Ok, I know that I'm biased when it comes to how organizations can leverage technology to provide visibility into their CSR initiatives; after all, I work for a software company that actually provides this type of technology. But my bias is for good reason. It works.

The practice of claiming environmental responsibility without having metrics or processes to back it up certainly leaves a sour taste in the mouth of the eco-conscious consumer. Even if an organization is truly engaged and mindful of their environmental stewardship, the public is now wary and weary of corporate claims that don't hold...um, water.

And the general appetite for responsible companies and governments when it comes to environmental protection is growing. Look at the recent survey of American attitudes created for Yale and George Mason University. It indicated that 3 out of 4 voters favor regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant and a majority of those polled felt that global warming should be a priority for the President and Congress. Scientific American recently ran a story on the study, if you're interested in reading more.

The only way you can really ensure your message of environmental stewardship is believed is by having the data to back it up. Many people will say that capturing that information is easier said than done. While I would never say it's easy, a change in how an organization does things never is, but I will say it may be easier than you think.

The availability of tools like our Environmental Sustainability Metrics application, is enabling a whole new level of visibility into how organizations are performing against their sustainability targets. Visibility that can provide reassurance to skeptical customers and other interested stakeholders like employees and investors. These tools don't just chart and graph existing data, they require tracking tasks to be completed, forms to be filled in and go as far as to raise red flags when activities run overdue. Performance tracking and trending is clearly visible from graphical performance dashboards.

So yes, I am 100% biased on the subject, but I am one of those people who feels skeptical about green claims and I love reading corporate success stories that can be backed up by metrics. Don't you?

Food manufacturing and packaging go hand in hand.  What may not be so obvious, however, is that the links between the two are about to become a lot more, er, ineggstricable. That’s right, thanks to some pioneering work out of England, we’ve learned that eggs themselves may contain the answers to some of the world’s environmental woes. 

Scientists out of the University of Leicester in England are currently investigating the use of disposed eggshells, which currently either end up in landfill or are used in pharmaceuticals to help with cartilage and connective tissue problems. The biodegradable proteins found in the egg shell can be potentially formed into a starch-based plastic very similar to numerous forms of existing materials used in packaging warehouses. Sounds simple, but the outcome could bring great change to the packaging world. Find out more here

As the article explains: The aim of the current project is to adapt the proteins to create a starch-based plastic that could then "bulk up" existing plastics and be molded into anything from shop fitting to supermarket meal trays. The biodegradable composite material is being lined up to make egg boxes, to serve as a practical example of closed-loop recycling.

Between sweeping new regulations, ambitious new OHS programs, and environmental controversy in the U.S. and Canada, EHS issues were top of mind throughout 2011. To wrap up a year that had no shortage of headlines, we’ve analyzed last year’s Intelex blog stats to determine the most popular posts of 2011. Without further adieu, here are the Top 5:

1. I2P2, hazardous chemicals, high-risk construction among top OSHA priorities for 2011: OSHA Secretary of Labour Dr. David Michaels kicked off the year with an online chat outlining some of OSHA’s top priorities for 2011. While many of his priorities – including the ambitious I2P2 program and the addition of an MSD column to OSHA Form 300 reports – did not make it through the gates by the end of the year, this overview provided some guidance on where OSHA’s priorities lie in the very near future.
2. Start preparing for new OSHA fall protection requirements now: Fall safety, which for many years has landed in the top spot of OSHA’s list of most frequently cited violations, was a chief concern for residential builders across the U.S. as OSHA implemented new fall protection requirements.
3. The Top 5 upcoming OHS regulatory events you need to know about: Placing third on our Top 5 is, well, another Top 5! We combed through a variety of upcoming OHS legislation, regulations and literature to identify the five key OHS regulatory events that will have the most impact on businesses from coast to coast. Topping the list was OSHA’s monumental Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2), which will have an equally monumental impact on U.S. businesses. It hasn’t been implemented yet, but could see the light of day in the very near future.
4. No more 'catch me if you can' – I2P2 and what it could mean for you: Well, if there is a emerging theme to this list, it might have something to do with I2P2. For most organizations, it is a distant thunder, buried in clouds gathering on the horizon. But for the proactive business, it ought to be so much more given its scope is absolutely vast and will essentially redefine how all companies manage safety.
5. Sustainability as a business opportunity: And finally, it wasn’t all about safety in 2011. As organizations continue to seek value in sustainability initiatives and as environmental advocates try to achieve buy-in from senior management on green programs in the face of a turbulent climate, we flipped the argument on its head. Instead of viewing sustainability programs as a financial burden, it should be thought of as an investment that carries great returns.

