Page 19 – Sustainability Academy

Miami is often cited as the city exemplifying how climate change and sea level rise are threatening coastal cities. But are residents and businesses aware of the seriousness of these threats and prepared to accept the possibility their city might become uninsurable? An insurer might at any time increase rates or opt not to insure a property at all.

One would think that as data improves and new regulations are formulated, risk can be priced more clearly. A report in April 2019 prepared by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and investor Heitman found that more than 24% of property value in the U.S. is in cities that are among the 10% most exposed to sea-level rise. That’s more than $130B of real estate under threat.

And watch out for investors as they might play a huge role in the near future. Privately, “investors are starting to look at assessing climate risk in their portfolios,” says Billy Grayson, the executive director of the Urban Land Institute’s Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance. “They can mitigate at the asset level by hardening buildings, or at the portfolio level, hedge against risk by diversifying.”

A new report from the Center for Climate Integrity in June 2019 indicates “if Miami-Dade were to construct a basic seawall defense system, the county would need to spend a whopping $3.2 billion for 267 miles of coastal barriers. Constructing 14 miles of seawalls in Miami would cost $173.3 million, or $391 per capita. And Miami Beach faces an estimated price tag of $83 million for nine miles of seawalls, equaling about $900 per person”.

Overall, Florida is the most at-risk state for sea-level rise — and the financial consequences of climate adaptation could be staggering for local taxpayers, according to the Center for Climate Integrity.

If you represent or are directly or indirectly linked to this reality in Florida, what solutions do you adopt and what actions to do implement to ensure the sustainability of your organization? Join us in Miami in early 2020 for sustainability discussions regarding the Sunshine State.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Florida January 16-17, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Center 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.

Remaining in pole position, with an increase of 3.3 per cent on 2017, Atlanta reigns supreme on passenger numbers. Retaining the title since 1997, it looks like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is going nowhere for now. There were a total of 107,394,029 passengers at ATL in 2018.

Atlanta continues to dominate the passenger market because of its location as a major connecting hub and port of entry into North America. It’s within a two-hour flight of 80% of the United States population of more than 300 million people.

Delta, headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the world’s largest airlines, with close to 180 million passengers a year. Hartsfield-Jackson is the carrier’s (and the world’s) biggest hub. More than 1,000 Delta flights, to 225 cities, leave ATL every day. More than 75 percent of Atlanta’s passengers are on Delta flights.

But Atlanta, the city, has advantages other than Delta that make it a good place to fly into and out of, not to mention a smart spot for airlines to do business. The weather is generally good — meaning fewer delays and cancelled flights — and there is little competition for the airspace around Hartsfield-Jackson. Unlike places like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and many others, in Atlanta, there’s not another big airport within 150 miles.

With the relative certainty that flights will get in and out with little problem — and the ability to offer more flights because of that certainty — means that Atlanta is an attractive place for low-cost airlines. Frontier, Southwest and Spirit are big players at the Atlanta airport, too.

The sheer size of Atlanta’s airport is stunning: it employs more than 63,000 people, covers more than 47,000 acres, has more than 30,000 parking spots, and features 263 concessions, 193 gates (and with more coming) on seven concourses and five runways.

The airport’s sustainability plan from 2011 calls for a 20% reduction in emissions, 20% reductions in water and energy intensity, and a 90% reduction in waste by 2020. “We are currently reviewing that because 2020 is right around the corner,” says Charles Marshall, airport engineering manager for Hartsfield-Jackson. Another reason to re-assess: the City of Atlanta, which owns the airport, has since passed sustainability-related legislation with ambitious targets.

Do you represent or are directly or indirectly linked to this reality of Atlanta’s airport? What solutions do you adopt, what actions to do implement, and what role can you play to ensure the sustainability of ATL and all its stakeholders? Join us in Atlanta in early 2020 for sustainability discussions regarding Atlanta.

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.

You are about to reach a decision on improving your career in the field of sustainability and take an advanced course, like CSE’s upcoming training in London, this March 12-13, 2020. What questions should you ask before deciding ?

Is Sustainability training right for me?

Training is appropriate for all skill levels in sustainability. Courses are frequently attended by newly hired sustainability associates, by managers recently tasked with sustainability duties, by VP’s and Directors enhancing skills and refreshing their knowledge based on the latest trends. (C-suite officers should consider specialized training.) CSE participants leave with solid grounding in Sustainability Strategy and implementation and access to CSE network including FT 500 Companies, Governments and NGOs. Successful completion of the two-year plan earns the globally recognized Sustainability (CSR)-P Certification. The Advanced Edition of the Certified Sustainability (CSR) Training is the leading program in the field of Sustainability and CSR since we have certified over 1700 Managers and CSOs and 90% of the FT 500 firms from 50 countries so far.

