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The Run-Up to ISSP Conference 2013
Newest Members of ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame to Be Honored in Chicago
four major figures in the sustainability profession will be formerly inducted into the ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame(TM), which was established in 2012 to formally recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of sustainability and to the professionals who serve it.
The four new inductees are:
Alan AtKisson, President and CEO of AtKisson Group. Alan has helped hundreds of organizations and leaders worldwide develop sustainability strategies, design initiatives, manage complex programs, assess progress, and find better pathways to effective sustainability leadership. John Elkington, Founding Partner & Executive Chairman of Volans, a future-focused business working at the intersection of the sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation movements. Hazel Henderson, Founder of Ethical Markets Media, LLC and the creator and co-executive producer of its TV series. She is an interdisciplinary economist and political theorist and contributor to the creation of the ethical investment industry. L. Hunter Lovins, President and Founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, which educates senior decision-makers in business, government and civil society to restore and enhance the natural and human capital while increasing prosperity and quality of life. For more about these industry leaders and the ISSP Sustainability Hall of Fame, click here. Back To Top
Enough Is Enough Co-Author Rob Dietz
To Keynote ISSP Conference 2013
Rob Dietz and his co-author Dan O'Neill have had enough. In their recently published book Enough Is Enough: Building A Sustainable Economy In A World Of Finite Resources, they describe why never-ending economic growth is not possible on a finite planet an
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d why the pursuit of growth is no longer improving people's lives.
Dietz has been added as a keynoter of ISSP Conference 2013, where he will lay out a visionary but realistic alternative to the perpetual pursuit of more - an economy where the goal is enough. Reserve your place in Chicago to hear Dietz offer practical and hopeful solutions to the great economic, environmental, and social problems of our times.
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Pre-Conference Workshops Offer Additional Learning Opportunities Conference attendees who arrive a day early can take advantage of some great pre-conference workshops being offered by ISSP at the Millennium Knickerbocker, the headquarters hotel for ISSP Conference 2013.
Leadership Skills for Change Agents
Taught by 2011 ISSP Hall of Fame inductee Bob Willard. Take advantage of this opportunity to work with Bob Willard face-to-face and fulfill a requirement for the ISSP Sustainability Professional Certificate program. For more info, click here. Consultants Cohort 2013 Embark on a six-month intensive program program designed to help sustainability consultants launch successful practices with Jennifer Woofter, President of Strategic Sustainability Consulting. Learn more about the Consultants Cohort here. Back To Top Position Your Organization Among the Leaders By Becoming A Sponsor or Expo Vendor Sponsorships ISSP is pleased to offer companies, universities and other NGOs the opportunity to broaden their presence in the sustainability community by becoming a sponsor of ISSP Conference 2013. Visit this page to download more details about conference sponsorships and vendor expo opportunities. Vendor Exposition The latest tools, publications, and educational programs for sustainability professionals will be on display as part of the vendor expo at ISSP Conference 2013. Vendors benefit from pre-conference exposure and will have ample opportunity to mingle with the more than 250 attendees expected to attend the event. Back To Top
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ISSP E-JOURNAL ARTICLE: New Study By ISSP and Sustainable Plant Finds That Sustainability Dynamics Drive Professional Growth
Sustainable Plant (SP) and the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) collaborated to conduct a survey in September 2012 of sustainability practitioners. Over 700 sustainability professionals responded to the survey, creating a rich tapestry of results from Sustainable Plant's primarily industrial and manufacturing base combined with self-described sustainability professionals from ISSP.
Here are the key questions we probed for answers to in the survey:
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What types of organizations conduct sustainability-related work?
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What are the typical educational and professional backgrounds of individuals who work in sustainability-related activities?
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What are the important skills for a successful professional working on sustainability-related activities?
To see the survey results, click here.
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On-Line Discussion February 19
Certification of Sustainability Professionals: What Are the Structural Options?
Sustainability has reached the spotlight in recent years as a field of research and emerging sector of professionals. A growing number of businesses and municipalities are creating sustainability positions and departments in response to consumer and citizen concerns and burgeoning international trends in green business, corporate responsibility, and resilient city planning. In response to these trends, many have urged that sustainability professionals should meet more rigorous and/or standardized measures of knowledge, skills and abilities -- so-called KSA's. Is the time right for an exploration of certification of sustainability professionals?
Join ISSP and the Security and Sustainability Forum
for an on-line discussion about professional certification for this emerging career track. The 90-minute Webinar will occur on Tuesday, February 19 from 10:15 pm - 11:45 pm PT. There is no cost to participate in the on-line discussion. To register, click here.
