What Does Environmental Sustainability Mean? What is the EHS professional’s role?

1. What Does Environmental Sustainability Mean?  What is the EHS professional’s role? ASSE Delmarva Chapter January 2011

2. History • Concept described in1981 White House Council on Environmental Quality report: “If economic development is to be successful over the long term, it must proceed in a way that protects the natural resource base of developing countries. ”

3. Sustainable Development • Sustainable development can foster policies that integrate environmental, economic, and social values in decision making. • Sustainable development reflects not the trade-off between business and the environment but the synergy between them. 

4. Public Policy Perspective • Public policy perspective would define sustainability as the satisfaction of basic economic, social, and security needs now and in the future without undermining the natural resource base and environmental quality on which life depends.

5. Business Perspective • From a business perspective, sustainability is to increase long-term shareholder and social value, while decreasing industry’s use of materials and reducing negative impacts on the environment.

6. The Concept • Concept of Environmental Sustainability is not new, just a new title and an updated application – the current “buzz” word • Previous concepts • Conservation • Waste mininization • Reduce/Reuse/Recycle • Environmental Stewardship

7. Now, the big question, What does Environmental Sustainability Mean?

8. The choice is yours!

9. The EHS Professional’s Role • Decide what it means to your company and what you want to accomplish • Advertising, media hype, community relations • Shareholder value • Competition is doing it • Customer/consumer demand • Awards • Just the right thing to do

10. The EHS Professional’s Role • Is there support/buy-in from Chairman, CEO, President & other management? • Must change the DNA (culture) of the organization • Willing to make hard decisions • May not directly save money • Just a passing fad?

11. The EHS Professional’s Role • Who will be the leader? • Existing staff or seek someone new • Must have authority • Ability to make decisions • Ability to communicate • Not an “add this to what you are already doing” position

12. The EHS Professional’s Role • What and how will you measure? • Set realistic goals • Don’t be afraid of failure • Historical measurements • Energy use and reduction • Water use and reduction • TRI emissions

13. The EHS Professional’s Role • New measurements • Zero landfill waste • Reduction in packaging material • Global carbon footprint • Simple or complex measurement procedures • Easily understood • Auditable?

14. The EHS Professional’s Role • How will you report, to whom and why? • How • On the web • Company publication public consumption • Internal only • To whom • Full public disclosure • Just to senior management • Keep to yourself

15. The EHS Professional’s Role • Reporting • Why • Increased consumer/customer awareness • Win an award • Because the competition is doing it

16. The EHS Professional’s Role • Don’t try to reinvent the wheel • Review what you are currently doing • Review what you have already accomplished • Can you report your existing accomplishments in a different way • Don’t have to do it all at once

17. You, the EHS Professional need to - Take the lead - Set the parameters - Tellthe story - Make it happen!