We are always on the hunt for fresh content ideas that are important to our readers. Write me or use the comments section below to share your ideas. Happy New Year!

I'm currently at the EHS NAEM Management Forum in Tucson, Arizona, and I wanted to update you all on what a fantastic experience everyone is having so far.

The main trade show floor is electric, with top industry personnel networking on best practices in environmental, health and safety management. I'm a big advocate of all the information sessions that have been held throughout this show as well, a powerful incentive for folks attending this conference from around the world.

In addition to the show, I've been asked to be a part of the NAEM Council on behalf of Intelex Technologies, and I couldn't be more proud.

The Intelex family has grown significantly from NAEM events over the years, with valuable relationships established.  As seen in this photo, here are a few of our friends. Dawn Krueger from 3M (middle), Marty Moran from General Mills (left). That's me on the right.

Thinking of reporting on your sustainability efforts through an outlet like the GRI? Good for you.

That said, you may have encountered some opposition to the premise, or criticisms highlighted by Corporate Social Responsibility guru Mallen Baker, who has pointed to an oft-cited flaw in the GRI approach, namely the fact a report is essentially a company’s own narrative of its sustainability performance.

“All the current models of reporting expect the companies to provide their own narrative — to tell the story complete,” he noted on his blog. “And yet that doesn’t work, because the end user actually doesn't read the reports, and doesn't trust the company to provide its own context. There are no expert interpreters of this information. All the focus on assurance is about checking data — but that isn't the real issue. People by and large don't think the companies will lie about the data — but they fully expect them to paint the best gloss on what the data actually means.”

Yet, somewhere between GRI and friends’ overzealous focus on reporting standards and the noble spirit of making sustainability reporting as comprehensive and transparent as financial reporting, there is a golden mean that is arguably more passive, less resource-intensive, and — quite appropriately — completely sustainable. Businesses that implement a streamlined, electronic EMS featuring configurable reporting capabilities and real-time dashboards stand to benefit from two critical advantages.

Firstly, if all sustainability metrics are monitored and inputted across all business units on an ongoing basis and rolled up across administrative levels, much of the time spent measuring, collecting and analyzing data and generating reports that comply with reporting models will be eliminated. The time and effort associated with generating comprehensive sustainability reports has been a major gripe among participant organizations and critics, and a streamlined, software-based reporting process curbs the time and manpower required.

Secondly, with real-time dashboards indicating the status of sustainability KPIs (GHG emissions, for example), an organization is able to monitor the pulse of its sustainability performance and gauge the impact of new initiatives. In essence, instead of gauging and reporting on sustainability performance on an annual basis, an organization real-time dashboards and integrated reporting capabilities provide a means of perpetual monitoring and reporting.

Ever have a tough time selling a software solution to your boss you know will make a huge difference to your organization?

Well, this isn't an uncommon thing. It's always difficult to convince those that hold the purse strings in any organization to loose themselves of the funds you so dearly need to streamline your processes; to escape the Notes, the spreadsheets, and the disparate documents and systems of the world to reconcile all information in one system.

If these concerns echo with you at all, check out a recent article in Pollution Engineering, penned by Intelex's Paul Leavoy.

It describes the opportunities and challenges that face any EHS manager as he or her pursues the approval of senior management's approval of a software solution that will help streamline processes and generate ROI.

Let us know what you think!

We've covered the importance of developing a proactive plan, quantifying financial gains, understanding the role of metrics, and using software to manage your sustainability program for the most effective results.

Today let's talk about the often overlooked element of a winning sustainability program: communicating your progress.

5. Communicate Commitment/Performance to Stakeholders: While the primary function of sustainability initiatives will be the returns they deliver through conservation efforts and a number of other cost-savings effects, don’t miss the boat on the wealth of opportunities that accompany clearly communicating sustainability efforts and accomplishments to stakeholders. When developing a sustainability strategy, consider incorporating an ongoing sustainability reporting plan that conforms to existing frameworks (such as the IIRC, GRI and others).