What does the course cover?

A comprehensive course starts with the fundamental question “what does sustainability mean for my company?” and culminates with “how do we communicate our success?” In between: international regulation, supply chain, reporting standards, ESG ratings for investors, carbon footprint and more. For example, who needs to sponsor the effort (i.e., to identify C-suite leaders), ESG (environment, social, governance) pillars, CSR issues, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stakeholder concerns.

What should I expect from a trainer?

Look for a credentialed trainer, with international experience and accolades, representing an internationally known organization. Sustainability is global. Course leaders should have experience with regulations and systems which cross national boundaries and with decades of experience.

What is the difference from a certificate and a credential?

A certificate, like that offered by CSE, provides a baseline of practical knowledge and tools to start or enhance a sustainability career. Often companies send attendees to improve existing efforts. A credential is more a body of experience and expertise. CSE trainers are credentialed by various authorities in sustainability, training and management.

Will I have to take a test?

The most valuable “tests” are those which allow you to exercise, within your organization, the skills you’ve learned. CSE participants submit a two-year Action Plan which identifies company sustainability strengths and stakeholder concerns. You plan how to build a cross-organizational team, identify the most important ESG concerns and pull these pieces together into a two-year strategy. Participants praise this as the most beneficial part of the course. Successful completion earns the CSR-P certification.

Where will I have to travel?

Look for a location nearest and most convenient to you. CSE hosts training strategically located throughout Europe, around 2 per year, around 8 in North America and around the world. The locations are based on ease of access but most importantly where there are lessons to be learned. Often courses are tailored to regions, so pick one closest to you. For example, trainings in London include content on the energy sector, finance, pharmaceutical and telecommunications.

When should I attend?

Sustainability is ongoing year-round. Often materiality assessments are done the fall of one year to provide the baseline for reporting the next. That’s why CSE provides courses on a regular basis. Thus you have the opportunity to make sustainability stronger within your organization in London this March and in Brussels in June 2020.

Isn’t on-the-job training enough?

An intense course helps participants quickly gain the tools needed to implement a comprehensive and well-structured Sustainability Strategy which might otherwise take years to learn. A comprehensive course provides a fast-track to practical applications based on case studies, exercises, networking and discussion.

How much does training cost?

Trainings reflect the amount of time spent in class, the expertise of the instructors and the value of the product. They are inexpensive compared to trial-and-error (on the job) or a degree in sustainability. The CSE training in London for the 2020 Advance Edition is € 1,650.00. Contact us for discount code (early bird) or group pricing. We also offer the online Sustainability Academy and the Sustainability (ESG) Leadership Training Workshop for C-Suite Executives.

To learn more about CSE trainings visit our webpage for the next Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020 to be held in London, March 12-13, 2020. Other European trainings include Brussels, in June 25-26, 2020.

In April 2019, the city of Atlanta announced its bold and ambitious green energy plan, approved by the Atlanta City Council in March — which aims to get Atlanta 100% green in 16 years by 2035. It is ambitious with no easy path to get there.

Like any other American city, Atlanta is woven with power lines, trams and buses. The electricity that makes Atlanta run comes mostly from coal, natural gas and nuclear energy. Only 6% to 8% comes from renewable sources.

The city believes it can tackle their green energy plan by trying to use less energy, believing an opportunity to reduce the consumption in the city 25% to 30%, is possible just through the energy-efficiency side alone.

Atlanta also plans to put up a lot more solar panels — on homes, commercial buildings and at utility scale solar farms. It will rely on things like improved battery storage for solar energy as well as renewable-energy credits from outside the state to offset coal and gas power still coming from the local grid. Atlanta’s mix will also still include a lot of nuclear power.

Do you represent or are directly or indirectly linked to this reality of Atlanta’s green energy plan? What solutions do you adopt and what actions to do implement to ensure the sustainability of your organization with the city’s bold plan and ambitious plan in place? Join us in Atlanta in early 2020 for sustainability discussions regarding Atlanta.

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 Center 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.

The Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) is expanding Sustainability Training and Consulting Services to Miami, Florida. These days, greater Miami is also positioning itself as a global leader in resilience and sustainability, approaching it from all fronts. It is clear that Miami has taken some important steps involving funding, regulations, policy and program implementation to enhance sustainability.

Local and state-level authorities have committed to implementing and spending on infrastructure improvements, pump stations and repairing sea walls. Educational organizations, the scientific community, the private sector, non-profits and citizens take the lead in achieving environmental sustainability. Building a more resilient and sustainable Miami is not a “one man job” though.

