Page 13 – Sustainability Academy

Nikos Avlonas, President of Center Sustainability & Excellence–CSE

What concerns do organizations raise about Sustainable Development and how the new EU strategy for 2030 (Green Deal) will affect them in the near future. Why do consumers and investors keep setting the standards higher when it comes to Sustainable Development?

According to Ursula von der Leyen, president of European Committee, about 100 billion euros will be invested the following years in order to find a tool of «fair and just transition» towards Sustainable Development. It seems that 2020 will be defined as a milestone year for these issues.

Europe aims to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050 by slowing down global overwarming and mitigating its results. European Green deal is the new growth strategy for Europe that will not only cut down its emissions but will also create new job positions, will improve quality of life by investing in clean energy, expand commissions trading schemes, reinforce circular economy and maintain biodiversity.

This March, the first European Climate Legislation will be proposed as investors and entrepreneurs require clear rules and instructions to design their long-term investing plans.

European Organizations and how they are affected by Green Deal

Green Deal, as a mechanism of reducing GHG emissions is expected to affect hundreds of corporations in Europe as well as service providing companies, small medium companies and the Public Sector.

Carbon Tax. Several European countries, have already applied a direct taxation system for all the imported products and services in the EU. For the EU, this system not only can it protect its industry but also urge other regions to move ahead with similar climate actions

Responsible Investment. Green investment will be promoted through funding from the European Investment Bank (EIB) where companies that take actions against climate change will be financially supported under strict supervision of the criteria to be met. Companies that are unlikely conformed to ESG ratings or belong to polluting sectors, will receive hardly any funding. Investors will reject organizations that do not meet international standards such GRI, CDP or do not have good ESG scores.

Supply Chains. Small and Medium companies may need to comply with more strict and precise criteria on Sustainability and apply strategies that fulfil explicit requirements. Others may have to change their business model in order to survive in this new economy.

The realization about the severity of the global climate crisis increases almost every day as a new climate event unfolds or statistics on the rate of global warming are published. The need for action is pressing, especially from the private sector, which is why reports like the 2020 Global 100 – an index of the most sustainable corporations in the world – are so important in helping determine which companies are taking responsibility and leading the charge in sustainability.

This year’s report reveals that 12 of the Global 100 are headquartered in Canada. Operating in sectors ranging from finance (Bank of Montreal, Sunlife Financial) to mining (Teck Resources) to communications (Telus, Cogeco), this list underscores the rising importance of sustainability in Canada’s private sector. Canada is also home to several incubators and accelerators that support sustainability start-ups. DMZ at Ryerson University is ranked as one of the top business incubators in the world and has raised over half a billion dollars in funding and incubated and accelerated nearly 500 companies in the past decade. MaRS, also located in Toronto, focuses on supporting businesses with a high social impact.

The federal government is also providing support, as part of its Sustainable Development Strategy for Canada, the Canadian government is pledging over $750 million CAD in federal investment in clean energy Research, Development and Demonstration by 2020. Canada’s public and private sector are clearly ready to invest and innovate in sustainability, making it an ideal career destination for those who want to contribute to finding a solution to climate change.

Toronto is an ideal location for CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition 2020, April 23-24, 2020. This is CSE’s first Toronto training this year (October’s was sold out!).

Elanco Animal Health Inc. (NYSE: ELAN) announced that its shared value East Africa Growth Accelerator (EAGA) initiative has delivered a Social Return on Investment (SROI) of almost 250% for dairy and poultry smallholder farmers, their families and other stakeholders in the region. For every US$1 invested by Elanco and its partners in the EAGA initiative during its initial phase from June 2017 to December 2018, $2.48 of socio-economic value has been created for society in East Africa.

According to the FAO’s 2018 Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, 20% of the population in Africa is undernourished,¹. In Eastern Africa, the prevalence is higher than the continental average at 31%, or more than 130 million undernourished people. Animal proteins like meat, milk, eggs and fish provide critical nutrients for physical and cognitive development, but 25% of protein² from farm animals is lost due to animal illness in the East African region.

The EAGA initiative launched in 2017 with a $3.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to provide sustainable development solutions to address potential food shortage in the region due to livestock disease and mortality. By providing farming families with access to high-quality, reliable veterinary medicines and knowledge to support healthier food animals, the EAGA initiative has made strides in addressing three of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – zero hunger, ending poverty and ensuring good health and well-being of people.

“We believe that healthier animals are the x-factor for solving some of society’s greatest problems,” said Maria Zampaglione, senior advisor, Corporate Social Responsibility at Elanco. “The impact and social return on investment we are seeing with the EAGA initiative so far reiterates that belief. Healthier animals are making a real difference for East African families and communities through the livelihoods and well-being they support.”

