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FEATURED ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE:
Rio +20: Webinar Recap and Final Event Run-Up
The first meetings of the long anticipated Rio+20 conference begin in less than three weeks. Take a look below for a report on what to expect at this historic event, and for a recap of the Rio+20 preview Webinar recently offered by ISSP.
ISSP Indonesia Holds First Meeting as
Local Chapters Launch Worldwide
As a way to expand services offered to our members, local ISSP chapters are now starting to form worldwide. The first meeting of the ISSP chapter in Indonesia attracted more than 150 participants. Read more about local chapter efforts below.
Climate Change Adaptation in Nigeria
Climate change is on the minds of every country, but perhaps nowhere will the effects be so dramatic or potentially calamitous as in Africa. ISSP member Stanley Ijeoma offers perspective on what his home country of Nigeria must do to apt in the article below.
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THE RUN-UP TO RIO+20 UN Negotiations Continue in Advance of Historic Conference
With less than three weeks to go before Rio+20, consensus still eludes the negotiators working on the draft text. An additional informal negotiating session was held in New York last week.
According to reports from Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), during this weeklong session, delegates discussed an 80-page revised draft text produced by the Co-Chairs in two working groups and over 20 issue-specific contact or "splinter" groups. In the end, 70 paragraphs were agreed, with 259 others containing bracketed text. So, some progress was made, but key areas of divergence remain, including: several issues within the framework for action, such as climate change, oceans and food and agriculture; the process for the establishment of sustainable development goals (SDGs); means of implementation, most notably finance and technology transfer; institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD); and green economy. To continue reading, click here.
Rio+20 Preview Webinar Hosted by ISSP
Offers Inside Look at What To Expect
ISSP's May 24 webinar, "The Importance of Rio+20," effectively presented multiple stakeholder perspectives in advance of the upcoming Rio+20 event. As the initial event in ISSP's "Policy & Standards" workstream, the intent of the broadcast, according to organizer and moderator Ira Feldman, was to provide attendees with "clarity about the scope and themes, a sharpened focus on the issues under discussion, and a realistic set of expectations surrounding the importance of Rio+20." For a full report on the Webinar, click here.
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MEMBER INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES Local ISSP Chapters Now Forming Worldwide!
ISSP is taking member services to a new level. We are responding to the demand to create opportunities for members to meet and learn locally, face-to-face. There have already been several meetings around the globe. One in Jakarta brought in nearly 50 new members in one swoop - see related article below. Other areas where action is brewing include Australia, Brazil, Chicagoland, Southern and Northern California, Texas, New England and more. If you are interested in joining one of these groups or starting a group in your own area, contact Marsha Willard. |
Free Books for Reviewers!
Want a free book? ISSP makes publisher review copies of new sustainability related books available to members of ISSP in exchange for a short review to post to our web site. If you'd like to be on the list of potential reviewers, send an email to our Resource Manager, Dorothy Atwood.
Immediately available for review:
Leveraging Corporate Responsibility by CB Bhattacharya, Sankar Sen and Daniel Korschun Back To Top
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Sharpen Your Professional Edge: Join a Dō Sustainability Review Group
Following on from our last announcement about Dō Sustainability Publishers, we would now like to invite you to join a working group around the following DōShorts (10-15,000 word ebooks), which will be in their launch series:
- How to make your company a recognizable sustainability champion
- Supply chain stewardship
- Fostering green behavior at work
- Sustainability reporting for SMEs
- Water risk management for SMEs
- Corporate climate adaptation
How it will work ... When the first draft of the manuscript comes in, we will give you an access code to enable you to read it online. There will be an online meeting (with the author) during which you can feed back on the manuscript, suggest any changes that might make it more suitable for your purposes or your region, and pose questions about your work to the author. There will also be an online discussion forum for people who want to continue to exchange ideas about the topic, with input from the author. We would like to limit each group to 8 or 10 people. And we would like to give each reviewer a voucher for a free DōShort - which can be shared with three colleagues or friends. To register for one (or more) of these groups, please email your chosen topic(s) to [email protected] and tell us a little bit about your work and information needs in this area. Other ways to get involved What problems can we fix for you? What challenges are you facing? You can 'Suggest a DōShort', 'Nominate an Author' and sign up to our newsletter at www.dosustainability.com. All DōShorts will be announced through our newsletter.
