Category Archives: Issues In Depth Calls

Brewing a Successful Sustainability Program: A Case Study from a CA Brewing Co.
Net Impact “Issues in Depth” Teleconference
Date: Friday, November 21^st
Time: 11:00-12:00pm
Led By: Cheri Chastain, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

For Details and to Register: http://tinyurl.com/yze7q2

Listen in to hear how Sierra Nevada Brewing Co has successfully implemented sustainable business practices into all aspects of their operation. Learn how they have become almost 100% off the electrical grid, how CO2 and heat are recycled back into the plant, how recycling solid by products and veg oil can become profitable, and how to make transportation of goods less environmentally impactful. Sierra Nevada’s Sustainability Coordinator, Cheri Chastain, will discuss how Sierra Nevada markets their environmental program as well as challenges they have run across and how they were overcome.

 

About Cheri:

Cheri Chastain is the Environmental Sustainability Coordinator for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, CA. At Sierra Nevada, Cheri is responsible for educating employees on environmental issues and programs, runs the recycling and waste diversion program and energy conservation program, and manages the green house gas inventory and emission reductions projects. She also makes biodiesel, researches “green” procurement, and works to conserve and recycle water. Cheri has been with Sierra Nevada for two years and has worked in the environmental education field for six years. Cheri holds a Bachelor’s degree in physical geography and a Master’s degree in Environmental Geography.

The Power of One: How you can embrace and communicate the environmental ethic
Net Impact “Issues in Depth” Teleconference
Date: Friday, November 7^th
Time: 12:00-1:00pm
Led By: Paul Murray, Director of Environmental Safety and Sustainability at Herman Miller, Inc.

For Details and to Register: http://tinyurl.com/yze7q2

As a leading voice for corporate environmental responsibility, Herman Miller has learned enough lessons about “going green” to fill a textbook. Lesson number one: Never doubt the power of one person to create profound organizational change. Herman Miller’s Director of Environmental Affairs, Safety and Sustainability, Paul Murray, says many of the company’s most significant green initiatives have come from employees “who knew we could do better.” Due to countless individual insights and efforts, Herman Miller today stands as a noteworthy example of how good business and environmental stewardship go hand-in-hand. Join Paul as he discusses how the actions of just one person can inspire greater environmental awareness within your company and among your clients.

 

About Paul:

Paul Murray carries the message of corporate environmental responsibility to business and academic audiences throughout the country. “The Power of One,” his presentation to the design community and other audiences affirms that each individual, company, and industry can champion environmental awareness among co-workers and clients alike, whether by promoting the use of sustainable products or through a simple commitment to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” whenever possible.

Paul grew up in Selby, a small farming community in north central South Dakota. He attended Northern State College in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry; he holds a Master’s in management from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, He is also a LEED accredited professional. Initially credentialed as a high school teacher, Paul taught math and chemistry, and served as a high school coach, before leaving his teaching career to work as a research chemist with PPG Industries and Boise Cascade Corporation.

Based on his experience developing wood coatings and finishes, Paul joined Herman Miller in 1988 as a production manager responsible for wood finishing operations. Long interested in environmental work, Paul felt a connection to the company’s history of environmental stewardship. However, it was not until he sought an air quality permit for a wood finishing area that Paul discovered a growing need within Herman Miller to identify and coordinate numerous “green” initiatives underway. Paul and others soon established EQAT, the Environmental Quality Action Team, and through the group’s ongoing efforts Herman Miller has earned several environmental awards, including a Presidential citation, as well as national recognition as an environmentally progressive company.

Paul was named Environmental Affairs manager in 1992 and director of Environmental Safety and Sustainability in 2006. In May 2006, Vanity Fair magazine acknowledged Paul’s efforts by including him in its special “Green” issue, in the section entitled, “The Re-Inventors: Green Architects and Designers.”

In addition to his responsibilities with Herman Miller, Paul participates in several work groups with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; holds memberships with the Air and Waste Management Association, the National Association of Environmental Managers, and the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum; and serves on the Board of Directors for both the University of Michigan’s Corporate Environmental Management Program and the International Design Center for the Environment. Additionally, he sits on the boards of several non-profit environmental organizations.

In 2002 Paul co-founded the Sustainable Research Group (SRG), an environmental consulting service created to help other companies implement green initiatives similar to Herman Miller’s.

Paul and his family live in Hudsonville, Michigan.

Corporate Social Responsibility at Credit Suisse: Sustainability, Microfinance, and Citizenship Initiatives at a Global Investment Bank
Net Impact “Issues in Depth” Teleconference
Date: Wednesday, November 5^th
Time: 12:00-1:00pm
Led By:

• John Tobin, Director, Head of Public Policy-Sustainability Affairs, Credit Suisse
• Dawn Emling, Vice President, Regional Head of Sustainability for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Credit Suisse  
• Bella Berns, Director, Head of Philanthropy in Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Credit Suisse

 

Date: Friday, October 17th
Time: 12:00-11:00pm
Led By: Ben Packard, Vice President, Global Responsibility at Starbucks
Register: http://netimpact.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=1057

During this conversation with one of Starbucks leading voices in sustainability, Ben Packard , vice president, Global Responsibility, will discuss the company’s ongoing efforts to create a positive impact on society. Join the call to learn how the company is managing their efforts during the economic downturn and looking to leverage their existing programs moving forward. 

