January 2012

Hello Friend:

With the dawn of a new year, I'm taking a fresh look at the role I can play to help reach the elusive sustainability tipping point. Which drivers should I focus on to catalyze change? Where can I best contribute?

2012 will be a year of discovery for me as I explore different avenues to find the most effective ways to generate the changes we seek.

The good news is that already this year I've been inspired by the bold goals and commitments made by a group of companies I've been tracking. Check out my recent blog post Game-changing Resolutions.

This year I will focus my efforts to:

• Advance board-level governance of sustainability.
• Advise companies on how to become a sustainability leader.
• Mobilize trade associations to develop sustainability programs for their members.
• Support governments to leverage CSR to motivate businesses on sustainability performance improvements.
• Publish a definitive set of social performance guidelines for Canadian corporations.
• Improve the sustainability impact of supply chains.
• Frame a system-change model for advancing sustainability across social and environmental
  impact areas.

That last bullet is probably a book!

I'm interested in your ideas on how best to catalyze positive change – and in your personal journey to help realize a sustainable world.

Now, here’s...

NEWS FROM STRANDBERG CONSULTING

Over the past few months I have worked on social, environmental and triple-bottom-line strategies for a variety of sectors including local government, beverage, insurance, asset management, banking, safety and the public sector. I provide advice to companies and organizations who seek to be leaders in their sector so this keeps me at the forefront of trends as we move toward the sustainability tipping point.

Other recent initiatives include:

HR and CSR

• Trained human resources managers on their role to advance a sustainability culture within their organization using an Industry Canada-sponsored tool.

CSR Governance Assessments

• Conducted sustainability training and governance gap assessments for corporate boards using the CSR Governance Guidelines I co-developed with Canadian Business for Social Responsibility.
• Authored a tool on how to integrate social and environmental factors into governance and management systems for Credit Union Central of Canada – applicable to most industries.

Renewable Energy Leadership

• Conducted research on the business case for renewable energy leadership and the role
  companies can take to become leaders in this area.

Sustainable Purchasing

• Authored a sustainable purchasing guide that includes a business case, steps to develop a program and engage suppliers, and a sustainable procurement toolkit. If you are in the Vancouver area on February 24, I am facilitating an introduction to sustainable purchasing workshop with my colleague Tim Reeve for the BuySmart Network.

Client Recognition
Over the past few years I supported TransLink in developing its sustainability governance framework and the production of its first sustainability report. Last fall TransLink achieved gold-level recognition from the American Public Transportation Association for its leadership and innovation in sustainability – the highest level of recognition ever awarded to any transportation authority in North America. Congratulations TransLink!

LEED Gold
For those of you interested in my green-building journey, the final milestone was achieved two months ago when we hung the LEED Gold certification plaque on our front porch. The Burnaby Now wrote a feature article on the project.

Since my last newsletter, I've added the following posts to my blog. I welcome your thoughts on:

Game-changing Resolutions
Published January 16, 2012
Welcome to the New Year! Let's make it a year fuelled by game-changing resolutions ... You might be surprised by the breadth and scope of the goals and commitments some large companies are publicly setting for themselves. Recently I tracked a new trend where large companies set bold and visionary game-changing targets.

Tips and Tools for Sustainable Purchasing
Published on November 15, 2011
Sustainable or responsible purchasing can be a powerful tool for catalyzing a more sustainable economy. While green consumerism has yet to fulfill its potential as a driver of improved social and environmental conditions, B2B (business-to-business) and B2G (business-to-government) procurement can have considerable impact in the economy.

Advancing a Green Economy
Published on October 4, 2011
At a time when many national economies are in the red, let's put our energy into building a green economy. I recently facilitated a lively discussion among green-economy experts. We talked about how public policy can advance a green-economy agenda.

Have a happy, healthy, game-changing 2012.

Coro