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Indonesia Chapter of ISSP Attracts More than 150 People to Its Inaugural Meeting
The launch of the Indonesia chapter of ISSP in late May was a smashing success. More than 150 people attended from business community, governments, academia, and NGOs. Another 13 came from 11 different media outlets including newspaper magazines, and radio and TV stations. Maria Dian Nurani, the chair and managing partner of Aicon Strategic Sustainability Management, helped organize the meeting. She reports that 48 of the participants registered as ISSP members right on the spot. Congrats to Maria and the other chapter organizers on hosting such a great first event!
According to a blog post on the Hult Team Indonesia Website, the event included a number of TED-styled talks and ended with a cross-sectoral debate on what sustainability is, how it can be achieved, and what each stakeholders' roles are.
The high powered panel included Liana Bratasida, the Republic of Indonesia's assistant minister of the environment for global environmental affairs, Sofyan Wanandi, head of the Indonesian Entrepreneurs Association, a representative of the Walhi NGO that focuses on environmental issues, Prof. Dr. Bambang Shergi Laksmono, dean of the social and political faculty of the University of Indonesia and Dr. Emil Salim, the head of the presidential advisory board of the Republic of Indonesia.
For a full report on the day's activities, click here.
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DISPATCH FROM AFRICA Nigeria and Climate Change Adaptation By Stanley Ijeoma
Climate change is on the minds of every country, but perhaps nowhere will the effects be so dramatic or potentially calamitous as in Africa. ISSP member Stanley Ijeoma, a foremost "Enviropreneur" and one of only two Africans on the Board of World Council for Renewable Energy, shares his vision for what will be necessary for Nigeria to adapt to the impending impacts of climate change. The article identifies a set of eight strategies that involve both governmental action as well as private sector investments and addresses economic, infrastructure, educational and social aspects of Nigerian life.
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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CORNER
Vision 2050: Cliff Bast to Serve As Panelist at Joint Meeting of US/World Business Council
ISSP Board member Clifford Bast, Managing Director for Bast SUSTAINGROUP LLC, will be participating as a panelist at the joint US Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD)/ World BCSD - Spring Meeting 2012, to be held at Yale University in New Haven, CT on June 27th and 28th.
| Cliff Bast |
This highly interactive meeting has been designed to catalyze collaboration to advance and operationalize the WBCSD's Vision 2050, a framework to enable a sustainable world in which nine billion people can live well, and within the planet's resources by 2050. The meeting will consider the results from the just completed RIO+20 conference held the week before and will be guided by the WBCSD's "Vision 2050" which addresses Sustainable Consumption, Energy, Water, and Ecosystem Services, examined through the lens of the U.S. marketplace.
Cliff will be engaging with the other participants in interactive discussions to define pathways for accelerating scaling and implementation of recognized successful business solutions. The panel will also discuss ways to develop breakthrough innovative approaches that can overcome institutional barriers that are preventing adequate progress. Additionally, Day 1 of the conference will include panel presentations from recognized sustainability "thought and action" leaders on how to address common barriers to operationalizing sustainability including: organizational design (Cliff will be participating on this panel), financing, innovation and disruption, and collaboration.
For more information and to register, please visit http://spring-meeting.usbcsd.org.
Members, Send Us Your News !!!
Have you or your company done something interesting lately? Did you recently publish an article, win an award or make a presentation to a large group? Let us know what you've been up to so we may share it with your fellow members here in our newsletter. Send your news items to [email protected] with the phrase Newsletter Item in the subject line.
See you on-line!