While taking Tramadol, it is necessary to refrain from using ethanol to exclude the possibility of developing undesirable symptoms. One-time use of the drug does not require stopping breastfeeding, but if a person is undergoing a long course of therapy, it is better to protect the child from the effects of the drug.

The initiative has enabled the registration, manufacturing and distribution of affordable, high-quality veterinary products to address, prevent and treat livestock disease, along with intensive training for dairy and poultry smallholder farmers and channel partners in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

“I have reduced deaths of my chickens and can produce more eggs,” said one poultry smallholder farmer who has been involved in the initiative. “My income has increased.”

EAGA achievements³ for the period of June 2017 to December 2018 include:

– Overall, $8,184,000 socio-economic value was generated for the farmers in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda.

– 3,753 dairy and poultry smallholder farmers were trained on animal diseases and the correct use of relevant animal health products so they could ensure the right care for their animals.

– It is estimated that 220,000 livestock farmers were trained on animal health via interactive radio, in a 13-week series aired in Northern Tanzania in partnership with the NGO Farm Radio International. The initiative used radio to reach a widespread, rural population which has little access to agricultural services.

– According to farmers surveyed, their income has increased by at least 20% after applying the knowledge gained and using animal health products related to this initiative. Farmers reported an increase in milk and egg sales from their products, which improves their income and well-being.

– Farmers learned how to effectively manage vectors for animal and human diseases like flies, ticks and rats, to keep their own families and their animals healthy.

By the end of 2020, Elanco’s EAGA aims to achieve the following targets:

– 12K dairy and poultry smallholder farmers trained on animal health

– 1.1M cows reached

– 16M chickens reached

– 240K dairy and poultry famers can access affordable small-sized veterinary products

Elanco commissioned the Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) to use SROI guidelines and CSE’s methodology to understand the impact of EAGA, including the value created and how to best manage it.

”We are proud to have worked with Elanco to help quantify the social impact of the EAGA initiative, which aims at improving livestock production and farmer’s income in Africa,” said Nikos Avlonas, CSE President.

To view the full report, click here .

Methodology
The Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) used the SROI guidelines to evaluate the EAGA initiative during its initial period (June 2017 – December 2018) based on stakeholder testimonies. As part of the evaluation, a questionnaire was created in order to capture stakeholders’ point of view in different areas of the project. The main stakeholders that participated are distributors of the Elanco products, wholesalers, dairy and poultry smallholder farmers, agrovet shop owners and one NGO that uses interactive radio to help African farming communities help themselves. The impact, the total value of each change by stakeholder category was calculated. For the EAGA, this means that for every $1 invested by Elanco and stakeholders in the initiative, a social value of $2.48 was created for local communities in East Africa.

¹FAO and ECA. Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition. Addressing the threat from climate variability and extremes for food security and nutrition. Accra.116 pp. http://www.fao.org/3/CA2710EN/ca2710en.pdf. Accessed on 7 February 2020

²African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal resources (AU-IBAR). Impact of livestock diseases in Africa. Published on 25 January 2013. Accessed on 1 June 2018 on http://www.au-ibar.org/vacnada-livestock-diseases?showall=1&limitstart=

³ Elanco Animal Health and Center for Sustainability and Excellence. 2019.An Overview of the Social Return on Investment (SROI). East Africa Growth Accelerator (EAGA Initiative).

About Elanco Animal Health
Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) is a global animal health company that develops products and knowledge services to prevent and treat disease in food animals and pets in more than 90 countries. With a 64-year heritage, we rigorously innovate to improve the health of animals and benefit our customers, while fostering an inclusive, cause-driven culture for more than 5,800 employees. At Elanco, we’re driven by our vision of food and companionship enriching life – all to advance the health of animals, people and the planet. Learn more at www.elanco.com.

About Center for Sustainabiliy and Excellence (CSE)
Center for Sustainability and Excellence is a leading boutique firm operating globally that specializes in maximizing your social, economic and environmental impact. For more than a decade, we have been helping professionals advance their careers through our certified on-site, online and group training services globally and supporting FORTUNE 500 companies and other organizations to grow and excel through our specialized consulting services. Learn more at https://cse-net.org/

Canada was featured prominently in the news recently for its environmental record – but not for the right reasons. Across the country members and supporters of the First Nations Wet’suwet’en are protesting a newly approved natural gas pipeline that would run through their territory in British Columbia.

