Table of Contents

THE SUSTAINABILITY HANDBOOK: THE COMPLETE MANAGEMENT GUIDE
TO ACHIEVING SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

Second Edition Copyright © 2015

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Introduction and Executive Summary

PART ONE- The Status Quo and Why It Needs to Change

Chapter 1- Addressing the Confusion about Sustainability: The Executive View

  1. History of Sustainability
  2. Practical Definition: Respect and Resources
  3. Selecting the Term: Sustainability? Corporate Social Responsibility? Something Else?
  4. The Executive View: “That Sounds Nice, But…”
  5. Nobody’s Perfect
  6. Views on Sustainable Reporting
  7. Reasons for Optimism

Chapter 2- Determining Scope: An Operational Definition of Sustainability

  1. Intuitive and Literal Definitions of Sustainability
  2. Operational Definition of Sustainability: Questions, Policy, and Topics

Chapter 3- Why Organizations Value Sustainability

  1. Business Value Versus Ethical Value
  2. Framing the Business Case: Five Questions
  3. The Show-Me-the-Money Model: Using Sustainability to Make Money
    1. Factor 1: Reputation and Brand Strength
    2. Factor 2: Competitive, Effective and Desirable Products and Services; New Markets
    3. Factor 3: Productivity
    4. Factor 4: Operational Burden and Interference
    5. Factor 5: Supply Chain Costs and Risks
    6. Factor 6: Cost of Capital (Lender and Investor Appeal)
    7. Factor 7: Legal Liability
  4. Linkage Between Company Sustainability Obligations and Financial Success Factors
  5. Sustainability Initiatives That Don’t Contribute to Financial Success
  6. Quid Pro Quo Model: Using Sustainability to Garner Critical Support from Stakeholders
  7. Self Interest Versus Higher Calling

PART TWO- Integrating Sustainability Into the Organization

Chapter 4-

The SOS Foundation: Leadership, Structure, and Message

  1. The Champion/Leader and Visible CEO Support
  2. Vision, Values and Policy; External Codes
  3. Selling Management on Sustainability
  4. Organizational Structure: Multidisciplinary Teams
  5. The Sponsor

Chapter 5- SOS

 Standard: The Roadmap for Change

  1. Natural Evolution of SOS from Reporting
  2. Advantages of Management System Standards
  3. Developing an SOS Standard
  4. Possible Concerns by Management About an SOS
  5. The Role of Stakeholders in Evaluating Management Systems
  6. SOS Process Schedule

Chapter 6- Strategic

 Planning for Focused Improvement

  1. Purpose and Benefits of Strategic Planning by Functional Groups
  2. General Process for Sustainability Planning
  3. The Prioritization Process; Determining Materiality
  4. Strategic Planning Formats: The Balanced Scorecard and Alignment Tools
  5. The Tactical/ Operating Plan
  6. The Role of Aspects Analyses and Risk Assessments in Planning
  7. Tracking Progress
  8. Personal Performance Objectives (PPOs)

Chapter 7- Goals and Indicators

  1. Importance of Clear and Elevating Goal
  2. Objectives, Goals, Targets, Indicators and Metrics: What Do They All Mean?
  3. Other Types of Goals
  4. Setting Metric Goals
  5. Other Types of Indicators
  6. Selecting Indicators
  7. Prioritizing Indicators
  8. Developing Complementary Goals and Other Indicators
  9. Role of Stakeholders in Selecting Goals and Indicators
  10. Final Administrative Details

Chapter 8- Deployment through the Workforce and Suppliers

  1. Why Things Don’t Get Done
  2. Deployment: Rollout Tools and Field Implementation
  3. Integration
  4. Alignment
  5. Special Concerns in Particular Functions
  6. Sustainability in the Rollout of Cross-Functional Activities
  7. Overcoming Resistance: What if They Slam the Door in Your Face?
  8. Deployment Through the Supply Chain
  9. Deployment to Other Outside Organizations

Chapter 9- Data Systems, Auditing, and Other Monitoring and Accountability Mechanisms

  1. Types of Monitoring; Common Problems
  2. Data Collection and Management Systems: How Do You Know What to Buy?
  3. Auditing
  4. Other Accountability Mechanisms

PART THREE- Stakeholder Communications and Engagement

Chapter 10- Transparent Sustainability Reporting

  1. Reasons for Transparent Reporting
  2. Why Companies Don’t Report Transparently; How to Reverse That
  3. Internal Reporting
  4. Mandatory Public Reporting
  5. Voluntary Reporting Initiatives
  6. Sustainability Reporting Statistics and Trends
  7. Integrated Reporting: Social and Environmental Information in Financial Reports
  8. Deciding Whether to Report Publicly; Low-Cost Strategies
  9. Process for Preparing a Public Report
  10. Planning the Report
  11. Reporting as a Balancing Act
  12. Future Directions in Public Reporting

Chapter 11- Stakeholder Engagement; The Role of NGOs

  1. Why Organizations Should Engage with Stakeholders
  2. Why Companies Don’t Engage Their Stakeholders: The Engagement-Risk Dilemma
  3. Encouraging Engagement: The Stakeholder Engagement Principles
  4. Common Approaches for Engaging Various Types of Stakeholders
  5. NGOs, CSOs: Who Are They?
  6. History of NGOs
  7. Types of NGOs
  8. The NGO as a Business
  9. Political, Economic, and Social Trends Affecting NGOs
  10. Why Engage with NGOs
  11. Tips for Engaging NGOs

