When the USGBC released LEED v4 in the fall of 2013, there were several substantial updates to the widely adopted green building rating system. Specifically, the Materials and Resources section saw many changes including, for the first time, the inclusion of material health considerations. There has been a steep learning curve for both manufacturers and LEED practitioners scrambling to keep current with the new system. Industry leaders are partnering and combining their expertise to make LEED v4 compliance easier. The recent partnership between GreenScreen/Clean Production Action and GreenCircle Certified, LLC aims to assist in compliance for various Material Ingredient credit options. The partnership brings together Clean Production Action's GreenScreenŽ for Safer Chemicals methodology and GreenCircle's third-party certification expertise.

GreenCircle will use its role as a leading third-party certification body to ensure that Manufacturer's Inventories and GreenScreen claims submittals are being completed in compliance with LEED requirements. As the first approved GreenScreen-LEED Certifier, GreenCircle's mark will guarantee LEED project teams that certified inventories will qualify for the Material Ingredient Disclosure and Optimization credit options. 

 At this time, Clean Production Action and GreenCircle are seeking a consensus group of manufacturers and industry experts to test the certification process and provide feedback. If you are interested in participating in this consensus group, or would like more information about this effort, please contact Annie Bevan, Certification and Operations Manager, GreenCircle Certified, LLC. For more information, read the full press release, here. 

Growing challenges facing businesses today include exponential population growth; energy demands; fresh water and natural resource depletion; changes in standards of living; evolving consumer values and demands; employee health and safety; and, of course, climate change. As these forces continue to shape the business environment, there has been a shift in corporate strategies to utilize environmental and social responsibility to protect long-term investments in lieu of short-term rewards.

Global investor groups have adopted sustainability as requisite, and weigh social and environmental factors in making investment choices. Previously, typical investing frameworks relied primarily on financial analysis, but did not account for material sustainability factors that can affect a company's value. One of the most common methodologies for addressing this is evaluating Environmental, Social and Governance factors (ESG). ESG analysis assesses the non-financial elements in valuation of organizations. Utilizing ESG evaluation and other criteria, MSCI (a leading provider of stock market indexes and analysis tools) assigns a KLD score that relates to a company's environmental and social performance, with higher scores representing better performance. Originally launched in 1990, the MSCI KLD 400 Social Index is adjusted at each quarterly review and consists of the top 400 companies with exemplary social and environmental records. Compelling arguments exist for adopting corporate responsibility to support a business strategy, but do companies really see a measurable gain from it? 

To determine if there was a link between KLD scores and financial performance, a study was completed by Michael J. Barnett and Robert M. Salomon. Their findings demonstrated that the firms with high KLD scores had the highest financial performance of the sample group, proving that companies engaging in corporate responsibility outperform those that do not. To learn more about how GreenCircle can help your organization improve environmental, social, and financial performance, contact AshLee Klingman at ashlee@greencirclecertified.com or 610-569-1045.

As a leading supplier of primary materials, Aaron Industries plays a large role in sustainable production. Aaron recently received GreenCircle certification for Recycled Content of its Post-Consumer and Post-Industrial blends of Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene. Certification has quantified and validated the recycled content of 19 of Aaron Industries' thermoplastic custom compounds and resins, bolstering Aaron's position as a leader in recycled plastic innovation and one of the largest resin compounders in the Northeast. 

Recycling operations, such as the ones found at Aaron Industries, are reducing the need for virgin materials and, in turn, are reducing overall environmental impacts. Aaron's recycled compounds and resins enable their customers to create more sustainable products, providing significant value throughout the supply chain. To learn more about Aaron Industries' Recycled Content certification, read the full press release, here.