Social Change & Environmental Sustainability Will O’Brien Graduate School of Management August 2010 "What we take for granted may not be here for our children." - Al Gore Topics • Background: – Agenda 21 – UN Global Compact • • • • • • • Social Change & UN Millenium Goal #7 My Focus = Business & Environmental Sustainability Business Challenges & Opportunities Strategy, Innovation & Operations Examples of Business Leadership Sustainability Reporting Additional Information Agenda 21 • Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. • Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992. • The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of UNCED, to monitor and report on implementation of the agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels. It was agreed that a five year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session. • The Global Compact was first announced by the then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in an address to The World Economic Forum on January 31, 1999, and was officially launched at UN Headquarters in New York on July 26, 2000. • The full implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Commitments to the Rio principles, were strongly reaffirmed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to 4 September 2002. Source: www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/ UN Global Compact – 10 Principles The UN Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of core values in the areas of human rights, labor standards, the environment and anti-corruption: Human Rights Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. Labor Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor; Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labor; and Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. Environment Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. Anti-Corruption Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. Millenium Development Goal #7 Ensure Environmental Sustainability: • Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources • Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss • Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply) • Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers Source: Wikipedia Social Change Social change refers to an alteration in the social structure of a social group or society, i.e., a change in the nature, social institutions, social behaviors or social relations of a society. Source: Wikipedia Drivers of Social Change “Systemic social change delves behind immediate problems…. • Environmental sustainability, such as climate change, water scarcity, biodiversity and depletion of natural resources, global warming, oceans and waste (general and nuclear) Source: The Skoll Foundation http://www.skollfoundation.org/skollawards/index.asp Questions Which organizations are the target audience of the UN Global Compact? Why? If we are to achieve “social change” in support of Millenium Development Goal #7... • what do we have to change? • which organizations are most capable of achieving the required changes? My View & Approach • Which organizations? Corporations are the best positioned to impact social change as it relates to Environmental Sustainability. • How? Prepare our future business leaders to be environmental stewards and change agents by education and real-world experience. Background & Output • Since 2008, a course called “Business Sustainability” or “Greening the Corporation” has been delivered to 150 graduate students at: – Bentley University – Clark University – MA Maritime Academy • Student teams has developed and delivered Sustainability Plans to 40+ organizations including: – Corporations – Municipalities – Non-Profits Areas of Focus • • • • Organizational Mission Integrated into Operational Strategy Foster Sustainable Behavior Specific Initiatives: – – – – – – – – Energy Use Water Use Waste & Recycling Travel & Transportation Supply Chain Management & Purchasing Information Technology > “Green IT” Building Design Product & Service Design Fostering Sustainable Behavior • “Leading Change….” by John P. Kotter • “Fostering Sustainable Behavior” by Douglas McKenzie-Mohr: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Set goals Identify barriers Plan and Implement Evaluate Revise and refine Examples of Sustainability Plans www.greenprof.org Definitions & Systems Definition: Sustainable Development Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs and aspirations of the present without compromising the ability to meet those of the future. Far from requiring the cessation of economic growth, it recognizes that the problems of poverty and underdevelopment cannot be solved unless we have a new era of growth in which the developing countries play a large role and reap large benefits. Our Common Future, 1987 The Brundtland Commission (UN World Commission on Environment & Development) Environmental Footprint An environmental footprint is a measure of the amount of resources consumed and the amount of pollution; e.g., green house gas and waste created by an entity and by the firms that serve the entity, usually summarized by the equivalent are of land needed to assimilate these impacts. Source: “Measuring Environmental Footprint: A Financial Services Industry Case Study”, 2008, UNC Examples: Starbucks