Recently, Black Rock, the world’s largest asset manager, announced that it would no longer be investing money in companies that get revenue from Alberta’s oil sands. They joined a number of other companies that have divested from the oil sands, including HSBC. The GHG emissions from Canada’s oil sands put into question whether the country can achieve its climate change goals and how much it is contributing to global GHG emissions by putting this oil on to the market.

With the country’s environmental record under threat from its oil industry, there is ample opportunity to explore sustainable pathways in other sectors. And on that end there has been a lot of movement; Bio industrial Innovation Canada, a business accelerator that provides support to developers of clean and sustainable technologies, recently received $15 million from the Ontario government. In fact, Clean-tech is Canada’s fastest growing industry. ArcTern Ventures, the country’s largest Clean-tech venture fund, recently reached $200 million in commitments.

Canada has also made a push towards developing a Circular Economy and will be hosting the World Circular Economy Forum in September 2020, the first time the forum is being held in North America.

Regardless of the oil sands debate, Canada is geared towards sustainable and green growth in many other sectors. That will require businesses that understand sustainability and how to achieve it through their internal and external operations.

Sustainability rests on a strong business case. Toronto is an ideal location for CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition 2020, April 23-24, 2020. This is CSE’s first Toronto training this year (October’s was sold out!).

Last years have verified that within business cycles has come to realization the importance of Sustainability in order for corporations to operate regularly, enhance their credibility and good reputation as well as to reduce any possible risks. Following the adoption of the right legislative frameworks and the European Commission’s legislation and commitments, the foundations for implementing Sustainability Tactics have started to be placed while Corporate Responsibility and Responsible Investment (SRI) are no longer unfamiliar to Investors.

In this effort, companies play a key role in implementing united government improvements. In the process of adopting Corporate Responsibility strategies and practices, companies are often subject to errors or misconceptions.

But what are the most common mistakes of the European companies with regards to Sustainability Strategies implementation?

Missing a clear and holistic Sustainability Strategy

The most common mistake noticed in European corporations is the non-integration of Sustainability within the corporate strategy. It seems as if sustainability is not embedded in a company’s core business model and that affects directly all business segments and functions. Sustainability should adopt a 360 approach when it comes to integrating objectives with a clear and systematized vision and strategy instead of applying epidermal actions related to environment, society or employees.

Lack of right education and information to Managers and C-Suite Executives

Most of the companies do not invest in training their employees over the most foundational concepts of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development and as a consequence they appear to be either ignorant over the essential scope of sustainability or have deficient knowledge.

Targeted education, especially to the C-level Executives, elucidates how they can contribute not only individually but also collectively to the achievement of goals, maximization of positive effects and the minimization of negative after-effects within their corporation.

Misconception that Corporate Responsibility refers only to large multinational or Public Listed Companies

There is a common mentality that focuses more on mandatory legislation and much less on proactive corporate strategy planning. It is supported, mainly by smaller and medium size corporations that Corporate Responsibility is a luxury of the larger multinational organizations. Nonetheless, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development are essential concepts that aim to the core business model of all companies and are not just a defensive strategic approach to deal with any current issues.

Downgrading the importance of environmental consequences

Climate change is facing an emergency globally causing professionals to emphasize more on that Corporate Responsibility’s pillar. Key environmental concerns such as GHG emissions, water and energy consumption, waste management, biodiversity impact are still not at the forefront despite the communication on related initiatives and commitments. Sustainability Reporting that provides facts on those issues is the best way to see what is really happening.

Focus on Public Relations and Communications rather than the full range sustainability impacts

For some of the corporations, Sustainability is used up to specific environmental or humanitarian actions which although they are important, they are not directly related to the functional consequences of an organization. Communication or public relations if they are not part of a wider sustainability strategy they might end up to creating a misleading concept of what is sustainable development and corporate responsibility.

It is highly vital the tight alignment of organizations with Sustainability. Large or small, multinational or local companies can maximize their positive affects to society and reduce their environmental impact for a long term economic growth.

* Nikos Avlonas, President and Founder of the Center for Sustainability & Excellence

In the aftermath of the World Economic Forum in Davos one can easily admit that global warming, climate change and the loss of biodiversity are the greatest threats humanity has ever faced. Five years after the Paris Accord, governments need to reset their goals and businesses are finally and quickly talking about setting goals. China is still burning half of the world’s coal; city people all over the world have a disproportionately large carbon footprint and urban populations have the worst air quality.

So how are cities going to adapt to a hotter planet? Governments, companies, banks and institutions need to set clear plans to reach net zero in their carbon emissions; in other words new pathways to “stakeholder capitalism.”

