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Sustainable Organizations Are Tightly Linked
Environment
CommunityEconomy
Achieving progress toward sustainability requires maintaining and improving economic, environmental, and community wellbeing, not choosing one over
the others
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Community
Economy
Environment
Sustainable Context25+ Years
Long Term Sustainability Framework
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Acknowledges the links between and the importance of each element and is measurable
The Sustainability Context
A sustainable context includes but is not limited to answers to questions such as:
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What is the quality of life
for all members—human
and non-human
of your community?
How does sustainability
impact the bottom line
of the enterprise?
How do we measure
sustainability?
Does the enterprise have
the ability to meet
its basic needs?
How involved are people in
making their community a
better place to work, play
and live?
Is environmental
quality a concern?
Effective sustainability metrics are:
• showing something about the system that needs to be understood
Relevant
• including the links among the economy, environment, and community
Multidimensional
• even by people who are not experts
Understandable
• enabling trust in the information provided
Reliable
• facilitating timely action
Accessible
Effective Sustainability Metrics
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Sustainability Within Context
Environment
Community
Economy
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Achieving progress toward sustainable development is a matter of social choice on the part of individuals, groups, enterprises, communities, and governments that comprise the ecosystem context. It is an evolutionary process with no specifically defined end state.
Not Just an Environmental Movement
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Sustainability is:
a community movement
an economic movementan environmental movement
Impacts of Sustainability
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•Sustainability impacts the entire ecosystem that is our enterprise, our community, our economy, and our environment
•The sustainability concept integrates our economic and social (community) lives into the environment in ways that maintain and enhance the environment rather than degrade or destroy it
•Sustainable community issues include all the different parts that make up a community
Definition of Community
Community can be defined in social terms such as our town or county and be expanded to include our region or country, and further expanded to encompass our continent or our world
The human ecology exists within each community
Communities exist in the environment of the earth’s ecosystem
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Definition of Economy
The economy is the social system of production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
Any specific economy involves the environment, technology, history, geography, resources, and other factors
Economy encompasses job growth, diversity, benefits, and the work needed to support basic needs
The economy includes work performed, profit, and the ability to produce a needed product or service
The economy can be considered on a local, national, or global level
Any enterprise may be involved in more than one economy, more than one community, and more than one local environment
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Effective Sustainability Metrics
Indicators that measure progress toward sustainability need to measure the interactions between the economy, the community and the environment and its impact on the individual
Frequently the best metrics have not been captured
Traditional metrics have several advantages and disadvantages
Your metrics must change over time
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Community EconomyEnvironment
Advantages of Traditional Metrics
The data is readily available and can be used to compare communities
Traditional metrics can help to define problem areas
Traditional metrics can be combined to create sustainability metrics
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Community EconomyEnvironment
Disadvantages of Traditional Metrics
Traditional data sources and metrics focus attention on traditional solutions
For example, measuring miles per gallon does not enable easy understanding of improvement, instead measuring gallons per mile creates a much richer understanding and will lead to much better solutions
If your defined metrics are readily available you have not thought hard enough about sustainability
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Community EconomyEnvironment
What You Receive
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Marketing access to regional locations
The COS is developing media partnerships with each AMOS Project location to gain
exposure in the specific markets
The Central Upstate Region of New York has numerous partnerships to reach thousands in
the clean and green technology sectors
Connect with potential collaborators working on sustainability projects
The COS will provide a virtual platform to match companies with potential collaborators
Networking opportunities with industry leaders and prospective clients
The COS is hosting a minimum of 20 (physical and virtual) networking events for member companies in 2009
++
Business to Business Connections
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Join the COS online discussion forum
The COS has an online discussion forum for members
Attend national COS events, including the SUSTAINABLE2000 event
The COS will host a national event in 2010
Gain knowledge about sustainability through connections, events, committees, and many more opportunities
The COS is hosting a minimum of five regional events in 2009
Network with other members
The COS has a members-only, interactive website that promotes numerous ways to collaborate between companies+++
National Exposure
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Inclusion in a national media campaign to promote sustainability issues
List your company in the COS exclusive online
Member Directory
A free subscription to the COS e-newsletter
Subscription to specific topical email announcements
Credibility
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Complimentary submissions to receive a SUSTAINABLE2000 award
• The ratings system is being developed and will be launched in the third quarter of 2009
Ability to use the COS logo on organization marketing collateral
• The COS logo will be provided in multiple formats upon acceptance of membership proposal
Professional Development
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Complimentary registrations to the Chamber’s national and local events and programs
• The COS will host a minimum of 5 events in 2009
Attend COS advocacy training sessions
• The COS will host a minimum of two advocacy training sessions in 2009
Access to Government
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•Committees are being developed throughout the country in will be operational in the third quarter of 2009
Serve on a SUSTAINABLE2000
committee to shape the future of sustainability
issues
•A government affairs consulting group will be secured by third quarter of 2009 and members will be encouraged to participate
Participate in legislative outreach efforts and stay
up to date with federal and local government
sustainability programs
•A comprehensive list will be continuously updated for COS members and be available on the members-only website
Learn about funding opportunities for
sustainable businesses
Involvement
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Become a developer of the SUSTAINABLE2000 ratings system for national use•Members will have the opportunity to join in
the update of the system by the third quarter of 2009
Host COS committee meetings at your organization’s office(s)•The COS will coordinate committee meetings
on your behalf at company location(s)
Community Outreach
Host events at the AMOS Project locations
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What We Do
Assist companies in marketing sustainable products and services
The COS is providing marketing advice to companies as a benefit, along with access to industry experts to assist with the planning
Help develop strategic partnerships between member companies
The COS is actively leading collaboration initiatives by gathering like-minded companies that produce positive partnerships
Produce positive economic growth opportunities
The COS is developing strategic plans and opportunities for all member companies to grow their revenue streams
Promote increased public awareness of sustainability issues
The COS is initiating a public relations campaign in target regions with input from member companies
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How Do You Develop Effective Metrics?
1. Does the metric provide a long-term view of the community?
2. Does the metric address the ability of the community's human capital including skills, abilities, health and education?
3. Does the metric address the ability of the renewable and nonrenewable resources that the community relies on?
4. Does the metric address the issue of economic, social or biological diversity in the community?
5. Does the metric address the ability of the entire ecosystem services that the community relies on?
6. Does the metric address the ability of a community's social systems to work together and interact in meaningful ways?
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How Do You Develop Effective Metrics?
7. Does the metric address the ability of a community's man-made materials that are focused on quality of life and the ability to maintain and enhance them with existing resources?
8. Does the metric address the issue of esthetic qualities that are important to the community?
9. Is the metric easy to understand and use?
10.Does the metric address the equity and fairness between current community residents or between current and future individuals?
11. Does the metric address economic, social or biological diversity in the community?
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How Do You Develop Effective Metrics?
12. Does the metric measure a link between the economy and environment?
13. Does the metric measure a link between the environment and the community?
14. Does the metric measure a link between the community and the economy?
15. Does the metric measure sustainability that is at the expense of another community or at the expense of global sustainability?
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