http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/beantocup.asp Xerox’ Sustainability Calculator http://www.betanews.com/article/How_big_is_your_environmental_footprint_asks_Xerox/1206561464 Weyerhaeuser http://www.betanews.com/article/How_big_is_your_environmental_footprint_asks_Xerox/1206561464 Earth’s Systems Complexity, Cycles & Interconnections • A system is a collection of interdependent parts (with flows and stores) enclosed within a defined boundary. • The earth has four major systems – Lithosphere – soil, rock – Hydrosphere - water – Biosphere – living organisms – Atmosphere – air • Human activity is disrupting these systems in complex, ways Dave McKay, 2009 Business & Environmental Sustainability Business Has Traditionally Assumed an Infinite Capacity Planet • Business principles based on assumption of infinite natural resources and waste absorption capacity • “The concept of multiple industries collaborating on a ‘whole systems’ approach, recycling each other’s outputs into inputs is completely antithetical to the cult of the individual and the pioneer myth that so deeply characterizes American corporate culture.”* • US antitrust legislation has not allowed “collaboration” *Oliver Kellhammer, MBA Student, Bainbridge Graduate Institute Industrial Pollution What is in a Landfill? • 22 billion disposal diapers in landfill/year • 100 million cell phone put out of service/year • 2 million tons of e-products disposed/year • 63 million computers in the U. S. became obsolete in 2005 • Circuit boards - lead & cadmium • Flat screen & switches mercury 80% of Toxic Wastes are from Electronics Products • The electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) law, in 2005, EU authorities introduce legislation for free take back of waste goods by final owners and ensure that equipment producers are responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of all waste. – 30% of Fortune 500 companies’ business are in Europe • Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition – http://www.svtc.org/ecomaps/svtc_ecomaps/index.html • Oregon Natural Step • Zero-waste Coalition • Green IT Industrial Ecology Industrial ecology focuses on the redesign of manufacturing. The design idea is to mirror production in nature. Nothing in a production process is "waste" and everything that comes out of the process is either a product for sale or an input for another manufacturing process. Another term for this is cradle-to-cradle manufacturing. Business is Providing Leadership Why is Business Part of the Solution? • Business is focused on learning and change. – Change can and does happen relatively quickly • Business is a global institution. – The challenges are fundamentally global in nature • Business is the source of technological innovation. – Technology is the proximate cause of environmental impact Dr. John Ehrenfeld, Director Emeritus, MIT Technology, Business and Environment Program Triple Bottom Line The triple bottom line (abbreviated as "TBL" or "3BL", and also known as "people, planet, profit" or "the three pillars"[1]) captures an expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational (and societal) success: economic, ecological and social. (Wikipedia) Leadership Challenges • Enrolling/aligning stakeholders • Managing an environmentally responsible enterprise: – – – – – – – – – – Business strategy Investment decisions Change management of staff Energy management Innovation Product design/ life-cycle management Supply chain management Waste management Reporting: internally and externally Marketing Stakeholders Engaging Stakeholders • • While executive support is a critical key component to business success, it is not the only form of leadership present in an organization. Business sustainability leaders understand the value in leveraging their internal resources as well as their key business relationships. Whether led by a sustainability executive or traditional management, the pursuit of long-term business sustainability enables: – Employees: Create incentives to lower costs, initiate process improvements, and stimulate innovation. – Customers: Establish expectations that are defining products and service attributes. – Suppliers: Align supply chain expectations to drive sustainable material requirements and efficiencies. – Local Community: Defined framework for initiatives carried out at the local level through partnership with community groups, local businesses, and governing bodies. – Investors: By comprehensive and accurate reporting; e.g., CDP, DJSI. – Others? Source: http://news.socialyell.com/878/csr-advice/engaging-stakeholders-as-a-path-to-business-sustainabilit Sustainable Development for Business • Sustainable development for business means “adopting business strategies and activities that meet the needs of the enterprise and its stakeholders today while protecting, sustaining, and enhancing the human and natural resources that will be needed in the future” (International Institute for Sustainable Development 1994: 4). • Sustainable business has interdependent economic, environmental, and social objectives (Triple Bottom Line) • Long-term viability depends on integrating all three objectives in decision-making Sustainability Drives Innovation Sustainability Drives Innovation Stages: #1 Viewing compliance as an opportunity #2 Making value chains sustainable #3 Designing sustainable products and