As business leaders worldwide are more concerned about climate change than ever before momentum is growing at an incredible pace. There are a number of challenges ahead for Sustainability Professionals, challenges that will be discussed and addressed during CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program in London, Advanced Edition 2020, in March 12-13.

Interesting Times Require Global Leadership in Sustainability

CSE offers advanced certified education on Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy for professionals. Trainings maximize a company’s impact and help professionals become qualified in the field. They provide the latest practical tools and resources to implement or upscale corporate sustainability and ESG ratings to drive initiatives, generate value and create effective strategies.

Research

CSE’s research furthers its commitment to high caliber training in sustainability for C-Suite executives & Sustainability Managers worldwide.

CSE has completed its second exploration of sustainability strategies and reporting in Silicon Valley. CSE’s 2016 report uncovered the disturbing news that Silicon Valley companies lag other sectors in sustainability practices. The 2019 research indicates significant improvements. Still, there is plenty of room to raise standards and increase ESG Ratings relied upon by investors. 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.

To learn more about in-house trainings or CSE consulting services, contact [email protected]

A New Year always brings with it, a new perspective either in business or personal. In terms of business, past year brought a shift towards Corporate Sustainability. As corporate responsibility continues to mature one of the key shifts is a move toward transparency that increase brand awareness, trust and an overall advantage to companies.

Investor interest in ESG will grow mainstream, with socially responsible and green investing gradually becoming the new normal. Corporate Sustainability means that individuals and companies have a duty to act in the best interests of their environments and society as a whole. Lately, businesses have developed sustainability strategies where social responsibility is an integral part of their business model.

Circular economy concept will change the way companies design and produce their product and will lead them to seek innovative solutions for becoming more efficient and identify new business opportunities and reinvent their sustainability strategies. Their approach should be organic, dynamic and proactive.

A challenging two-day training offered by CSE provides the latest practical tools and resources required to implement or upscale corporate sustainability. Executives from Fortune 500 companies, local governments and academia trust CSE’s advanced training to become Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioners and earn a unique recognition in the Corporate Sustainability field.

The Practitioner Program in London focuses on key challenges. Topics include:

The role of Investors and maximizing corporate performance in ESG ratings
Circular economy: learning from nature implementing for business
Integrating SDGs into a Sustainability Plan
New trends and how to gain a competitive advantage
Maximizing stakeholder engagement
How to influence C-Suite Executives and get support for a Sustainability Plan

The course includes a chance to complete a two-year sustainability plan that will qualify you to earn the globally recognized CSR-P Certification and become Certified Sustainability Practitioner. The final assignment helps participants implement practical tools.

The course provides a free CMI membership (a $200 value). You also receive Certified Learning materials (hard copy) and a training guide (electronic copy). During the two days of instruction, students learn from updated case studies from companies such as Apple, Ikea, and Unilever; informative videos from leading sustainable organizations; participant-specific sector CSR reports.

Best among the many values of the course is the friends made and networks built. You learn from fellow participants and they learn from you. The instructors listen to each individual’s challenges and offer pro bono advising services.

Among the engineers, facilities managers and tech specialists, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, General Management and Human Resources this CSR training is not only for those working in CSR and Environmental Management. CSE’s training offers added skills to all professionals engaged in the field of CSR, small business, major corporation and mega-events included.

The first 2020 Certified Sustainability Practitioner Programs in Europe is in London 12-13 March, 2020. Save your seat on time.

Atlanta has an ambitious 100% renewable energy plan! In May 2017, Atlanta became the 27th city in the United States to commit to 100 percent clean energy. This outcome prompted the creation of the Office of Resilience, which envisions Atlanta to be entirely powered by renewable energy.

Then in June 2018, Atlanta’s city officials created a new roadmap for sustainable city living by outlining options to fight climate change, boost the economy, and ultimately improve the lives of its citizens. The initial plan indicated that the city would be 100 percent green by the year 2050—but this was 15 years longer than what city officials agreed on in their 2017 discussions. Thus, city officials accelerated the plan to fulfill its goal by 2035.

Based on the collective input of the Atlanta community, there are several possible pathways to have renewable energy power for a sustainable future. But for their particular city there are three key strategies: consume less electricity by investing in energy efficiency, generate electricity from renewable sources, and finally, purchase renewable energy sources.

In May 2016, Atlanta was recognized as a Resilient City through the Rockefeller Foundation. Resilient Cities receive funding to hire a Chief Residential Officer who will lead plans to make cities stronger and more equipped to withstand any environmental or urban stresses that affect them. This matter spurred the city to focus on building a strategy that supports its physical, economic, and social growth.