While some critics have complained that comprehensive sustainability reporting can dominate resources and distract from essential business operations, proper planning, resource allocation and the use of software solutions (with configurable reporting capabilities) can render reporting a seamless and automatic process.

Even before sustainability benchmarks have been achieved, once a commitment to sustainable development has been solidified by way of a documented sustainability strategy, an organization can begin touting its agenda. The marketing, publicity, sales and customer relations benefits that flow from flaunting environmental, social and financial sustainability are too substantial to ignore.

In closing

We hope you've enjoyed our overview of the elements we believe are integral to a successful sustainability strategy. Please share your thoughts with us! We've barely scratched the surface of what can be a nuanced, multilayered file, but we've tried to provide some beginner-level guidance to the uninitiated organization that aspires to be more sustainable. 

As a parting thought, do not fall into the trap many newcomers to the sustainability game find themselves in by being either overly ambitious or forgetting to frame priorities accurately. Remember that your organization is a business first and foremost: instead of framing your business priorities in terms of environmental issues, frame environmental issues in terms of your business priorities.

So far in our week-long discussion on building a successful sustainability strategy, we’ve reviewed the importance of developing a proactive plan, quantifying financial gains, and understanding the role of metrics.

Now let’s turn our attention to another critical aspect and something that’s dear to our hearts at Intelex: the role of software. Yes, it could be argued we’re more than marginally invested in the role software plays in sustainability, but we still deeply believe it is an essential part of building an effective program.

4. Use Software to Track Metrics and Forecast: Certainly, though conventional paper- and spreadsheet-based platforms can be and are used to track environmental, social and economic performance, the advantage of integrated software solutions over such archaic means is undisputable.

In particular, some configurable software products already geared towards streamlining the management of EHS systems can be extended to cover most if not all aspects of a complete sustainability program.

Moreover, some systems are prepared to capture, correlate, assess and automatically report on sustainability data, eliminating the time and effort spent on manual data collection, entry and assessment by employees—personnel that could most likely focus their energy on improving the caliber and scope of your sustainability program.

By automating the assessment and reporting on key sustainability metrics with software, organizations can analyze trends and forecast to streamline the allocation of resources and identify potential weaknesses in their sustainability programs and, critically, cut costs.

We’ve discussed the value of a proactive strategy and quantifying financial gains in building a sustainability strategy.

Today we’ll look at another critical component of a sustainability strategy that is the heart of the adage “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

3. Understand the Role of Metrics: Before you make your first step into the world of sustainability – before you install that first compact fluorescent lightbulb – it’s imperative to understand you need to know where you’re at.

Along the lines of the lightbulb example above, it can be as simple as starting with an energy audit of your plants, offices, sites and other business units. If you know where you’re at, you can begin to set goals and targets, key elements of any successful sustainability strategy. The progress achieved through each action and each campaign within your sustainability strategy will be much more significant if they can be measured against where you were at when you launched your strategy.

Without defined, tracked sustainability metrics, you have no sustainability program. Not only will you be unable to monitor the success of sustainability initiatives and continually improve sustainability performance, you won’t be able to tie such initiatives to ROI and you won’t be able to share your track record with stakeholders.

Yesterday we discussed the role of developing a proactive plan in building a successful sustainability strategy.

Today is all about a term CFOs, VPs, Directors, executive team members  like to hear a lot: ROI.

2. Calculate the ROI: You may have achieved the buy-in of senior management, or your CEO may have provided a clear mandate to undertake sustainable development initiatives. Either way, acknowledge sustainability programs are an investment and spell-out in clear, concrete terms the tangible ROI a sustainability strategy will generate on a short- and long-term basis.

As suggested above, some indirect savings values will be coloured by probabilities and expressed as ranges. However, an honest, comprehensive breakdown — which can be developed in-house or facilitated by a consultant or software solutions provider in many cases — will give your organization a clear analysis of what gains can be expected from the adoption of a comprehensive sustainable development program.

As the years roll on, your organization can compare actual data against ROI expectations to tweak its sustainability program for the most effective results.