Sustainability – How are You Doing It?

Webster defines sustainable as of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. The words in the thesaurus really caught my attention: nourish/nurture, keep/maintain, hold up, support, affirm, confirm, corroborate and substantiate.

Isn’t that what we want to do? Nourish and nurture, support and affirm.

Sustainability and Going Green have been the buzz words for the past few years. When the economy took a downturn it appeared the Green Initiatives may have been put on the back burner. The reality is just the opposite which is exciting news.

A Forbes Corporate Responsibility Blog, on 27 January, shows the results of a recent survey where CEOs see sustainability shifting from choice to corporate priority. According to the survey 80% of top management says the economic downturn raised the important of sustainability as an issue; and, 74% says the downturn lead the company to align sustainability more closely with core business. Read the complete Forbes Blog through this link:
http://blogs.forbes.com/csr/2010/06/23/ungc-survey-ceos-see-sustainability-shifting-from-discretionary-choice-to-corporate-priority/

There are many things we each can do in our work environments to be more eco-friendly. Start with your work commute, could you carpool? Could you adopt a flex-schedule to allow employees to not be forced to drive during the worst traffic there by saving not only gas but valuable time? Other ideas include changing out those old light bulbs for the new compact fluorescent bulbs – they save money and last longer. If you are not already recycling your trash what are you waiting for? It’s easy to recycle your paper, cans and glass at work. If you don’t want to actually replace the trash containers simply write on the bin which type of trash should be placed inside. Most large cities have recycling programs, check with your county if you aren’t sure about the process or pick up times.

Here are some ideas for making improvements in your home. Replacing your light bulbs should be top of your list. Check your windows and doors for drafts. For doors you can use inexpensive items like ‘door snakes’ to block drafts along the bottom. Or, if you are handy, replace (or add) weather stripping along the doors and windows. You can also check your insulation to ensure it is adequate. Many improvements have been made in this area including the ability to add insulation to walls without major renovation. Check out the US Department of Energy for additional information on products and tax credits http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11440

The Global Footprint Network is an international think tank working to advance sustainability using a resource accounting tool that measures how much nature we have, how much we use and who uses what. Their web site is http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN , very interesting what they are doing.

Pink Magazine did a great series on sustainability this week which is where some of the information in this blog originated. Take a few minutes to read their articles and get more ideas on what you can do. http://www.littlepinkbook.com/little-pink-book

So, how are you doing the sustainability thing? These are the three questions Forbes asked the CEOs, what would your answers be?

– Sustainability is changing, how is your company addressing it
– Next Steps: going from strategy to execution
– What’s ahead: competing in an era of sustainability