Making Sustainability Standard Practice
Vol. 9       No. 12       December 2015
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In This Issue
Quick Links
Upcoming Events
From the President's Desk
Working Together for the Common Good
By Marilyn Johnson, ISSP President and Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability at IHS, Seattle WA  

As we exit 2015 and with COP21 meetings underway, one can only be acutely aware of the global nature of the many challenges the world is facing. These challenges are fundamentally about the sustainability and viability of our planet and of life as we know it. And while daunting, it is also with this awareness that I feel privileged to be part of such an esteemed community of sustainability professionals, working together to be part of the solution. The work and importance of sustainability professionals has never been greater - thank you to everyone for your continued commitment to the profession.

ISSP Certification News
New Opportunity for Beta Testing ISSP-SA!
 

It's hard to believe that it was barely a year ago that the ISSP's Board of Directors committed to creating the first globally-recognized, ISO 17024 accreditable professional certification for sustainability practitioners. In the 12 short months since, ISSP members and partner organizations have collaborated to create the two eligibility schemes, the candidate handbook and associated material, two certification exams, and to launch a beta test with over 175 participants. Although we were hoping to be able to announce the first cohort of certified ISSP Sustainability Associates (ISSP-SA) and ISSP Certified Sustainability Professionals (ISSP-CSP) in this newsletter, we are doing the numerical equivalent of dotting I's and crossing T's in the psychometric analysis and will be posting the results on the ISSP website later this month, along with a formal announcement in January.

The exciting news this month is that we have decided to do a 2nd Beta of the ISSP-SA. The participants in the 1st Beta tested the overall process and procedures and validated the exam test questions and provided invaluable feedback and suggestions for improvement. Doing a second beta round will allow us to further improve the process before going to a formal launch in the second quarter of 2016. Registration for the 2nd Beta of the ISSP-SA will open in mid-January once all of the feedback has been incorporated.

If you haven't already done so, be sure to sign up for ISSP Certification updates so that you are among the first to know when registration opens.
ISSP Educational Partners Committee in Formation  

ISSP is looking for Educational Partners who want to be involved in the development of the Sustainability Professional Certification process. We already have a number of partners working with us on the development of test items and in refining the overall process; however, we are now launching an Educational Partners Committee to help with a key purpose of the certification program:
 
Provide clear guidance and direction to educators and organizations creating sustainability courses, training programs, and professional development opportunities for sustainability practitioners.

If you represent an educational institution with sustainability-related courses and training programs and are interested in helping to create the program, please send an email to [email protected] and let us know more about your program and how you would like to be involved. The initial tasks of the committee are to finalize the description of the program and draft the first partner agreement - any potential education providers who want to be involved are encouraged to participate!
 
Your Life in Sustainability
Tell Us Your Sustainability Story & We'll Share it Worldwide!  

Are you an ISSP member working as a sustainability professional in an important field? Does the sustainability concern most relevant to your field get a lot of media attention, or does it often lack the appreciation it deserves? Now's your chance to tell the world about the value of your sustainability work- to showcase your accomplishments, talk about why your work is important, or simply respond to the narrative you hear in the media.

ISSP is developing a new blog series to emphasize the value our members bring to the sustainability profession. If your work is important to a broader topic such as water conservation, climate change mitigation or preparedness, supply chain optimization, or developing a circular economy, get in touch with us by sending your name and a brief description of your work to [email protected]. Please include a sustainability topic in the subject line (ie: "Water Conservation" or "California Drought"). If we think your story sounds interesting, you might be contacted for an interview! Please note that we're only looking for input from current ISSP members, and that we can't follow up with all members who reach out.

Your work as an ISSP member is not only essential to the sustainability profession, it's helping to improve our economy and society, as well as heal our planet. Tell us your story so we can tell the world!

ISSP Chapters
Making & Marketing of Sustainable Brands
Explored by ISSP Greater NYC Chapter 

The ISSP Greater New York City Chapter hosted its second local chapter event on December 2nd. The featured speaker was Dr. Al Iannuzzi, the Senior Director of Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability at Johnson & Johnson and an ISSP member. Iannuzzi emphasized that the world needs greener products: "It is necessary and possible," he told meeting attendees.

