From the President's Desk
Congratulations to Our Recently Credentialed Colleagues
By Marilyn Johnson, ISSP President and Senior Director, Corporate Sustainability at IHS, Seattle WA
The enthusiasm is palpable. The interest surpassing expectations. The results confirmed. More than 240 Sustainability Professionals around the world are now proudly using their ISSP Sustainability Professional credentials. You may be seeing ISSP-SA or ISSP-CSP following someone's name on their e-mail signature, on their LinkedIn profile or on a business card. This is a very exciting time for all of us. We are all so fortunate to be involved with a growing profession, where through ISSP, we have the opportunity to be part of shaping the future together. Congratulations to all of our recently credentialed colleagues, and thanks to all of you working to advance the practice of sustainability every day.
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ISSP Announces Second Group of Certified ISSP-SAs
In the wake of the second successful Beta of the ISSP Sustainability Associate (ISSP-SA) certification exam, ISSP has announced the latest cohort of ISSP Sustainability Associates. These newly certified sustainability professionals join an ever-expanding list of over 240 ISSP-SAs and ISSP Certified Sustainability Professionals (ISSP-CSPs) who have passed the beta certification exams. In addition to helping ISSP validate and improve the testing process, these individuals are among the first in the world to be acknowledged for their sustainability skills, knowledge, and experience through an internationally recognized certification. Their participation helps us along the road to officially launching both certification programs later this year. In addition to developing the certification exams, ISSP is also making progress towards the launch of our Education Partners program. The program will be designed to forge partnerships between ISSP and other organizations providing education and training for sustainability professionals, so e-mail [email protected] if your organization is interested!
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Introducing the Oslo Manifesto:
Putting Design and Architecture to Work for a Sustainable World
When the 193 Member Statesof the United Nationsadopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015, they also, by extension, created the world's most demanding design brief.
Since the SDGs are universal, they apply to all sectors andprofessions. When I was speaking at the "Future Thinking" conference last September for the Norwegian Center for Design and Architecture - DOGA, I suggested that designers, architects, and creative professionals around the globe were now tasked with imagining and bringing to life the design elements of a new, sustainable world - and quickly.
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| | ISSP Hall of Famer Alan AtKisson and Jannicke H�len of DOGA signing the Oslo Manifesto at DOGA's national conference, April 26, 2016 |
They agreed. So we started talking. The result is called the Oslo Manifesto.
This short, inspirational, very targeted document consists of an introduction about the crucial role that designers and architects must play, and then poses 17 questions that can help creative professionals - as well as the people who take their products to market - reflect on their work in the context of the SDGs. We believe this can help drive innovation, while also bringing a centrally important group of professionals into the spotlight, encouraging them as the designers of a sustainable future.
The Oslo Manifesto has already attracted prominent signers, including Norway's leading design and architecture school. A real website and campaign will come later. But the document can already be read, and signed, at OsloManifesto.org. Spread the word!
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Sustainability Culture and Leadership Assessment: The Results are In!
Created by Dr. Kathy Miller, the Sustainability Culture and Leadership Assessment (SCALA) tool has been used to inform a six-year global research program focused on the sustainability impacts of corporate culture. We asked you to take the survey, and as promised, here are the (preliminary) results! You can also contribute to their ongoing research through the SCALA Short Form, and join Kathy and Meredith for the June 2nd live ISSP Webinar to discuss the implications - and applications - of their research. Here's what Dr. Miller and Dr. Lepley have to say: Corporate sustainability has captured the attention of much of the world. Many company stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors, want corporations to balance the quest for profits with the consideration of broader human needs. Some companies achieve this balance, but many do not. And organizational culture does make a difference.
Through our culture assessment instrument, the SCALA, we have identified specific aspects of culture related to companies' sustainability outcomes. The SCALA results show that leaders make a difference to company outcomes and employee beliefs about the importance of sustainability. Successful company leaders:
- Communicate a clear vision for sustainability;
- Inspire others with their vision;
- Establish high levels of trust throughout; and
- Demonstrate a personal commitment to sustainability.
Employee engagement is an important factor in business outcomes. Our results show that sustainability can drive employee engagement when employees:
- Understand how their work connects with sustainability;
- Believe that sustainability is important to their company's success;
- Observe how sustainability is embedded in operations and policies; and
- See a clear strategy for involving themselves in sustainability.
Leadership commitment and behavior influence employees' commitment to sustainability outcomes. Leaders can enhance employees' beliefs that sustainability is vital to the company's future, while at the same time, sustainability drives employee engagement.
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Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 11:00am PT / 2:00pm ET
Existing academic literature suggests that sustainability leaders need a wide-ranging and divergent mix of behavioral competencies to be successful. And, when individuals have more developed competencies, they are able to respond to sophisticated challenges in a way that others are not. However, in a profession where there is a consistent call for values-based and transformational leadership to drive the sustainability agenda, are the academics right about what the behaviors of such leadership are in practice? In an effort to answer this question, Beth Knight has authored a report with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Aiming to test our assumptions of 'what good looks like', her study uses a psychometric questionnaire (Wave Professional Styles) to assess the behavioral competencies of sustainability leaders. Join us Thursday May 19 as Beth shares her findings and proposed model with ISSP, including a facilitated discussion and the opportunity to reflect upon and improve our ability to deliver impactful sustainability initiatives.