services #4 Creating “next-practice “platforms “ Why Sustainability is Now a Key Driver of Innovation”, Harvard Business Review, 2009 Sustainable Entrepreneurship Businesses that are “Green” – Solar, Wind, Hydro, Geo-Thermal Power – Recycling/Reprocessing – Eco-Friendly Products – Organic Agriculture – “Green” Non-Profits • e.g., Sustainable Methods Institute Examples of Sustainability Driving Innovation Audi e-Tron • Electric – 4 motors; 1 battery •313 horsepower • All wheel drive • 0 to 62 in 4.8 seconds • Estimated range = 154 miles Nokia “Green Phone” Feb. 12, 2008 , Mobile World Congress , Barcelona “Called ‘remade’, the new phone, unveiled in a short video, is actually made of no new parts. Made entirely of recyclable materials like cans and tires, it clearly targets planet-conscious customers.” http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/reporters-notebook-android-based-phones-draw/story.aspx?guid=%7B2AA5FC69%2D24DE%2D418F%2DB26C%2D2808FD456E60%7D Apple “ Green Computer” The casing is 100% recyclable. It features Apple's first mercury-free, arsenic-free display. The circuit boards are PVC and BFR free. The box will also include about half the packaging of the current Macbook line. HP Ink-jet Printer Cartridge modular design Steelcase's 'Think' chair 99% recyclable. It's made without benzene, lead, mercury or solvents. The $900 chair can be disassembled with basic hand tools in about 5 minutes. Ready for Carbon Labeling? Jan. 23, 2007 Tesco, the largest supermarket chain in Britain, has announced that it will begin labeling all 70,000 products on its shelves with the amount of carbon generated from the production, transport and consumption of those items. http://www.terrapass.com/blog/posts/british-superma Business Operations Operations • • • • • • • • • • • Business & Operations Strategy End-of-Life Product Management Quality & Environmental Management Energy Efficiency Environmental Management System (ISO 14001) Facilities Management Project Management Information Technology (“Green IT”) Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Lean Manufacturing (JIT) Supply Chain Management Timeline of Competitive Priorities Cost Quality Delivery Flexibility/Customization Service Sustainability 1950s © Collins Family Foundation 1990s 2000s Operations Strategy • Company will only do what makes economic sense – Given its concern for environment, company still to consider competition and bottom line • Early-mover advantage – Look for better solution • Service-based business model – chemical management services (Nortel) – floor-covering service (Interface) – leasing (Xerox) – printing service (HP) fractal pattern, modular design Quality Management Projects per environmental concerns Percentage of projects Environmental concerns Resource depletion Global warming Ozone depletion Human toxicity Exotoxicity (water and soil) Ground level ozone Acidification Nutrification Waste heat Odor Noise Others 16 46 6 10 3 3 2 3 3 3 4 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 End-of life Product Management Environmental Management System ISO 14000- 14001 http://www.innovating-canada.com/iso14000.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCjK3lQhPDc Facilities Management • • • • • • • • Energy & Greenhouse management Water Management Waste Management & Recycling Biodiversity Pollution Prevention & Environmental Risk Management Transport Community Awareness Environmental Management Green Information Technology • “Going green — or the ability to be green — is definitely increasing in importance, not just from a power perspective but also from how we, as good corporate citizens, dispose of all this equipment and our electronic waste. We are all waking up to the realization that nothing, from electricity to the quality of the environment, is free or infinite.” John Humphreys, IDC Enterprise Platform Group Lean Manufacturing Look at the “waste” and impact in the overall system • • • • • Production process Inventory Material choice (recycled vs. virgin) Energy usage of the product Product impact on the local community “Waste” is defined as anything more than absolutely necessary so any environmental residual is bad. Facilities Design/Energy Utilization Cooper and Omron takes the LEED™ in "green" design/build LEED The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. http://www.usgbc.org/ Project Management Project Management Institute (PMI) Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct: “We make decisions and take actions based on the best interests of society, public safety, and the environment.” “Respect is our duty to show a high regard for ourselves, others, and the resources entrusted to us. Resources entrusted to us may include people, money, reputation, the safety of others, and natural or environmental resources.” www.pmi.org Supply Chain • Integrated international networks of companies process, produce and distribute products. Green Supply Chain Management Environmental Management Supply Chain Management Green Supply Chain Management “Wal-Mart to Assign Green Ratings” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124766892562645475.html Benefits of Sustainable Operations The application of sustainable operations can result in significant business benefits including: • • • • • • • • Greater operational efficiencies Cost reduction Quality image Opportunities