There are many aspects of the certification question and these will be explored in various fora in the coming months. This webinar discussion, however, will focus on the "structural options" under consideration. The panelists will describe the several differing structures found in other professional certification schemes, and then discuss how these might inform the selection of an optimal format for a professional certification in sustainability.
The session will be moderated by Ira Feldman, president of greentrack strategies, who is also a member of the ISSP management team and its board of directors. The confirmed panelists so far are Bill Meffert and Elisa Kahn. Bill Meffert manages the Georgia Institute of Technology Energy and Sustainability Services group and oversees the development, transfer, and adoption of energy and environmental innovations and best practices for industry and business. Elisa Kahn is Director of Test Development at the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). In her role as Director, Elisa is responsible for the development, maintenance and delivery of the family of LEED� (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) professional exams as well as other initiatives. Other panelists TBA.
This webinar -- and other preliminary conversations --
will lead to several opportunities for ISSP members and other sustainability professionals to participate in the creation of a certification scheme. We will be conducting general conversations at our May 8-10 conference in Chicago, distributing certification drafts for comment and convening a multi-stakeholder group to draft final documents. Please send any inquiries about the overall certification scheme development process to ISSP Executive Director Marsha Willard at [email protected].
To register for the February 19 Webinar, visit the Security and Sustainability Forum Website here.
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Member Combines Completion of ISSP Sustainable Business Certificate With Work Experience to Launch Consultancy
This article is the latest installment of an occasional series that highlights the work of ISSP members and those who participate in ISSP's various educational opportunities. Joanne Gorski lives in Hortonville, Wisconsin with her husband and three school age children. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and has a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Joanne has been working in the field of supply chain management, various business roles, and education for 25 years. While working as an instructor at Fox Valley Technical College, she had the opportunity to lead the college's sustainability efforts from an instructional standpoint. She found the work so enjoyable that she | Joanne Gorski |
was soon the college's sustainability expert and go-to resource. Joanne developed several sustainability focused classes for the Supply Chain Management and Energy and Environmental Engineering degrees. Joanne also led the outreach efforts for the college to help educate the public and encourage business to adopt sustainable development principles into their business practices. Shortly after finishing the ISSP Sustainable Professional Certificate, she decided to follow her passion for sustainability and start a consulting firm. Given the broad coverage and richness of the ISSP program, combined with the network she developed through her outreach work at the college, the business is off to a smooth start. Sustainable Insights, LLC works on all types of sustainability initiatives for various types of organizations. The company specializes in creating practical sustainability solutions for organizations, their supply chains, sustainable events, and venues. Joanne leverages her extensive supply chain management and educational background to help drive change to the way people manage their resources. She promotes using best practices and continuous improvement processes. She also provides consulting services as a volunteer for local non-profit organizations. "One of the most useful classes I have taken through ISSP was the Sustainable Event Planning course. The class is based upon the ISO20121 framework and was one of the best online courses I have taken. It is well organized, the material is based upon industry best practices, and Meegan Jones is a terrific instructor. While at the Fox Valley Technical College, I had created an ongoing event, The Sustainable Business Exchange, and understood what if felt like to blaze a new "green" trail when putting together an event. Now I see endless opportunities to apply what I learned at a local and regional level, and am currently writing two sustainable event policies for clients." Joanne can be reached at [email protected] or at www.sustainableinsightsllc.com. Back To Top |
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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BOOK REVIEW: The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong - And How To Fix It
Helm, Dieter 2012. The Carbon Crunch: How We're Getting Climate Change Wrong - And How To Fix It. Yale University Press, New Haven CT. Review by ISSP Member Graham Russell This book is perhaps the most intelligent book yet written on the challenges of reigning in and perhaps reversing the inexorable rise in the world's levels of green house gases (GHGs). Those levels are now rapidly approaching 400 PPM of CO2 equivalent. Helm approaches his analysis with the clear-eyed scientific discipline one might expect from a professor at Oxford University and a special advisor to the European Energy Commissioner. The book is divided into three parts: While Helm's arguments against the current approaches to addressing rising GHG levels are entirely plausible and based on a mass of convincing scientific and economic data, getting from where we are now to the adoption of his recipe for addressing the challenges is not terribly clear. He points favorably toward the US as the first place where unconventional gas will - for purely economic reasons - back out coal-fired electricity generation quite quickly, and he believes China will embark on the same path within the next ten years. However, the book does not really attempt to suggest a process for establishing a workable global carbon pricing mechanism and channeling the resulting funds into the right kinds of research that will yield the best clean energy-related technologies in a timely fashion. Still, for those frustrated by and fearful of the current lack of progress using current thinking, this book offers genuinely original and encouraging ideas. To read the full review, click here. Back To Top |
FEBRUARY 28th WEBINAR Modern-day Slavery in Supply Chains Focus on Human Trafficking with Susanne Gebauer
- February 28, 2013 at 11am Pacific Time
- 2pm Eastern Time-USA for 60 minutes
- Not located in US/Pacific time zone?