About Ben:

Ben Packard joined Starbucks Coffee Company in April 1998 as the Environmental affairs manager after receiving his Master of Business Administration and Certificate in Environmental Management from the University of Washington in Seattle. Prior to Starbucks, Ben worked for six years in the environmental field for a non-profit, a governmental policy agency, and then privately with a start-up in the recycling industry.

Ben is responsible for designing the strategy and developing programs in support of the Company’s commitment to global responsibility. He was responsible for completing an environmental footprint analysis for the Company using the Natural Step Framework. From the footprint, Starbucks has established focus areas and performance metrics that are woven into the strategic planning process. Ben was part of the initial team of Starbucks partners in the precursor to Global Responsibility, the Corporate Social Responsibility department, which was established in November 2000.

In January 2000 Ben received a Fellowship from the Environmental Leadership Program, an organization seeking to transform public understanding of environmental issues by training and supporting a network of visionary, action-oriented emerging leaders. Ben was named Starbucks “Leader of the Year” for 2002 for his work on the Environmental Footprint Project. Ben is currently serving as a Delegate in the US-Japan Leadership Program.

Ben also serves on the board of Net Impact, the Mayor of Seattle’s Urban Sustainability Advisory Panel, and as chair of the US Green Building Council’s Retail Development Committee.

Date: Wednesday, October 15th
Time: 11:00-12:00pm
Led By: Simon Zadek, CEO of AccountAbility
Register: http://netimpact.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=1057

Global markets are really am amalgam of interlinked national and regional markets, framed by legislation passed by national governments, sometimes informed by international agreements covering everything from postal standards to trade tariffs to labour and environmental standards. The rules are, in short, a mess, built up over decades by thousands of different public and private organisations. Furthermore, many of our ways of developing international standards are in disrepair and disarray – just look at the collapse of the Doha Trade negotiations as a spectacular example of just that. Another disturbing case is how the UK Government killed off the investigations into BAE’s alleged fraudulent dealings with the Saudi Government, citing the ‘national interest’ as trumping their commitment to the OECD Convention on Foreign Corrupt Practices. Yet standards are hugely important in ensuring that companies behave responsibly in ways consistent with sustainable development. Whether it be about corruption, climate change or privacy rights on the internet, we cannot rely alone on the responsibility of individual companies or the seduction of business gains to ensure that business does the right thing.

Simon’s presentation will focus on the role of ‘collaborative standards initiatives’ in filling the gap between the actions of individual companies and the traditional and limited roles of government legislation. These initiatives, covering everything from palm oil to fish to water rights to drug pricing, have become an important part of our collective pathway towards sustainable development. From the Equator Principles, to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative to the MFA Forum, these collaborations between business, civil society and public institutions, have shaped a new generation of global standards according to the behaviour of ‘the best’ of what companies can achieve in today’s global markets. Together, they represent a new institutional player on the global stage, exciting, dynamic and potentially transformational in their impacts.

Simon encourages participants to read the following in advance of the call, all of which are freely downloadable from AccountAbility’s website:

‘Governing Collaboration’ (Rochlin, Zadek and Forstater: AccountAbility, 2008)
‘Investing in Standards for Sustainable Development’ (Litovsky, Rochlin, Zadek and Levy: AccountAbility, 2008)

About Simon:

Dr Simon Zadek is Chief Executive of AccountAbility, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Government and Business of Harvard University’s Kennedy School, and an Honorary Professor at the University of South Africa’s Centre for Corporate Citizenship. He sits on the International Advisory Board of Instituto Ethos, the Advisory Board of Generation Investment Management, the Board of the Employers’ Forum on Disability and the Council of GAN-NET. In 2003 he was named one of the World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Leaders for Tomorrow’.

Simon’s previous roles include Visiting Professor at the Copenhagen Business School, the Development Director of the New Economics Foundation, and founding Chair of the Ethical Trading Initiative. He has served on numerous Boards and Advisory Councils, including the State of the World’s Commission for Globalisation, the ILO’s World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalisation, the UN Commission for Social Development Expert Group on CSR, and the founding Steering Committee of the Global Reporting Initiative.

Simon has supported many business’ efforts around the world in driving accountability innovations into their strategies and practices. His work has increasingly focused on facilitating businesses and their stakeholders in developing mutual understanding and collaborative initiatives. His work in this regard has been both at company level, for example for Gap Inc in their work around labour standards, and GE in its development of its approach to human rights, through to his convening role of the MFA Forum, a large-scale collaboration involving leading textiles and apparel companies, civil society and labour organisations, international development agencies and financing institutions, and national governments and business associations.

He has authored, co-authored, and co-edited numerous publications, including more recently two Harvard Working Papers on the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in development and governance, Governing Partnership Governance (2006) and The Logic of Collaborative Governance (2005). He has written extensively on the impact of corporate responsibility on the competitiveness of nations Responsible Competitiveness (2005). His PhD thesis was published as The Economics of Utopia (1994), and published an anthology of his writings Tomorrow’s History (2004). His book, The Civil Corporation: the New Economy of Corporate Citizenship (2001), has become a classic in the field, and has been recognised by the Academy of Management by being honoured as the Best Book Social Issues Award 2006.