Cos Overview V0.7

Bringing Sustainable Organizations Together for the 21st Century

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Sustainable Organizations Are Tightly Linked

Environment

CommunityEconomy

Achieving progress toward sustainability requires maintaining and improving economic, environmental, and community wellbeing, not choosing one over

the others

2© Chamber of Sustainability04/18/2009

Community

Economy

Environment

Sustainable Context25+ Years

Long Term Sustainability Framework


Acknowledges the links between and the importance of each element and is measurable

The Sustainability Context

A sustainable context includes but is not limited to answers to questions such as:


What is the quality of life

for all members—human

and non-human

of your community?

How does sustainability

impact the bottom line

of the enterprise?

How do we measure

sustainability?

Does the enterprise have

the ability to meet

its basic needs?

How involved are people in

making their community a

better place to work, play

and live?

Is environmental

quality a concern?

Effective sustainability metrics are:

• showing something about the system that needs to be understood

Relevant

• including the links among the economy, environment, and community

Multidimensional

• even by people who are not experts

Understandable

• enabling trust in the information provided

Reliable

• facilitating timely action

Accessible

Effective Sustainability Metrics


Sustainability Within Context

Environment

Community

Economy


Achieving progress toward sustainable development is a matter of social choice on the part of individuals, groups, enterprises, communities, and governments that comprise the ecosystem context. It is an evolutionary process with no specifically defined end state.

Not Just an Environmental Movement

04/18/2009 © Chamber of Sustainability 7

Sustainability is:

a community movement

an economic movementan environmental movement

Impacts of Sustainability


•Sustainability impacts the entire ecosystem that is our enterprise, our community, our economy, and our environment

•The sustainability concept integrates our economic and social (community) lives into the environment in ways that maintain and enhance the environment rather than degrade or destroy it

•Sustainable community issues include all the different parts that make up a community

Definition of Community

Community can be defined in social terms such as our town or county and be expanded to include our region or country, and further expanded to encompass our continent or our world

The human ecology exists within each community

Communities exist in the environment of the earth’s ecosystem


Definition of Economy

The economy is the social system of production, exchange, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

Any specific economy involves the environment, technology, history, geography, resources, and other factors

Economy encompasses job growth, diversity, benefits, and the work needed to support basic needs

The economy includes work performed, profit, and the ability to produce a needed product or service

The economy can be considered on a local, national, or global level

Any enterprise may be involved in more than one economy, more than one community, and more than one local environment


Effective Sustainability Metrics

Indicators that measure progress toward sustainability need to measure the interactions between the economy, the community and the environment and its impact on the individual

Frequently the best metrics have not been captured

Traditional metrics have several advantages and disadvantages

Your metrics must change over time


Community EconomyEnvironment

Advantages of Traditional Metrics

The data is readily available and can be used to compare communities

Traditional metrics can help to define problem areas

Traditional metrics can be combined to create sustainability metrics



Disadvantages of Traditional Metrics

Traditional data sources and metrics focus attention on traditional solutions

For example, measuring miles per gallon does not enable easy understanding of improvement, instead measuring gallons per mile creates a much richer understanding and will lead to much better solutions

If your defined metrics are readily available you have not thought hard enough about sustainability



Why Join the Chamber Of Sustainability?

What You Receive


Marketing access to regional locations

The COS is developing media partnerships with each AMOS Project location to gain

exposure in the specific markets

The Central Upstate Region of New York has numerous partnerships to reach thousands in

the clean and green technology sectors

Connect with potential collaborators working on sustainability projects

The COS will provide a virtual platform to match companies with potential collaborators

Networking opportunities with industry leaders and prospective clients

The COS is hosting a minimum of 20 (physical and virtual) networking events for member companies in 2009

++

Business to Business Connections


Join the COS online discussion forum

The COS has an online discussion forum for members

Attend national COS events, including the SUSTAINABLE2000 event

The COS will host a national event in 2010

Gain knowledge about sustainability through connections, events, committees, and many more opportunities

The COS is hosting a minimum of five regional events in 2009

Network with other members

The COS has a members-only, interactive website that promotes numerous ways to collaborate between companies+++

National Exposure


Inclusion in a national media campaign to promote sustainability issues

List your company in the COS exclusive online

Member Directory

A free subscription to the COS e-newsletter

Subscription to specific topical email announcements

Credibility


Complimentary submissions to receive a SUSTAINABLE2000 award

• The ratings system is being developed and will be launched in the third quarter of 2009

Ability to use the COS logo on organization marketing collateral

• The COS logo will be provided in multiple formats upon acceptance of membership proposal

Professional Development


Complimentary registrations to the Chamber’s national and local events and programs

• The COS will host a minimum of 5 events in 2009

Attend COS advocacy training sessions

• The COS will host a minimum of two advocacy training sessions in 2009

Access to Government


•Committees are being developed throughout the country in will be operational in the third quarter of 2009

Serve on a SUSTAINABLE2000

committee to shape the future of sustainability

issues

•A government affairs consulting group will be secured by third quarter of 2009 and members will be encouraged to participate

Participate in legislative outreach efforts and stay

up to date with federal and local government

sustainability programs

•A comprehensive list will be continuously updated for COS members and be available on the members-only website

Learn about funding opportunities for

sustainable businesses

Involvement


Become a developer of the SUSTAINABLE2000 ratings system for national use•Members will have the opportunity to join in

the update of the system by the third quarter of 2009

Host COS committee meetings at your organization’s office(s)•The COS will coordinate committee meetings

on your behalf at company location(s)

Community Outreach

Host events at the AMOS Project locations


What We Do

Assist companies in marketing sustainable products and services

The COS is providing marketing advice to companies as a benefit, along with access to industry experts to assist with the planning

Help develop strategic partnerships between member companies

The COS is actively leading collaboration initiatives by gathering like-minded companies that produce positive partnerships

Produce positive economic growth opportunities

The COS is developing strategic plans and opportunities for all member companies to grow their revenue streams

Promote increased public awareness of sustainability issues

The COS is initiating a public relations campaign in target regions with input from member companies


Developing Sustainability Metrics for Your Enterprise

How Do You Develop Effective Metrics?

1. Does the metric provide a long-term view of the community?

2. Does the metric address the ability of the community's human capital including skills, abilities, health and education?

3. Does the metric address the ability of the renewable and nonrenewable resources that the community relies on?

4. Does the metric address the issue of economic, social or biological diversity in the community?

5. Does the metric address the ability of the entire ecosystem services that the community relies on?

6. Does the metric address the ability of a community's social systems to work together and interact in meaningful ways?



7. Does the metric address the ability of a community's man-made materials that are focused on quality of life and the ability to maintain and enhance them with existing resources?

8. Does the metric address the issue of esthetic qualities that are important to the community?

9. Is the metric easy to understand and use?

10.Does the metric address the equity and fairness between current community residents or between current and future individuals?

11. Does the metric address economic, social or biological diversity in the community?



12. Does the metric measure a link between the economy and environment?

13. Does the metric measure a link between the environment and the community?

14. Does the metric measure a link between the community and the economy?

15. Does the metric measure sustainability that is at the expense of another community or at the expense of global sustainability?


Contact:NameTitleEmailPhoneFax


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Cos Overview V0.7

Documents

sustainability context

sustainability concept

sustainability needto

sustainability projects

chamber of sustainability11

chamber of sustainability12

chamber of sustainability3

chamber of sustainability5