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FEATURED MEMBER Stanley Ijeoma Represents Nigeria on the Board of the World Council for Renewable Energy
| Stanley Ijeoma
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Stanley Ijeoma is this month's contributing author and member of ISSP from Nigeria. Stanley is a graduate of Applied Chemistry from University of Calabar as well as Bangor University, UK where he received Certificate of Achievement for completing an Executive MBA course funded by the Welsh Assembly Government & UNIDO on "Renewable Energy & Sustainability" He mobilized his course mates in that program to establish the 15-Member UNIDO/Welsh Assembly Government [WAG] African Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development Initiative [ARESDI]-an initiative run by an elite group of 15 African Enviropreneurs drawn from 6 African countries. He is presently Nigerian country Representative on the board of the World Council for Renewable Energy [WCRE] - an independent, non government, nonprofit organization determined to push the global paradigm shift in favor of a resource sustainable and fully renewable energy based world, free of poverty and injustice.
Stanley has been involved in many non-profit activities where he has been spear heading advocacy efforts including the Green Energy Society of Nigeria [GESON] as well as Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria [ECAN] and has been featured several times as Guest Analyst of choice on THE MONEY SHOW on the African Independent Television [AIT] program on "Green Economy". In 2008, he helped pioneer the lighting Africa [LA] initiative by actively participating in the Development Marketplace (DM) competition for the design and delivery of low cost, high quality, non-fossil fuel-based lighting products targeting 250 million low income Africans by 2030 as part of broader Lighting Africa program managed by the World Bank/IFC.
Stanley is Chairman, Advocacy Group of Green Energy Society of Nigeria [GESON] where he has been leading GESON's national enlightenment campaigns on the need to improve the electricity situation in Nigeria by exploring alternative, renewable sources of power generation such as wind, Solar, etc. In the course of his research on the Nigerian electricity crisis and the dependence on fossil fuel electricity generators, he identified the "Initial Cost versus Integral cost" factor influencing the choice of fossil fuel ahead of Renewable Energy.
As a freelance Green Columnist, his articles: "Climate Change & Survival Instinct", "Green Tales from Wales" and "We Need Low Carbon Energy Infrastructures (I&II)" have been used and referenced globally on several websites where they have continued to influence public policy in favor of strategically positioning African economies and businesses to be able to absorb climate change induced shocks.
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JUNE 21 WEBINAR Make Your Transition to a Greener, More Sustainable Career Successful
Join us June 21, 2012 at 11am PT as we host Carol McClelland, PhD and Vicki Lind, MS for an interactive webinar on Make Your Transition to a Greener, More Sustainable Career Successful. During the webinar you'll discover:
- Ways to assess the state of green opportunities in your field.
- How to streamline your career transition.
- How to identify your next step in your transition journey.
- Why searching for a job may not be your best transition strategy.
- How to avoid potential detours that can cost you valuable time during your transition.
- The "Top Ten Mistakes" made in career transition and job search.
| Carol McClellan |
Carol is one of the nation's leading green career experts. Throughout her career, Carol has helped thousands of people find work that matches their values and interests. Carol is the founder and Executive Director of Green Career Central, an online coaching center dedicated to helping experienced professionals leveraging their existing skills, experience and passions in the ever-evolving green/clean/sustainable economy | Vicki Lind |
Vicki is one of the leading career counselors in Oregon with a specialty in jobs in sustainability and is author of "Finding a Job Worth Having: for Creatives and People Who Want to Make a Difference" and co-author of "Portland Green Guide to Networking and Jobs." Carol and Vicki have hosted several ISSP career webinars. They designed a Career session at the 2011 ISSP Conference that Vicki moderated. REGISTER HERE>> Back To Top |
AUGUST 23 WEBINAR Insight from Ecological Economics: What Thermodynamic Limits Tell Us About the Economy
Thursday August 23, 2012 at 11am PT
Maggie Winslow PhD will present the basics of an alternative, transdisciplinary field called ecological economics.
| Maggie Winslow |
REGISTER HEREUsing thermodynamic limits as the backdrop, Maggie Winslow will focus on the relationship between the state of ecological sustainability and the economic drivers that can propel our global marketplace, and local businesses, either toward or away from sustainable business operations. She will challenge some of the traditional economic assumptions and models that put us at risk of missing transformative opportunities in our businesses and economy, and will present an alternative model based on ecological economics. She will conclude by discussing where we can go from here at the macroeconomic level and at the enterprise level. Dr. Maggie Winslow has been a professor of economics at Presidio Graduate School for the past nine years where she has taught Managerial Economics, Macroeconomics and Ecological Economics. Starting in the fall of 2012, she will be teaching in the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of San Francisco. Previously she taught at UC Berkeley, Antioch University, the Central European University, and for the Conservation Strategy Fund. Her dissertation work examined the relationship between economic growth, environmental quality and democracy. Her current research is on labor productivity, wages, and environmental quality.