THAT IS WHY TRAINING IS KEY

East coast issues include climate change and sea-level rise, water resources, city growth and management and applying ESG (environment, social, governance) principles to the region. 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. Investor relations are key! Employees need to understand this as well as employers do.

TRAININGS

CSE marks more than a decade in providing high caliber certified education on sustainability and corporate responsibility worldwide for C-suite executives & Sustainability (CSR) Managers who want to maximize their company’s impact and become qualified with the latest knowledge in the field.

An important CSE strategy is to meet corporations where they are. From construction to Silicon Valley, from banking to telecommunications, CSE has developed meaningful relationships with both SME’s and large corporations. Over the past 10 years, more than 6,500 executives from leading organizations including Google, NASA, Coca-cola, Timberland, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, L’Oréal, ExxonMobil, Hartford, T-Mobile, Procter & Gamble, Tridel and Macy’s were certified as sustainability professionals by the Center for Sustainability and Excellence.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

Not everyone has the time or the money to spend four years earning a sustainability degree. Informed employees, aware students, corporate leaders who understand the fundamentals are needed immediately! Modules on Local Legislation, Global Standards and Future Trends provide critical foundational knowledge.

In 2020 we have added Miami, in January 16-17 to our rotation of trainings. Others include New York, Atlanta and Toronto. Senior managers and VPs from more than 90% of the FORTUNE 500 have attended our programs. They join over 1500 Certified Sustainability Practitioners from over 50 countries all over the world.

For more information and Early Bird pricing, check here or contact [email protected]

The successful November 2019 Dubai training focused on the importance of the need for a comprehensive sustainability strategy, including full commitment and support of each organization’s leadership. Another focus, praised as one of the key take-aways by participants and challenges for the organizations in Gulf Countries and Africa, was the Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, there was a strong interest in measuring the social impact and value created of long-term CSR Initiatives. Also, the central role of sustainability in each county’s vision and strategy for the future was discussed, as well as for the Dubai 2020 Expo, and the role companies play in the fulfillment of these strategies.

The training included a majority of participants from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Morocco and Dubai.

Several SVPs, Circular Economy Experts, Senior Specialists, Sustainability Directors and CSR Professionals from leading companies such as The World Bank, Oman Oil, Emicool, Aldar Properties and Worley Parsons joined CSE’s certified sustainability program that has qualified over 6.500 Sustainability and CSR professionals.

CSE is preparing now for the London Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program (Advanced Edition 2020), March 12-13, 2020. As always, CSE will tailor the training to the unique needs of Europe.

Supply chain, investor rankings, and materiality are important components of the Center for Sustainability and Excellence Certified Sustainability Practitioner training which will be presented in London 2020. CSE does not pick focus topics arbitrarily, such as the request for extra SROI information in the 2019 Houston training. We listen to participants from past trainings and to participants enrolled for future trainings.

Want to inform the focus for London? Register early and earn the chance to inform the discussion, bring your unique challenges and learn the case-study based methodology to enhance your sustainability journey.

The Center for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) thanks all of our participants at our sold-out San Francisco training, October 15-16, 2019. The discussions were enlightening, deep, meaningful and the key issues brought to the table critical.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2019 provides participants the tools they need to implement effective sustainability strategies. Executives from Fortune 500 & Fortune 1000 companies tackled issues arising from Sustainability Reporting, ESG ratings, stakeholder engagement and competitive advantage. Discussion also focused on the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as responsible communication of sustainability practices, initiatives and results. The salient topics covered included supply chain, compliance, international legislation, the circular economy and the significance of materiality assessment.

Several Sustainability Professionals from leading companies such as Cisco, Oracle, Chevron, Lyft joined CSE’s certified sustainability program that has qualified over 6.500 Sustainability and CSR professionals.

Attendees were among the first to learn about CSE’s research on Sustainability Reporting Trends in Silicon Valley 2019, a follow up to 2016’s research. CSE’s research indicates that Silicon Valley has made significant improvements in sustainability strategy and reporting over the past three reporting cycles. Despite improvement, much work remains especially when comparing Silicon Valley to CSE’s research findings on the Sustainability Status of all sectors in North America.

Attendees from corporations, governments and NGOs from around the world have trusted CSE and participated in our advanced training to become Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioners and earn recognition in the Sustainability and CSR field. Each training addresses issues of deep concern to the region and the participants. The upcoming trainings include Miami January 16-17, 2020 and Atlanta March 9-10, 2020!

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition 2020, will take place in New York City on June 11-12, 2020 and its goal is to help sustainability and other ESG professionals rise to any occasion and implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in their organization.

Register early for our future global trainings and earn the chance to inform the discussion, bring your unique challenges and learn the case-study based methodology to enhance your sustainability journey.

