership and impact? Attend the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence Sustainability (ESG) Leadership Training Workshop for C-Suite Executives, in NYC on Monday September 30^th – Tuesday October 1^st, 2019, an exclusive limited gathering of corporate leaders. CSE specializes in global sustainability consulting, research and training. Participants include governments, NGOs and Fortune 500 companies. CSE is accredited by CMI, Green Business and is a GRI organizational stakeholder.

This year BBC Earth launched a new cause to “place sustainable fashion at the heart” of London Fashion Week. This eco-friendly move was done in collaboration with British Fashion Council and clothing company Mother of Pearl. A short film was made for the event and premiered on Saturday.

Ethical fashion is becoming an increasingly hot-topic. Headlines have celebrated the fact London Fashion Week is officially fur-free – an announcement made by the British Fashion Council that reflects an important cultural change in the way consumers are shopping for clothes.

There has been a shift towards understanding the importance of using ethically sourced, natural materials. Consumers are increasingly seeking out Fair Trade brands or simply looking into the production processes behind the clothes they wear. There has been an increased awareness to the impact of buying decisions.

Alongside the traditional London Fashion Week shows, a series of events are taking place to highlight some of the eco-friendly and ethical issues within fashion.

Sustainable fashion is not a trend, but a new movement which needs to be recognized as an industry standard. This is why it is even-more important for the industry leaders to promote these values at London Fashion Week so others will follow.

Not one to shy away from coming challenges, CSE always keeps up with the latest sustainability trends! Join us in London on March 14-15 2019 as we will discuss many more crucial areas of sustainability. Also, we are excited to present in London, CSE’s brand new research findings on Sustainability (CR) and Non-Financial Reporting in Europe. The research explores the level of commitment of European companies, through their common Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility strategic goals, and how well they measure their impacts and social value.

There is limited seating so hurry up. Contact us: csrperformance@cse-net.org

Investment advisors, fund managers, family offices – they all have their go-to indices when choosing corporate investments. They watch the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq indices. Most of us even have favorite stock pickers with less stodgy parameters (who hasn’t been beguiled by Seeking Alpha or the Motley Fool?).

What are the indices guiding the over $11.6 trillion in US assets under management (AUM) using SRI strategies? Sustainable, responsible, impact investing represents 26%—or 1 in 4 dollars—of total US assets under management (USSIF.org).

Important indices which rank companies based on SRI, CSR (corporate social responsibility) and ESG (environment, social, governance) criteria include:

Bloomberg Barclays MSCI ESG Indices
CSRHub
FTSE 4 Good
Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)
Morningstar
NasdaqCRD Global Sustainability Index (NQCRD)

CEOs, CFOs, and VPs of investor relations must pay attention to how their companies rank on these and other indices because investors – institutional and private – watch these closely. There are mutual funds and ETFs based solely on these.

Many sustainability portfolios rely heavily on these indices, and other professional portfolio managers such as Pax World, Domini and Calvert create their own indices which are then used by private investors. AUM in the 780 so-called alternative investment vehicles nearly tripled since 2016, many of them available from traditional investment houses such as Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch and UBS.

Companies finding their way on to these indices are rewarded. CSE research has found a connection between financial performance and sustainability strategies and reporting. Of companies with the highest Sustainability scores (as ranked by CSRHub), 73% improved financial results, as expressed by change in revenues 2016-2017. Sustainability Reporting and comprehensive strategies regarding community, employees, governance and environment correlate to a positive impact on profitability.

Sustainability rankings reach beyond the CEO, CFO and Investor Relations. Sustainability concerns permeate the corporate structure. Supply Chain risk and management is only one of many key elements reaching beyond finance and toward Operations. With SRI investments often including exclusionary screening, COOs are affected by investment policies related to conflict risk countries. Sustainability rankings take these and many other criteria, new to traditional corporate thinking, into account.

Want to learn more about how you can leverage your sustainability efforts for higher rankings? Attend the Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) Sustainability (ESG) Leadership Training Workshop for C-Suite Executives, in NYC on Monday September 30^th – Tuesday October 1^st, 2019. Stay tuned for more information.

CSE specializes in global sustainability consulting, research and training. Clients include governments, NGOs and Fortune 500 companies. CSE is accredited by CMI and is a GRI organizational stakeholder.

By Nikos Avlonas & Rosalinda Sanquiche

Centre for Sustainability and Excellence

Years of research, international observation, working with corporate intrapreneurs and social entrepreneurs and leading programs around the world – we feel confident looking toward the future!