For more information click:
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WORKSHOP: SUSTAINABILITY 101
Instructor: Darcy Hitchcock, co-founder of ISSP and co-founder of Axis Performance Advisors
After taking ISSP's foundation course, you'll know the concepts, frameworks and tools used by sustainability professionals.
This is your chance to go beyond an understanding of the problems. Darcy's course will help you begin to see how the solutions can weave together to create a better life for us all. You'll end the course with an exploration about where you fit in the picture, what your role might be in creating a sustainable world.
Dates: Open Enrollment. Register at any time. Take up to 8 weeks to complete.
REGISTER NOW>>
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FEATURED JOB POSTING
Sustainable Business Sector Specialist for The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is seeking to fill a Business Sector Specialist position which will help focus the DNR on sustainability and will be involved with planning, consulting and research activities designed to deliver sustainable development by promoting the state's economic growth while fostering environmental protection. This position is assigned to the Bureau of Cooperative Environmental Services and the first vacancy to be filled is located at the Central Office in Madison, WI. This recruitment may also be used to fill future vacancies on a statewide basis.
To See the Full Job Posting, Click Here.
To See More Jobs Featured on the ISSP Website, Click Here.
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BOOK REVIEWS
The Social Animal
Brooks, David (2011) The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement. Random House: New York, NY
Reviewed by Darcy Hitchcock, Co-Founder of ISSP
You may know David Brooks, the New York Times columnist, from the PBS NewsHour TV program. He's always seemed insightful (although more conservative than I) but who knew he was witty, with a wicked sense of humor and deep empathy for people who lived different lives than he. This book is his attempt to share recent brain science but he weaves into a story about a fictional couple, which he follows from before their conception to the end of one of their lives. Read the full review.
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Resilience Thinking
Walker, Brian and David Salt (2006) Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. Island Press: London
Good overview of resilience as a concept. Chapter 4 in particular is a good overview of the adaptive cycle (the figure 8 on its side: exploitation/rapid growth, conservation, release and reorganization), much easier for the non-scientist to understand than the book Panarchy. Resilience is used in two ways and the distinction is important: the capacity to bounce back from a disturbance or the ability to get back to the earlier state. Read the full review.
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SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
See details about these events on the Partner Events page of the ISSP Website.
- S-CORE Distance-Learning Session, Mondays between June 4 and July 2, online.
- Sustainable Industries Economic Forum, June 13 in Portland, OR and June 14 in Seattle WA
- Product Stewardship Institute Spring Webinar Series, Various Dates from May 9 through June 26, On-Line
- Sustainable Brands, June 4-7, San Diego
- Strategies For A New Economy, June 8-10, Bard College, Annadale-on-Hudson, NY
- Biogas East and Midwest, June 19-20, Chicago
- International Seminar on Zero Waste Strategies, July 19-20, San Sebastian, Spain
- US-Business Council on Sustainable Development, June 27-28, New Haven, Connecticut
- ISIS Academy Master Class in Change for Sustainability, Wuppertal, Germany, July 4-7 2012
- Ecosystem Services Partnership Annual Conference, July 31-Aug 4, Portland, Oregon
- BioGas, October 10-11, San Francisco
- Corporate Social Responsibility, October 17-20, Harvard Business School Executive Education, Boston, MA US
- The Eco Districts Summit, October 23-26, Portland, Oregon
- Green Industry Conference, October 24-26, Louisville, KY
- Local Renewables, October 25-26, Freiburg, Germany
- Green Project Management, various dates and locations
- GRI training, various dates and locations
- Natural Step Canada training courses, various dates and locations
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