PART FOUR- Approach to Sustainability for Special Organizations

Chapter 12- Small and Struggling Companies

  1. Approach for Small Companies
  2. Approach for Financially Struggling Companies

Chapter 13- NGOs

  1. Sustainability Aspects of NGO Operations
  2. Sustainability Aspects of NGO Services
  3. Recommended Approach

Chapter 14- Governmental Organizations

  1. The Impact of Government on Sustainability
  2. Local Agenda 21 Model Communities Programme
  3. Star Community Rating System
  4. Best SOS Practices Among Government Institutions
  5. Putting the Pieces Together

Chapter 15- Colleges and Universities

  1. Impact of Collegiate Institutions on Sustainability
  2. General Framework for Sustainability at Collegiate Institutions
  3. The Challenges for Universities Seeking Sustainability
  4. Helpful Organizations
  5. Selling Sustainability to the Administration
  6. Best SOS Practices Among Collegiate Institutions
  7. Integrated Programs

PART FIVE- 

Keeping the Initiative Alive

Chapter 16- Making the SOS Sustainable

  1. Sustaining the SOS
  2. How Others Can Help

APPENDICES

Appendix 1- Summary of Sustainability Trends

1.0 Introduction to Global Sustainability Trends: the Planetary Boundaries and U.N. Sustainable Development Goals
Part A- Primary Trends (Conditions)
1.1 AIDS and Other Serious Diseases
1.2 Air Pollutants (Traditional)
1.3 Biodiversity; Wildlife Extinctions
1.4 Child and Forced Labor; Sweatshops
1.5 Climate Change
1.6 Communications Speed; the Digital Divide
1.7 Coral Reefs
1.8 Credibility of Corporations
1.9 Deforestation
1.10 Education of the Disenfranchised
1.11 Fish Stocks
1.12 Fossil Fuels; Other Energy Resources
1.13 Gender Inequality
1.14 Global Business Competition
1.15 Hazardous Pollutants
1.16 Hunger and Malnutrition
1.17 Mental Health
1.18 Obesity; Food Nutrition and Safety
1.19 Ozone Depletion
1.20 Population Change; Urbanization
1.21 Privacy
1.22 Prosperity Gap
1.23 Resource Consumption
1.24 Soil Quality; Crop Yields
1.25 Water Supply and Contamination
1.26 Wetlands

Part B- Secondary Trends (Responses)
1.27 Anti-globalization
1.28 Extended Producer Responsibility; Precautionary Principle
1.29 Green/Sustainable Products and Services
   • Green (Renewable) Energy
   • Green Buildings
   • Genetically Modified and Organic Crops
   • PVC and BPA Products
   • Lessons for Business
1.30 Green Marketing, Labeling and Certification
1.31 NGO/CSO Influence
1.32 Socially Responsible Investing
   • Types of SRI
   • Corporate Governance Issues
   • Key Organizations Driving the SRI Movement
1.33 Transparency, Public Reporting

Appendix 2- Sustainability-Related Codes of Organizational Behavior
2.1 General Sustainability-Related Codes
2.2 Environmental Codes
2.3 Human Rights, Labor and Other Social Codes
2.4 Marketing and Advertising Codes
2.5 Anti-Corruption Codes
2.6 Governance Codes
2.7 Industry-Specific Codes
Appendix 3– Sustainability-Related Management System Standards
Appendix 4- Materiality Planning Forms for Assessing and Prioritizing Sustainability Risks and
Opportunities
Form A: Business Prioritization of Sustainability Topics
Form B: Importance Rating of Sustainability Topics to Business Success
Form C: Business Impact Assessment of Sustainability Trends
Appendix 5- Method for Calculating Savings and Cost Avoidance for Baxter’s
Environmental Financial Statement

Appendix 6- Examples of Sustainability Issues for Various Functional Groups
6.1 Business Development (Mergers and Acquisitions)
6.2 Business Planning
6.3 Charitable Giving; Foundation
6.4 Communications; Public Relations; Community Relations
6.5 Corporate Governance; Corporate Secretary
6.6 EHS
6.7 Ethics; Business Practices
6.8 Facilities Engineering; Energy Management
6.9 Finance
6.10 Government Affairs/Public Policy
6.11 Human Resources/Employee Relations
6.12 IT
6.13 Internal Audit
6.14 Investor Relations
6.15 Law; Corporate Compliance
6.16 Manufacturing
6.17 Quality
6.18 Research and Development; Product Design
6.19 Risk Management
6.20 Sales and Marketing; Distribution
6.21 Security
6.22 Supply Chain (Supplier Management; Purchasing)

Appendix 7- Examples of Sustainability Metrics
7.1 Examples of Sustainability Metrics for Companies
7.2 Examples of Sustainability Metrics for General Governments
7.3 Examples of Sustainability Metrics for Universities

Appendix 8- Sustainability Resources for Universities
8.1 Organizations That Can Help Universities Pursue Sustainability
8.2 Sustainability-Related Codes for Collegiate Institutions
8.3 Sustainability Assessment Tools for Collegiate Institutions

Glossary of Acronyms

General Index

Resources