NASA - Sustainability Academy

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.

2018 Houston training start of partnerships and friendships!

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) is constantly growing its network of certified sustainability practitioners. Why do we make such an effort? UN Sustainable Development Goal #17 encourages us to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.” We’re thrilled the UN has codified what we’ve done for over 15 years!

In Houston, we celebrated 10 years of sustainability (ESG) training. We had participants from North and South America. Sectors included Food & Beverage, Energy, Utilities, Infrastructure, Facilities Management, Government and Environmental Consulting. When the city of Plano, Texas, NASA, Sandia and the US Forest Service share ideas, successes, challenges and meals with ExxonMobil, Shell, Aegion, and Vulcan Materials, the conversations are forward reaching.

The training hosted three sustainability consulting professionals and three returning practitioners. This speaks to the relevancy of the CSE research and the degree to which we stay ahead of trends. You don’t come to our training to catch-up. You come to be a leader!

Of the many insightful conversations, the most valuable ranged around the sharing of ideas. One conversation connected an energy company with biomimicry inspired solar cell coatings. Another shared favorite authors and pioneers in the field of sustainability. We mentioned Donella Meadows for systems thinking and Allan Savory for herd management. And, of course, our own award-winning president and sustainability pioneer, Nikos Avlonas.

What partnerships will emerge? Which networks will grow? Too soon to tell. But, when Jack Link’s beef jerky talks to Treaty Oak whiskey distillery, who knows what sustainable foodie innovations will emerge?

CSE is a leading boutique firm specializing in maximizing social, economic and environmental impact. We help professionals advance their careers through our certified on-site, online and group training services globally. We support Fortune 500 companies and other organizations grow and excel through our specialized consulting services. Our next North America Certified Sustainability (CSR) Practitioner Programs, updated for 2019, will be held in Atlanta, USA, Feb. 21-22, 2018, and Toronto, Canada, April 11-12, 2018.