2019 will be a continuation of trends, growing in momentum. This year will also see the rise of sustainability practices in unexpected places using innovative applications of cutting-edge technologies as reported in CSE’s 2018 researches Trends and Challenges for European Companies on Sustainability Goals Integration and Sustainability (CR) Impact 2018 and Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Trends: North America 2018.

COMMON STRATEGIC GOALS set by companies are evident regardless of sector and country. These common strategic goals relate to issues such as climate change and energy efficiency, as well as the continuous effort for more sustainable supply chains. These goals are at the top of the international sustainability agenda, and what sustainability professionals are working on in order to mitigate the expected severe impacts of climate change and to provide products and services which are responsible and respond to the demands and preferences of stakeholders.

SOCIAL IMPACT GOALS of European companies related to expanding the reach of their sustainability strategies to their business partners, mitigating the impacts to local communities caused by their operations and activities, and providing responsible products and services. However, significant gaps have been identified with respect to measuring the impact of those initiatives and application of practices, for example through a Socioeconomic Impact Assessment or use of tools such as the Social Return on Investment (SROI).

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE in its many manifestations will assist sustainability efforts by increasing efficiencies – a trend we’ve seen for the past couple of years. Now, entrepreneurs are bringing their technology to market. What is brand new (pun intended) is the application of AI to social marketing. AI algorithms can create emotion- and character-based interface to gain consumer buy-in and brand loyalty. Creating a persuasive digital persona will draw from positive human characteristics such as ethics, empathy, transparency and social awareness. This AI-driven marketing increasingly will be deployed in social media.

SUSTAINABILITY PROFESSIONALS are leaving home. Sustainability practitioners will no longer be relegated to the Sustainability Department, under a Director of Sustainability, outsiders who tap the rest of the company once a year for metrics in pursuit of the increasingly in demand Sustainability Report. Sustainability practitioners will be found in and demanded by departments throughout an organization to strengthen organizational culture around sustainability. The legal team, Financial department, ERM (risk management), Procurement, communications, R&D, investor relations – cross-organizational departments will want a sustainability expert among their ranks, working side-by-side, answering questions, leading programs and informing policy throughout the corporate structure.

AGRICULTURE is increasingly under scrutiny for health and safety. Blockchain will track products farm-to-table. Local sourcing is growing, as is the demand for fresh products which are organic, biodynamic and/or non-GMO. To accommodate this growing market, there is concern that these farming practices, being taken over by Agribusiness, may actually be contributing more to climate change. If more acres of land must be cleared, even slash and burned, to get non-GMO yields equivalent to 1 acre of “regular” farming, research shows the carbon load is greater for the more natural farming practices. One option is to use existing farmlands, too often being subsumed into suburbia. Another option is the use of halophytes which grow on desert or denuded lands, thrive on salt water and have long root systems which sequester carbon. Increasing yields without the carbon burden of clearing lands will affect the climate change race by carbon sequester and lower dependency on fossil fuels.

CSE is a leading boutique firm operating globally that specializes in maximizing business impact in Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility. CSE helps professionals advance their careers through our certified on-site, online (www.Sustainability-Academy.org) and group training services globally and supports companies and organizations grow and excel through Sustainability consulting and coaching.

By Nikos Avlonas, CSE President, and Rosalinda Sanquiche, CSE North America.

Years of research, international observation, working with corporate intrapreneurs and social entrepreneurs and leading programs around the world – we feel confident looking toward the future!

1/ ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE in its many manifestations will assist sustainability efforts by increasing efficiencies – a trend we’ve seen for the past couple of years. Now, entrepreneurs are bringing their technology to market as reported in CSE’s Sustainability (ESG) Reporting Trends: North America 2018. What is brand new (pun intended) is the application of AI to social marketing. AI algorithms can create emotion- and character-based interface to gain consumer buy-in and brand loyalty. Creating a persuasive digital persona will draw from positive human characteristics such as ethics, empathy, transparency and social awareness. This AI-driven marketing increasingly will be deployed in social media.

2/ SUSTAINABILITY PROFESSIONALS are leaving home. Sustainability practitioners will no longer be relegated to the Sustainability Department, under a Director of Sustainability, outsiders who tap the rest of the company once a year for metrics in pursuit of the increasingly in demand Sustainability Report. Sustainability practitioners will be found in and demanded by departments throughout an organization to strengthen organizational culture around sustainability. The legal team, Financial department, ERM (risk management), Procurement, communications, R&D, investor relations – cross-organizational departments will want a sustainability expert among their ranks, working side-by-side, answering questions, leading programs and informing policy throughout the corporate structure.