Contact [email protected]

Former president Barack Obama was invited to speak on Wednesday, during an international conference at the Green Build Expo, where he pointed out the advantages of environmentally sustainable construction.

His administration work with the Paris Climate Accords was among the main highlights during his speaking agenda while he also broached how human behavior has been one of the main indicators of causing climate change. Additionally, he talked how our lifestyle, working patterns and city designs have to be drastically altered.

“I’m all about logic and reason and fact,” Obama said, adding, “Obviously, that’s contested these days.”

Obama sure knows and names that climate change has a severe effect in human existence and stressed the importance of equity in order to solve sustainability and climate issues.

Environment and global warming concerns tend to grow more prominent at the 2020 elections and despite the writing is on the wall, climate change is, according to Obama, one of those things where you can be too late.

Despite the urgency that is surfaced from his speech, Obama did not disregard to emphasize on how important it is to close as much as possible the huge gaps in wealth, work and opportunity if they are to be solved any sustainability and climate change issues.

Atlanta is more reflected on that view as it has repeatedly earned the questioning title of “Income inequality capital of America”.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, returns to Atlanta, March 09-10, 2019 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to provide to sustainability professionals all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives.

If anyone seems to understand a bit more clearly the truths behind climate change that would be the younger generations globally. With protests taking place almost every week, it is high time education focuses on the emergent significance of the climate change issues.

Twelve and counting are the states that have decided to put climate change in the heart of their science programs. However, in Florida, despite the numerous nature strikes it has experienced, such basic conversations are bypassed.

“Identify, analyze, and relate the internal and external conditions that contribute to global climate change.” That is what several education experts as well as teachers have agreed to when asked about Florida’s strongest climate change principals.

Though it starts to raise the subject of climate change, along with greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, even Florida’s strongest climate standard is insufficient of pointing out the human involvement in the cause of climate change. While other states bring at the front the human activity, Florida is noticed to put the matter on the side according to Rebecca Anderson, a leader with the Alliance for Climate Education.

Changing the science guidelines would not be easy. State law would have to change, teachers would need time for training and Florida’s assessments would need an update. “Climate change is now apparent and happening in real time, and they are learning how to connect the dots whether its extreme weather events, such as wildfires or flooding or hurricanes” Anderson adds.

Several climate scientists agree that climate change is driven by humans, nonetheless when it comes to Florida and education, there is a limit in terms of standards while trainers have to make any political and social noise out of the teaching classes.

Resources and local support is the key to a robust education on climate change, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Leaders are calling for this increase, but the teachers are in this kind of a sticky spot where they don’t have the training, even if they agree it’s important”.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Advanced Edition 2020, takes over Florida January 16-17, 2020 to help sustainability professionals rise to any occasion. This challenging two-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to provide to sustainability professionals all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives.

Participants at the Certified Sustainability Practitioner Program in Toronto welcomed Anna Zubets Anderson, Vice President – Senior Analyst at Moody’s Investors Service in New York.

As this program focuses on key challenges that professionals have to face in the field of Sustainability, Supply Chain, Corporate Responsibility, Sustainable Development and Circular Economy, Anna presented Moody’s views and strategy on sustainability on the last day of the program, Friday, November 1, 2019.

Anna started her presentation by discussing market interest around ESG and UN SDGs alignment increasing globally. “There is a growing focus on SDGs but there is a gap as we are not investing enough money towards SDGs,” she said. Indeed, achieving the SDGs will require between $3 trillion and $5 trillion in investment per annum in developing countries alone, according to the UN Commission on Trade and Development. Current annual investment in achieving the SDGs sits at $1.4 trillion.

Anna followed her presentation with Moody’s vision to establish ESG assessment standards to meet analytical needs of the credit analysis teams and broader market.

Moody’s objective is to improve transparency using the four ESG analytical tools:

– ESG taxonomy: What is ESG?

– Heat maps: Is ESG material to credit quality?

– Assessments: How is a specific issuer exposed to ESG risks?

– Credit opinions: How has ESG affected an issuer’s credit rating?

Trainees’ reaction was overwhelmingly positive. Those attending CSE’s two-day certification program were excited to hear Anna also discuss how the labelled bond market is growing and diversifying as she presented figures regarding the increase in green bonds compared to the emergence and increase in social and sustainability bonds.

Moody’s is a sponsor to CSEs Leading global Certified Sustainability Program. More specifically, this program aims to equip business executives with updated knowledge and practical tools necessary to develop a sustainability vision and strategy, improve branding and ESG ratings, reduce stakeholder-related risks and lead sustainable companies to deliver economic returns.

CSE’s Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Program, Leadership Edition 2020, will take place in New York City on June 11, 2020 and its goal is to help sustainability and other ESG professionals rise to any occasion and implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in their organization.

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