Al Iannuzzi, PhD, Senior Director of Environment, Health, Safety, & Sustainability at Johnson & Johnson
Three billion middle class consumers will enter the global market by 2030. To meet this ever-increasing demand, Iannuzzi advocates environmental impact evaluations of the entire supply chain, not just raw materials. Successful manufacturing of greener products includes: top management support, third-party design input, enterprise-wide goals, life-cycle thinking, transparency and meeting customer needs.

Companies often use internal programs to encourage the development of greener products. Johnson & Johnson's Earthwards program honors brands, such as Band-Aid or Neutrogena Naturals, that demonstrate sustainable solutions and deliver value to the customer. However, J&J does not use the designation externally to avoid customer confusion. Marketing green products, Iannuzzi explained, requires both a credible greener product story and an effective strategy for communicating with consumers.
           
ISSP Events & Education
ISSP's Upcoming Webinar:
Is It the Real Thing?
What History Can Tell Us About the Sustainability of Coca-Cola and Why That Matters to Your Business
Thursday, December 10 at 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET 
 
Coca-Cola may not often be seen as a model for sustainable business practices, but there was a time when the world's biggest soft drink firm pioneered the concept of returnable containers. Coke's decision to abandon a circular system of bottle recycling had huge ramifications for other food and beverage companies, and their packaging and supply chain story can be an important learning tool for any business.

ISSP's newest webinar, taught by environmental historian Bart Elmore, explores the lessons Coke's history can teach us about the waste and recycling challenges we face today. Using his take on best practices from around the world, Bart will approach a critical sustainability issue from unique historical perspective that most sustainability professionals haven't yet heard!Join us for the 1 hour workshop on December 10th!

Webinar: A Guided Tour of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Thursday, January 7, 2016 at 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET 
 
The launch of the "SDGs" - The United Nations-sponsored Sustainable Development Goals - marks a potential turning point in the story of humanity's evolution on planet Earth. For the first time in history, all the world's people, as represented by their governments, have a common vision and set of goals for the future, through 2030. And it is a remarkably ambitious, sustainable, and egalitarian vision.

Join us as Alan AtKisson - initiator of the global "17Goals" initiative to promote the SDGs, and a strategic advisor to the United Nations Secretariat - provides a guided tour of the SDGs with a focus on what they mean in practice for governments, cities, companies, and education.

January Course: Assessing Organizational Sustainability Using S-CORE
Beginning January 5, 2016
 
As more and more businesses move toward the forefront of  sustainable development, the first step is to understand their own impacts and operations. ISSP's S-CORE assessment provides businesses, nonprofits, and other institutions with a method of weaving sustainability into all parts of an organization.

ISSP's January 2016 course, taught by veteran
sustainability consultant Darcy Hitchcock, will provide participants with a basic understanding of the S-CORE system, including the ten functional areas and practices common to all organizations. The course will help professionals understand sustainability "on the ground," and track progress towards it. It will also cover how S-CORE can translate sustainability into the language of business, expanding the understanding of sustainability principles and their value throughout any organization.

This course is normally offered in June, but we've moved it up due to high demand!  So don't wait - Register and learn more today!  
 
Connect with ISSP's Online Community Through Social Media

Want to start an online conversation among members of the ISSP community? One of the best ways for members to engage with us and each other is via social media.

For updates on ISSP events, Certification, and partnerships, follow @ISSP_Org on Twitter and like International Society of Sustainability Professionals on Facebook. And remember to join our LinkedIn group in order to network with other members and sustainability professionals around the world!

Additionally, we're populating our new YouTube Channel with video interviews of ISSP Hall of Famers. Stay tuned for even more videos and professional resources!
 

Sustainability Events Around the World  
 
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world's leading professional association for sustainability professionals. ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward through building strong networks and communities of practice.