for new and growing markets Conservation of the environment Positive publicity Respect from the local community Staff loyalty Examples of Leadership Triple Bottom Line Social policy dialogue Social responsibility Products Environmental management “Baseline management” ABB’s organizational structure Local 1990 Environmental Product Declarations, Life Cycle Assessments Sites Implementation of ISO 14001 Regional 1994 ABB’s first Environmental Report Global 2000 ABB’s first Sustainability Report Customer centric 2002 ABB’s first triple bottom line Sustainability Report Transforming Sustainability into Customer Value Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, • • • • • Sustainability is an integral part of BMW business principles and practices, which has led to a confirmation of its leadership position in the automotive industry. The company has been able to surpass its peers by exhibiting unparallel commitment to environmental issues. BMW strives to conserve environmental resources throughout its value chain from production systems to materials used in-bound and out-bound logistics, and recycling and disposal of used vehicles. The company has implemented efficient environmental management systems, and undertakes regular external and internal audits for its operations as well as for its suppliers. BMW has also included a package of multiple emission reduction measures in large parts of the car fleet (called Efficient Dynamics) in order to meet the challenges of global warming and fossil fuel reserves, which is illustrated by 25 percent decline in car fleet emissions in 2008 as compared with 1995 levels. Along with various initiatives undertaken to achieve environmental efficiency, the company also takes measures, such as 360 degree feedback and benchmarking of brands against that of peers, to strengthen its brand image and gain competitive advantage. Source: DJSI World Kingfisher • Kingfisher Plc is a London-based international home improvement retailer. The company's main retail brands run on the do-it-yourself (DIY) concept and include products such as complete kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. • The company sets sustainability targets and regularly measures its progress through a social and environmental management system called 'STEPS'. • Its "Future Homes" strategy for instance is designed to integrate sustainability into commercial operations, bringing innovative products to the market to help its customers adopt more sustainable lifestyles. • In Kingfisher's specialized DIY home improvements stores (e.g. B&Q in the UK and Castorama in France) customers are increasingly enticed to choose from a wide range of green products. • In 2008 this accounted for 7% of total sales. Source: DJSI World Panasonic Electric Works • Panasonic ‘s concentrated efforts to develop environment-friendly operations has resulted in operational excellence, which is evident from a sharp decline in greenhouse gas and dust emissions; and reduced electricity, water and waste consumption. • The concept of restoring bio-diversity is also adopted at a strategic level in the company; e.g., the company constructed a 'Prosperous Park' including biotope in a building premise in Osaka in March 2009. • In the social dimension, the promotion of labor practices within the organisation differentiates it from other companies. The company has established 'Diversity Promotion Office', and has been awarded Diversity Award Semi Grand prize. Source: DJSI World Starbucks In 2004, with support from CH2M HILL, Starbucks voluntarily conducted an inventory of its greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to understand and evaluate its contribution to climate change. Using the WRI Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Starbucks limited the inventory to areas with the biggest environmental impact: retail, coffee roasting, administration operations and its distribution network. Based on the results, Starbucks committed to reducing emissions by: • Purchasing renewable energy—annually, five percent of the energy needed by its North America retail stores, generated by 11 large-scale windmills, and estimated to reduce CO2 emissions by two percent; • Addressing the impact of its transportation operations—working with Business for Social Responsibility’s (BSR) Clean Cargo Group on ocean transportation and using the Clean Cargo tool to engage freight vendors; • Monitoring roasting plant operations— an environmental team at each of the company’s four roasting plants are creating measures for reducing emissions and conserving energy; • Taking leadership and raising awareness—by encouraging others to take action. • Setting a reduction target—in fiscal 2005, the company established a gas emissions reduction target. Sources: Starbucks http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/beantocup.asp http://www.greenatworkmag.com/gwsubaccess/05julaug/starbucks.html The Unilever Group • • • • Unilever is one of the world's leading food producers, and household and personal care product manufacturer. The company owns 270 manufacturing plants across six continents. It employs around 174,000 people in more than 100 countries worldwide. The company has out-performed others in the environmental and economic dimensions by strategically focusing on achieving a long-term sustainable business model. This is