3/ TRANSPORTATION is moving toward greater efficiency using established methods of better scheduling, on-demand delivery, and computer-assisted routing. These are well established trends. What is new is the growing awareness that climate change will change transportation dynamics. The industry is experimenting with significantly low-fuel and even no-fuel options. Elon Musk has a functioning mile of Hyperloop. Adhering to the sustainability principle of transparency, his Hyperloop concept is explicitly open-sourced, encouraging creativity and entry by other players. Jeff Bezos is betting on battery-operated drones for urban delivery – limiting carbon emissions and congestion. Already social entrepreneurs are using congestion to their benefit to promote the use of electric scooters in dense urban settings.

4/ AGRICULTURE is increasingly under scrutiny for health and safety. Blockchain will track products farm-to-table. Local sourcing is growing, as is the demand for fresh products which are organic, biodynamic and/or non-GMO. To accommodate this growing market, there is concern that these farming practices, being taken over by Agribusiness, may actually be contributing more to climate change. If more acres of land must be cleared, even slash and burned, to get non-GMO yields equivalent to 1 acre of “regular” farming, research shows the carbon load is greater for the more natural farming practices. One option is to use existing farmlands, too often being subsumed into suburbia. Another option is the use of halophytes which grow on desert or denuded lands, thrive on salt water and have long root systems which sequester carbon. Increasing yields without the carbon burden of clearing lands will affect the climate change race by carbon sequester and lower dependency on fossil fuels.

5/ CARBON TAX debates will increase as Canada implements its carbon tax (revenue neutral, as are most options debated in the US). Canada’s carbon tax may be high enough to meet climate targets but won’t cover the social cost of carbon. Canada’s move is in part because it is already experiencing climate-related “coastal erosion, thawing permafrost, increases in heat waves, droughts and flooding, and related risks to critical infrastructures and food security,” as noted in its legislation. Between 2019 and 2022, gas prices will increase less than 10%, but the cost of coal will double, increasing demand for cheaper carbon-free electricity. The US Paris commitment is to reach 26 -28 % below 2005 levels by 2025. Any headway the US makes will not come via a Carbon Tax anytime soon but, at least, both state and federal options are being discussed and legislation proposed.

Upcoming in-person Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Programs (2019 Advanced Edition) include London, March 1-2; Atlanta, February 21-22; Toronto, April 11-12; New York, June 6-7, and other dates globally.

Visit an Atlanta job board, search sustainability, and you’ll find hundreds of jobs. Many are in the energy sector – from sales to consulting; technicians, HR, operations, engineering, warehouse and distribution, project managers.

The City Council has set the goal to make Atlanta leader in renewable power in efforts to fight climate change. Atlanta is a role model for urban environmental and livability initiatives. Atlanta’s Office of Resilience will be tasked with nothing short of running the city entirely on renewable energy by 2035!

Atlanta joins San Francisco, Minneapolis and St. Louis in setting 100% clean power targets. An urban center in the middle of an agricultural state, Atlanta will need a mix of conservation, generating energy from renewables such as solar and purchasing from neighboring states – greatly expanding its impact. Even transportation has a role to play as Delta tests and implements measures to limit its own consumption of fossil fuels.

These challenges mean opportunity for sustainability practitioners. There is an awareness for the need to protect the environment in the face of growth, to promote safe and healthy living. Companies and government alike recognize these are all inter-related to providing abundant energy without further deteriorating the region and the globe.

There is a place and considerable need for people who understand the complexity of sustainability and how that applies to the energy and utilities industry. CSE research shows these sectors have the highest sustainability reporting rates. CSE has worked with traditional and renewable energy utilities and manufacturers from around the world, including Exxon, Shell and Chevron.

Atlanta and much of the South is primed to experience significant growth in the field of sustainability. CSE has worked with various companies and organizations in Atlanta, including the Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Exide Technologies, Home Depot, HD Supply and Coca-Cola.

CSE is proud to be part of this Southern transition, bringing its Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program (2019 Advanced Edition) to Atlanta, February 21-22, 2019.

For more information or group rates, contact Marketing@CSE-net.org. HURRY – Early Bird registration ends Jan. 21, 2019!