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ISSP's June Course: Biomimicry - Pathway to Innovation Begins Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 10:00am PT / 1:00pm ET
Formaldehyde-free building materials modeled after mussels, networks that emulate slime mold, and self-cleaning paint inspired by lotus leaves - these are just a few examples of innovations inspired by nature's time-tested strategies for survival.
ISSP's upcoming June course explores why a growing number of business leaders and sustainability advocates are drawing from ecology for solutions to build a more resilient society. Taught by the Biomimicry Institute's Mary Hansel, the online workshop will teach students how to develop the ability to describe the concept of biomimicry and how it can be used to inspire innovation and advance sustainability.
Classes start June 7th, but don't wait - ISSP is offering an early bird discount to those who register before May 31st! Register today.
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ISSP Chapter News ISSP Local Chapters Offer Diverse Set of Activities
ISSP members continue to form local chapters across the globe in order to meet and network with other sustainability professionals. Here's a round-up of upcoming chapter activities.
A Night at the Movies
In recognition of Earth Day, the ISSP Greater New York City Chapter joined other sustainability organizations on April 25th at the IFC Film Center in Manhattan to view the award-winning film, Love Thy Nature. The evening was launched with an introduction by the film's director, writer and producer, Sylvie Rokab, who began working on the film in 2006. Narrated by Liam Neeson, Love Thy Nature is a cinematic journey through the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world. It shows that a renewed connection with nature is central not only to our well-being, but also to solving our global climate and environmental crises. The film powerfully connects our lived experience of the natural environment with the science of sustainability.
After the screening, Rokab led a Q&A that was kicked off by ISSP NYC Founder and Co-Chair Mark Wolf, who provided a quick introduction to the NYC chapter and then posed a question in regard to biomimicry, a subject explored in the film. The ISSP-NYC chapter starts a film series program, Sustainability in Focus, in fall 2016.
Executive Director Meets with Chapter in the Mile High City
The ISSP Colorado Chapter met in mid April with ISSP Executive Director, Maureen Hart, who presented the status of ISSP's Sustainability Professional Certification program and gave the group a chance to test their skills with sample certification questions. There was some lively discussion about various real-life scenarios that individuals had dealt with in their roles as sustainability managers and directors: "What would you say to your boss if ..." Several of the attendees, who had already earned their ISSP-SA and ISSP-CSP credentials, talked about the benefit they saw in having the credential. For more information about ISSP Colorado Chapter activities, contact KJ McCorry or Graham Russell.
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Check Out Upcoming ISSP Webinars!
Our webinar calendar is filling up! Here's a brief primer on our upcoming topics:
- May 19th - Beth Knight: Are the Right People Leading Sustainability in Business? A Behavioral Competency Model
- June 2nd - Kathy Miller and Meredith Lepley:
- June 16th - Andree Iffrig:
- July 7th - Heather Elgar, Damien Smith, and Rodney Irwin: The Reporting Exchange: Can a Collaborative Platform Reduce Fragmentation and Confusion in the Reporting Landscape?
- August 25th - Richard Eidlin: The Sustainable Business Council and COP21
- September 22nd - Anastasia ORourke and Alison Bennett: What's behind the label? The Landscape, Role, Credibility, and Application of Ecolabels
- October 13th - Archie Kasnet and Blaine Collison: Understanding and Executing PPA's in the Private Sector
Make sure to keep an eye on our Calendar of Events for additional events and to register. Future topics include Biomimicry, renewable energy collaborations, and more!
And of course, a special thanks to our wonderful presenters and to the volunteers on the ISSP Webinar Committee - we couldn't do it without you!
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ISSP Out and About: Where to Meet our Board Members
Here's where various members of the ISSP community will be traveling this month. If you're attending any of these events, seek them out and say hello!
May 3-5 BEEM Expo, Chicago
ISSP Board Member Jeff Yorzyk presenting
ISSP Executive Director Maureen Hart attending
ISSP Board Member Sarah Lewis attending
ISSP Board Member Sarah Lewis instructor
ISSP Member Kevin Wilhelm, and ISSP Hall of Famers Bob Willard and Gil Friend speaking
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Sustainability Events Around the World
- Ceres Conference 2016, May 4-5, Boston, MA
- Global Sustainability Standards Conference, May 11, Washington, DC
- CleanMed 2016, May 17-19, Dallas, TX
- Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council 2016 Summit, May 24-26, Washington, DC
- West Coast Energy Management Congress, May 25-26, Seattle, WA
- Sustainable Brands 2016, June 6-9, San Diego, CA
- The Responsible Business Summit 2016, June 7-8, 2016, Hilton Tower Bridge, Londo
- Environmental Leader 2016 Conference, June 21-23, Denver, CO
- SoL North America's Leading Sustainable Transformation Workshop with MIT Sloan's Peter Senge, June 21-23, 2016, Ashland, MA
- ACCO Climate Strategies Forum - East Coast, July 18-20, Arlington, VA
- SoL North America's Foundations for Leadership Program, Facilitated by Peter Senge & Robert Hanig, September 27-29, Ashland, MA
- ACCO Climate Strategies Forum - West Coast, October 19-21, San Diego, CA
- SRI Conference, November 9-11, Denver, CO
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