1. Sustainability Training for Industry Employees
DRAFT
October 13, 2016

2. Module 1: What is Sustainability?
Objective: To provide a basic overview of the concept of sustainability and its impact on business.

3. Defining Sustainability
Sustainability can be defined many different ways.
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs - Gro Harlem Bruntland
Ensuring that we leave our environment no worse than we found it (and if possible, better).
Creating and maintaining the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations – EPA
Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report, from the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) was published in 1987.
The publication of Our Common Future and the work of the World Commission on Environment and Development laid the groundwork for the convening of the 1992 Earth Summit and the adoption of Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration and to the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

4. How do businesses define sustainability?
Sustainability is the pursuit of a business growth strategy that creates long-term shareholder value by seizing opportunities and managing risks related to the company’s environmental and social impacts.
- Conference Board: CEO Challenge; Navigating Sustainability Transformation

5. Graphically, this means business sustainability can be found at the intersection of economic, environmental and social impacts

6. Economy
Enterprise Impact
Sales, profits, ROI
Cost savings
Efficient usage of resources
Jobs created
Sustainable advantaged products
The economic dimension focuses on the efficient use of resources, usually expressed in monetary terms. It is the business of staying in business.

7. Managing Environmental
Issues
Water Quality
Waste Management
Energy Usage
Air Quality
The environmental dimension concerns an organization's impact on living and non-living natural systems, including ecosystems, land, air, and water.
Environmental indicators cover performance related to inputs (e.g., material, energy, water) and outputs (e.g., emissions, effluents, waste).

8. Corporate Responsibility
Society
Corporate Responsibility
Community outreach
Employee engagement
Human rights
Product responsibility
Safety
Supply Chain
Transparency
The social dimension focuses attention on the impacts organizations have on the communities in which they operate, and disclosing how the risks that may arise from interactions with other social institutions are managed and mediated.
Discuss corporate social responsibility in terms of community outreach, safety, human rights, product responsibility.
Resources:
GEMI Transparency: A Path to Public Trust
GEMI-EDF Guide to NGO Corporate Partnerships

9. The Business Case for Sustainability
Customers
Brand / Reputation / Transparency
Team members
Recruiting / Retention
Stakeholders (The Street)
Performance
Competitiveness

10. Business Case Examples
Creating Value through Sustainability
Consumers around the world are beginning to understand how their lifestyles and purchasing decisions impact the planet. Here are some examples of companies that have successfully created value through sustainability.

11. Ashland
An increasing number of consumers around the world now understand the impact their lifestyles have on the planet and are taking into account the effect their purchasing decisions have on them, their neighbors, and the environment.
Understanding this, Ashland Vincience™ has worked to add significantly to its list of sustainably-advantaged ingredients.
Sustainably-advantaged ingredients are providing Ashland’s customers new opportunities to create highly functional skin and hair care products with a range of benefits considered good for consumers, local economies and the environment.

12. FedEx
FedEx’s EarthSmart program bundles initiatives that offer tangible business and environmental benefits. EarthSmart covers the span of FedEx impact and projects must meet high, measurable standards to qualify for EarthSmart designation.
Examples of FedEx Global EarthSmart Solutions include electrical assisted tricycles which operate in Paris, hybrid trucks and all electric delivery vehicles which FedEx employs in major urban centers including Paris and London, and automated shipping tool Electronic Trade Documents.
Through EarthSmart FedEx strives to pioneer smart, earth-friendly innovation that will help protect the vital resources of our planet. It hopes the program’s ultimate impact will be to provide groundbreaking environmental stewardship that can be shared with others.
Video:
More:

13. P&G
With Tide Purclean, P&G is aiming to set the performance standard for natural detergents and in turn bring more consumers to the natural detergent category.
1. Product Design - USDA certified bio-based ingredients are sustainably sourced. 65% bio-based. Performs as well as Tide Original liquid detergent regarding stain removal. 
2. Manufacturing - Formula is made with 100% renewable wind power electricity. Formula is made at a zero manufacturing waste to landfill site.
3. Packaging - Bottle is made from 25% post-consumer recycled materials.
4. Reuse/Recycle - Tide purclean™ comes in 100% recyclable bottle.
The detergent’s energy saving formulation cleans well in cold water, and both HE and non-HE washing machines.

14. Sealed Air
Over 7 million children die each year from diseases that can be prevented with simple hand washing. And every year, a typical 400-room hotel generates 3.5 tons of solid soap waste.
That’s why Sealed Air started Soap for Hope, which teaches at-risk communities to salvage the hotels' soap slivers and turn them into new soap bars. 
Since launching Soap for Hope in October 2013, Sealed Air now has more than 249 participating hotels in 22 countries across the world.
To date, Soap for Hope has diverted 738 tons of solid soap waste from landfills, produced over 6.1 million bars of soap and distributed them to 400,000+ people.

15. Our Company’s Definition of Sustainability
[Why it’s important to us]
[Programs and value created]
Use this space to insert information on your company’s approach to sustainability.

16. Closing
Sustainability can be a complex topic. This module is intended to provide a baseline understanding of the concept and its impact on business value.
Sustainability can help companies to manage business risks and create new growth opportunities.
Systematic management of Economic, Environmental, and Social aspects is fundamental to sustainability.
Employees are encouraged to consider how sustainability can bring value to themselves and their businesses.

17. For more information and helpful resources
visit
Acknowledgements
This training was developed in a collaborative process by Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) members, in collaboration with US EPA Region 4 Office of Sustainability.
Special thanks to US EPA Region 4 for offering its E3 Sustainable Manufacturing Curriculum as a framework for this effort.
Disclaimer
The information included in this training is based on the professional judgment of the individual collaborators. The comments incorporated in this training are those of the individual collaborators and not necessarily their organizations.
Neither EPA, GEMI nor its members are responsible for any form of damage that may result from the application of the information contained in this document.
Suggest to include references and resources on page on GEMI website (to be created)