As a resilient city, and now as a city moving forward into a green future, Atlanta calls upon its residents to participate in the sustainable urbanization of the city.

Electricity powering Atlanta must come from clean energy sources. These sources refer to energy efficiency through wind, solar, low-impact hydroelectric, geothermal, biogas, and wave technology sources.

As Atlanta’s energy sector continues its sustainability path, another sector where Atlanta could play a role in leading sustainability change is telecommunications. Professionals from all communications infrastructure sectors will convene in Atlanta in June to discuss the upcoming global 5G deployment phase as the city will welcome the inaugural Communications Infrastructure Summit 2019. Wireless, network infrastructure and data center leaders will collaborate on 5G deployment strategies. What does the 5G network mean for sustainability?

Do you represent or are directly or indirectly linked to the energy or telecommunication sectors in Atlanta? What solutions do you adopt with the arrival of the changes mentioned above? What actions to do implement? And what role can you play to ensure the sustainability for your sector? Join CSE in Atlanta in a few weeks for sustainability discussions.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Atlanta March 9-10, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to give you all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in your organization.

Do you consider Georgia a green state? According to the financial website Wallethub, Georgia has some work to do. Last year, in order to “highlight the greenest states and call out those doing a poor job of caring for the environment,” Wallethub analyzed all 50 states across three key dimensions: environmental quality, eco-friendly behaviors and climate change contributions.

Those three dimensions were evaluated using 27 relevant metrics, including air quality, green buildings, daily water consumption, methane emissions and more. Each state’s scores were added up, with 100 points possible.

At the top of the chart was Vermont, with a score of 76.35. Rounding out the top five were New York, 75.49; Oregon, 75.24; Connecticut, 73.89; and Minnesota, 73.13.

Georgia finished No. 30, with a score of 53.89. Georgia ranked No. 20 for environmental quality, No. 41 for eco-friendly behaviors and No. 26 for climate change contributions.

As we start a new year and decade, CSE released its list of hottest trends on corporate sustainability for 2020 and beyond and many of these trends are related to the environment.

How can the state of Georgia improve their “green” ranking?

Do you represent or are directly or indirectly linked to environmental opportunities and/or challenges in Georgia? What solutions do you adopt? What actions to do implement? And what role can you play to ensure the sustainability of the state and all its stakeholders? Join CSE in Atlanta in a few weeks for sustainability discussions.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Atlanta March 9-10, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to give you all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in your organization.

Over the past decade, the terms Sustainability, Climate Change and Corporate Responsibility have become central in discussions between policymakers, company board members, media, consumers and the society in general. While the concept has reached the mainstream, opportunities still exist for implementation, while at the same time new technologies and policies will require from organizations to provide innovative solutions, services and products. Here are the hottest trends to watch for and prepare for 2020 and beyond:

Through the recent European Green Deal, the goal is for Europe to become the first carbon neutral continent by 2050. The first steps will be the provision of a sustainable investment fund (1 trillion euros) for the next decade, as well as a more demanding Climate Legislation. The European Green Deal will be based on four pillars: the Emissions Trading System, Sustainable Investments, Industry policies, and Fair Transition and will affect directly existing business models and thousands of European organizations they have not integrate sustainability strategies.
The shift to circularity will become more and more obvious, and a $24 billion stimulus package has been announced to facilitate circular economies in Europe.
End of Plastic. The need to protect the marine environment will take center spot in the environmental agenda. To this direction, biodegradable alternatives to plastic will become more common, along with policies to ban single-use plastics, in an effort to protect the marine environment and biodiversity.
European companies will focus more on climate change, energy efficiency, sustainable operations and sustainable supply chains while new legislation and investor requirements will push for more transparency.
More sustainability (ESG) reporting is expected, and the reach of the GRI (Global Reporting Initiatives) and other related standards will continue to grow as companies seek to improve transparency, integrity and reliability. Integrating Reporting will not become the new trend yet, despite several publications that refer to this issue.
Sustainability report will evolve. Reports will rely more on graphs, info-graphics and videos and not only on words in order to capture faster and easier the attention of the readers.
Measuring performance and impact is becoming more and more important and a requirement from investors. Specifically, measurements will be required for demonstrating activities and their impacts to stakeholders improving decision-making as programs evolve over time, and align sustainability activities with corporate goals.
Expect to see more formal education for C-Suite Executives in corporate social responsibility and sustainability due to increased complexity and investor’s expectations.

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.

Upcoming in-person Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Programs (2020 Advanced Edition) include London, March 12-13 and Brussels in June 25-26, 2020 and other dates globally.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

Group registration form