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Be seen by more than 8,600 sustainability professionals worldwide who receive this newsletter each month.
For more information about the benefits of ISSP Insight e-newsletter sponsorship, visit http://bit.ly/10EF596.
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WEBINAR: MAY 22
A Nature-Inspired Transition Model for Times of Impending Change: What is our best path forward?
with Carol McClelland, Ph.D. Green Career Central
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WEBINAR: JUNE 11
Social Enterprise - Unleashing The 100% Solution
with Bill Morris, Blue Star Recyclers
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JUNE COURSE
Life Cycle Assessment
with Tom Gloria
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**DATE CHANGE**
JULY COURSE
S-CORE™ Rapid Assessment Tool
with Maureen Hart
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VOLUME 8 NUMBER 5 MAY 2014
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ISSP CONFERENCE 2014
Scale It Up! Andy Mangan
To Deliver Conference Keynote
ISSP is pleased to announce that Andy Mangan, co-founder and executive director of the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development (USBCSD), will be the keynote speaker at ISSP Conference 2014, to be held November
12 -14 in Denver, CO.
The USBCSD is a non-profit association of businesses
| Andy Mangan |
launched in 1992 whose purpose is to create and deliver value driven sustainable development projects in the United States. Projects are designed to create value through economic returns and environmental and social benefits.
As a world renowned expert in cross-industry collaboration, project definition and management, and consensus development, Andy will address the importance of scaling sustainability efforts with conference attendees.
"One of the biggest challenges facing the sustainability community is finding and scaling worthy projects to achieve major impacts," Andy says. "We've had decades of successful projects, but in order to truly change our course, we must redouble our efforts, engage new partners, and multiply our results tenfold. Scaling great projects for major impacts requires doing things differently. It means inspiring and motivating people to take risks.
"Champions must step up and help build bridges between companies, within communities and across sectors," Andy continues. "All need to understand how collaborative projects can open doors to exciting opportunities. This is a job for all comers, small, mid-size and large. It is global in scope and involves business, governments, universities and non-government organizations. Working together, we can extend our reach and produce lasting results."
If you're a leader who welcomes such a challenge, please join us at the meeting and come prepared to engage.
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ISSP Conference 2014:
Reserve Your Place Today
Reserve your place today at ISSP Conference 2014, which is happening November 12 -14 in Denver, Colorado. Don't miss a great chance to network with more than 400 sustainability professionals from around the world.
As in past years, the conference is being designed to be a rich learning experience to help professionals accelerate the adoption of sustainability in organizations and communities worldwide. Over the past several months, the conference program committee has been busy putting together a great line-up of speakers. Program details will be announced next month on the ISSP Website and in the June edition of this newsletter.
Attendees can register for the conference here.
Companies and non-profits alike can gain global visibility by supporting one of the world's premier sustainability events.
Join these forward thinking organizations who have already signed up as conference sponsors:
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Cisco
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IHS
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Jigsaw Fund
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Xcel Energy
Get information about sponsorship packages here, and sign-up to reserve a booth at the conference expo by clicking this link.
For more information about ISSP Conference 2014, visit http://bit.ly/1hZeNlO.
Questions? Contact ISSP Marketing Director Ray Berardinelli via e-mail or by calling 503.425.9095.
Join us in Denver and help shape the future of our profession!
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SHARE YOUR OPINION VIA SURVEY BELOW
Professional Certification for Sustainability Practitioners: Is There a Need and a Market?
As the professional association that is monitoring and managing the field of sustainability, ISSP has been exploring the need for a professional certification to accred it practitioners within the field. The exploration has been prompted by interest from members, a desire within the profession for greater definition of the field, the emergence of varying "certificates" or "certifications" being offered up by private sector organizations and the growing number of people entering the field with a diversity of training and experience.
What do we mean by certified professional? Someone who has been tested and certified as having a comprehensive, working knowledge of the relevant issues and challenges associated with being a sustainability practitioner. This level of expertise would provide those who are certified the credibility to effectively practice sustainability and advance the success of the organization for which he or she works. The certification process might include sitting for an exam, submitting a portfolio of work, providing proof of education and/or other demonstrable means of establishing competency.
ISSP is keenly aware of the benefits and drawbacks of professional certification or accreditation.
Benefits
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Provides practitioners with a meaningful credential that helps distinguish them from lesser prepared person.
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Brings consistency to the profession by codifying the skills, knowledge and attributes widely accepted as the minimal critical competencies.
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Assists employers and consumers of professional sustainability services in their selection of credible and capable employees and contractors.
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Provides guidance and focus to institutions offering professional development and formal degrees.
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Brings general credibility to this new and emerging field.
Drawbacks
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Given that this is a new and still emerging field, certification might prematurely codify and lock in a competency set (though this is ameliorated by creating a scheme that is continually updated).
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May contribute to a market confusion unless the certification is successful at achieving broad recognition and is valued by employers and professionals in the field.