- See what time it is in your local time zone.
In light of the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act that came into effect in January 2012 and that affects retail sellers and manufacturers doing business in CA, and the Executive Order - Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking In Persons In Federal Contracts introduced in September 2012, there is an increased focus on human trafficking and transparency of supply chain activity.
This webinar will: * Introduce you to the international problem of modern-day slavery and how it may affect you and your business * Clarify the definition of human trafficking * Provide solutions to addressing the risk of modern-day slavery in your supply chain Presenter: Susanne GebauerSusanne Gebauer has been active in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and international development for six years. She is currently UL Responsible Sourcing's expert on labor practices and human rights. Our Price: $10 Member Price: Free Can't attend? Register anyway to be notified when the recording is available.
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ISSP WORKSHOP: March 2013
SPaRK Sustainability Planning and Reporting Kit with Marsha Willard
Meets on-line on Tuesdays (March 5 & 19) at 9AM PT / 10AM MT / 11AM CT / 12PM ET AND Tuesdays (March 12 & 26) at 4PM PT / 5PM MT / 6PM CT / 7PM ET for 60-90 minutes.
Time Zone Converter
Learn the steps of creating a comprehensive sustainability plan: from articulating a business case for your sustainability efforts, through impacts assessment and determination of measures. At the end of the workshop you will have a "draft" plan and experience applying each of the key steps of the process on a trial version (provided) of the SPaRK tool that includes the worksheets and data entry tables for recording your key planning decisions. Instructor: Marsha Willard Price: $450 Member Price: $325* *Early Bird Discount available to ALL and ends 02/26/13 $50 off
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SELF-STUDY WORKSHOP: SUSTAINABILITY 101
Instructor:
Darcy Hitchcock, co-founder of ISSP and co-founder of Axis Performance Advisors
Are you well-versed on all the essential sustainability concepts? To be a credible sustainability professional, there are certain key concepts you should know. Use this self-study workshop to test your knowledge and fill in any gaps. The course has four modules (read more HERE).
The prerecorded webinars are taught by ISSP co-founder and sustainability consultant/author, Darcy Hitchcock.
Dates: Open Enrollment. Register at any time.
Take up to 8 weeks to complete.
REGISTER NOW>>
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SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
See details about these events on the Other Sustainability Events page of the ISSP Website.
- Water Professional Path, February 5-6, Canada
- ACORE's Renewable Energy Policy Forum, February 5-6, Washington DC
- US Business Council for Sustainable Development Winter Meeting, February 6-7, Austin TX
- The ISIS Academy Master Class in Change for Sustainability, February 11-15, 2013, Arizona State University
- Women's Network For A Sustainable Future 10th Annual Sustainability Leadership Summit, February 21, New York City
- Local Currencies and Community Financing, March 11, Lake District, UK
- Earth Day Symposium: Climate Trends: Impacts and Adaptation, March 19-20, St Louis, MO
- Management and Leadership Skills for EH&S Managers, March 25-38, Boston
- European Sustainable Towns and Cities Conference, April 17-19, Geneva
- Ceres Conference 2013, May 1-2, San Francisco
- Corporate Sustainability Forum, May 9-10, Redondo Beach, CA
- Living Future 2013, May 15-17, Seattle
- Evening Celebration of Sustainability Adventures, May 20, London
- Global Sustainable Mining Summit, May 28-29, Toronto
- Sustainable Brands 2013, June 3-6, San Diego
- TBL Conference, June 17-18, New York
- 3rd International Exergy, Life Cycle Assessment, and Sustainability Workshop & Symposium, July 7-9, Nisyros, Greece
- International Summit of Sustainability Leaders, July 11-13, Lake District, UK
- Wellbeing Research Conference, July 24, Lake District, UK
- Conference on Peer-To-Peer Systems for Production, Consumption and Exchange, November 7-8, Lancaster, UK
- Carbon Professional Path, various dates, Canada
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