reflected through a decline in the ecological footprint of the company. The company has initiated the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative (SAI) and the Lead Agricultural Program to promote the adoption of a responsible approach towards farming practices and has also published guidelines for sustainable farming practices. Unilever has developed the 'Greenhouse Gas Profiling Tool' in order to assess the environmental impact of its new products. It also creates nutritional awareness among consumers by labeling the nutritional value of ingredients on packets. Source: DJSI World Examples of “Profitable Sustainability” Wal-Mart Sustainability Reporting • • • • Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) UN Global Compact – Communications on Progress (COP) Carbon Disclosure Project The Carbon Disclosure Project is an independent not-for-profit organization holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world. Thousands of organizations from across the world’s major economies measure and disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate change strategies through CDP. We put this information at the heart of financial and policy decision-making. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Disclosure_Project www.cdproject.net/en-US/Pages/HomePage.aspx Carbon Disclosure Project Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) results and reports Find out how organizations and public sector bodies around the world are responding to climate change by taking a look at the individual corporate responses to CDP or by reading our reports. Our reports provide detailed analysis of the information supplied each year to CDP and indicate important trends and developments. Read our reports Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. The identification of sustainability leaders for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes is based on the Corporate Sustainability Assessment of SAM Research. A defined set of criteria and weightings is used to assess the opportunities and risks deriving from economic, environmental and social developments for the eligible companies. A major source of information is the SAM questionnaire which is completed by companies participating in the annual review. The external assurance report by Deloitte ensures that the corporate sustainability assessments are completed in accordance with the defined rules. Based on SAM Research's corporate sustainability assessment companies are ranked within their industry group and selected for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, if they are among the sustainability leaders in their field. For a detailed description of this selection process you can download the guidebook for the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes and the guidebook for the Dow Jones STOXX Sustainability Indexes. www.sustainability-index.com/ Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has pioneered the development of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework and is committed to its continuous improvement and application worldwide. This framework sets out the principles and indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance. www.globalreporting.org/ 2007 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Matrix UN Global Compact COP One of the explicit commitments that a company makes when it joins the UN Global Compact is to produce an annual Communication on Progress (COP). This is a requirement of participation which serves several important purposes: • to instill accountability; • to drive continuous improvement; • to safeguard the integrity of the UN Global Compact as a whole; • and to contribute to the development of a repository of corporate practices. www.unglobalcompact.org/cop/index.html Additional Information Information Sources Student Projects / Sustainability Plans & More www.greenprof.org Books: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Anderson (1998), Mid-Course Correction Brown, Christopher Stephen. (2005). Sustainable Enterprise Cunningham, William P. (2007), Environmental Science Doppelt, Bob (2003) Leading Change Toward Sustainability Elkington (1997), Cannibals with forks (The “Triple Bottom Line”) Epstein, Marc (2008), Making Sustainability Work Esty, Daniel C and Winston, Andrew S. (2006), Green to Gold Galea, Chris (August 2004). Teaching Business Sustainability Graedel, T.E.(2003), Industrial Ecology Hawken, Paul (1999) Natural Capitalism Hawken, Paul (1993), The Ecology of Capitalism. Holiday et al, (2002), Walking the Talk McDonough/ Braungart (2002), Cradle to Cradle Meadows, Donella H. (1992), Beyond the Limits Savitz, Andrew W. & Weber, Karl (2006) Triple Bottom Line Sitarz, Daniel, (2008), Greening Your Business Willard, Bob (2002), The Sustainability Advantage Strategic Sustainability Consulting http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/ Additional Information • GSOM course: “Greening the Corporation” (MGMT 5505) • Check out Haiti Sustainability Plan on www.greenprof.org “Social Change” Think Globally > Act Locally > Impact Globally Understand challenges > Do what you can in: > Have a global impact - your life - your home - your company - your community Chinese coal mine fires > I am powerless to > Do nothing make any difference My world view….one person can make a real difference.