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Adds cost to the professional.
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Contributes to a growing array of related certifications (e.g. LCA, sustainability reporting, green building).
Before pursuing the major undertaking of creating a professional certification, ISSP is conducting research to determine the need and market for a certification.
Please click here and take our short survey. http://conta.cc/R4CBxd
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Survey About Sustainability, CSR and 3BL Performance Remains Available for Input
There is still time to contribute your thoughts and ideas to a survey being conducted to explore business sustainability issues and collect information that firms can utilize to bolster their competitive advantage.
The survey, being fielded by The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management, in cooperation with other academic, sustainability-related and trade organizations, was highlighted in an earlier issue of this newsletter.
Important points explored by the survey will be as follows:
Add your input today and sign-up to access a copy of the final report by following this link:
http://bit.ly/1ir9egP.
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MEMBER INVOLVEMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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TAKE AN ISSP TEST DRIVE
Check-Out One Of Our Free Monthly Information Sessions
Each month ISSP offers a free, on-line orientation session for new, returning or perspective members. These sessions, which last about an hour, will acquaint you with the benefits of ISSP membership, teach you how to use and contribute to the ISSP web site and allow you to meet other ISSP members.
All members - new, returning, prospective - are welcome to join these free sessions. The next session will be on May 6th @ 8am PT (Pacific Coast Time-USA). Sign-up for the May 6 session here. Dates and times of other orientation sessions can be found in the Meeting Section of the on-line Calendar of ISSP Events.
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ISSP LOCAL CHAPTER NEWS
Employee Engagement To Be Explored By Colorado Chapter
The ISSP Colorado Chapter will be meeting this Wednesday May 7 for a collaborative discussion to share best practices, tactics and lessons learned for securing better employee engagement with sustainability initiatives. Facilitating the discussion will be ISSP Board Member K.J. McCorry, who is CEO of eco-officiency, a consultancy based in Boulder CO.
The meeting will occur from 5:30-8:00pm MT and will be hosted by YRG at 1821 Blake Street in Downtown Denver. More information about the meeting, fees and chapter membership can be found at http://bit.ly/1jolcKs.
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Meeting Set to Plan Launch
of ISSP Portland Chapter
In case you didn't know, ISSP was founded in Portland. It's time we had a local chapter in the city where it all started.
If you'd like to be part of the launch of the chapter, please join us at the first ISSP planning meeting on May 7 at 6:00pm PT in the Central Library in Downtown Portland. There is no charge to attend, but we request that you register so we know how many people to anticipate.
For more information about the meeting, click here. To register to attend, e-mail ISSP board member and executive director emeritus Marsha Willard by clicking here.
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New Opportunities Posted
On the ISSP Job Board
ISSP posts job openings in the sustainability field on its job board, which is accessible to all ISSP members. Several more new listings have come through this month. Including...
- Junior/Senior Level Consultants
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Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling
By Edgar H. Schein
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, San Francisco 2013
Reviewed by Faye Sinnott, President of
Solution Navigators, Inc. and ISSP Member
This is a short read, but worth the time investment.
In the world of consultants, risk officers, team leaders, and corporate executives, good relations and communications across hierarchical boundaries can mean the difference between having the information you need to complete a task or to avoid a crisis.
As Schein states, "In an increasingly complex, interdependent and culturally diverse world, we cannot hope to understand and work with people from different occupational, professional and national cultures if we do not know how to ask questions and build relationships that are based on mutual respect and the recognition that others know things that we may need to know in order to get a job done" or to avoid a catastrophe.
ISSP members can read the full review by clicking here.
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Experience sustainability professional development with live webinars, free resources and online discussion forums
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Sustainability Events
Happening Around the World
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2nd Annual Smart Water Leadership Summit, May 6 - 7, Washington, D.C.
- Free Webinar: Thriving Through Change, May 8, On-Line
- Finding Ethical Alpha: Global Forum on Investing in Ethical Alpha, May 12 - 14, St. Augustine, FL
- Clean Environment Leaders Summit, June 1 - 4, Singapore
- Sustainable Brands 2014, June2 - 5, San Diego, CA
- IRA/SWANA ReThink, ReDefine Annual Conference, June 3 - 4, Chicago, IL
- 32nd West Coast Energy Management Congress, June 25 - 26 Seattle, WA
- VERGE Salon, Data Solutions in Cities and Real Estate, September 16, New York, NY
- SXSW Eco, Oct. 6 - 8, Austin, TX
- Local Renewables Conference 2014, October 22 - 24, Freiburg and L�rrach, Germany
- PLANET's Green Industry Conference (GIC), October 22 - 24, Louisville, KY
- VERGE: Where Tech Meets Sustainability, October 27 - 30, San Francisco, CA
- 2014 Net Impact Conference, Nov. 6 - 8, Minneapolis, MN
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