Sustainability ABCs

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?

The United Nations resolved in 1987:

Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Achieving a sustainable society requires us to understand how individuals, households, organizations, and governments impact social, environmental, and economic issues.

WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT FOR CANADA?

  • Canada is among the world’s top 10 producers of greenhouse gases, ranking 8th in the world in absolute GHG pollution and 7th in per-capita emissions.
  • We rank 28 out of 29 in terms of water consumption. Outranked only by the United States.
  • In North America we produce enough garbage each day to fill 70,000 garbage trucks. Lined up bumper to bumper over a year, they would stretch halfway to the moon.
  • 23 per cent of all children in Canada – or 1.6 million children – lived in poverty in 2006. This is the same level as it was in 1989.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS?

Students across Canada and across disciplines can bring together perspectives to develop innovative solutions. There is no more powerful catalyst for change than empowered, passionate youth. In your daily life or your future career, you can implement changes to make ours a more sustainable world.

WHO CARES ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY?

Communities

  • Nine out of ten Canadians rate the environment as one of their top concerns. We live, work and play in communities. Our families, friends, neighbours, teams, etc… all come together here. That means local organizations and informal networks will play an integral role in ensuring that sustainable practices – environmental, social and economic – become part of our everyday lives.

Customers

  • 87 percent of consumers worry about the social and environmental impacts of the products they buy (McKinsey 2008)

Employees

  • 40% of MBA grads rated CSR as a an “extremely” or “very” important company reputation measure when job hunting (Hill & Knowlton Jan 08)
  • 92% of students and entry-level hires seek an environmentally friendly company (MonsterTRAK.com survey, Nov 07)
  • 83% of employees in G7 countries say a company’s positive corporate social responsibility (CSR) reputation increases their motivation and their loyalty (GlobeScan 2006)

Investors

  • “With more than 230 institutional investors from 30 countries representing USD 10 trillion in assets backing the Principles for Responsible Investment, we have the clearest of signals…that environmental, social and governance considerations have to be part of mainstream business and investment .” (Achim Steiner, United Nations Environment Program Executive Director)

Business

  • Sustainability helps companies manage risk and identify new business opportunities. Businesses benefit from healthy communities.

Sustainable business can be a powerful force for positive change in the world. Think about a global retailer that requires its suppliers to reduce or eliminate plastic packaging. The impact is instantaneous and significant. Such businesses thrive in harmony with the economic, social and ecological systems upon which they rely .

Firms across Canada and around the world are undertaking measures to improve their environmental and social practices—and, in doing so, many are reaping economic benefits as well. These firms go far beyond meeting legal requirements, by undertaking voluntary initiatives to improve social and environmental conditions that have long-term impact.

EXAMPLES OF BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY IN CANADA

The Co-operators is a group of Canadian companies offering home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators Group Limited is a 100 per cent Canadian-owned co-operative with assets of more than $7 billion. It is owned by a group of Canadian co-operatives, credit union centrals and like-minded organizations. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement, and is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada. Here is their full sustainability case study.

Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) is a member-owned retail consumer co-operative that aims to support wilderness oriented recreation, primarily by selling gear and related goods to its members. MEC has a long-standing focus on social, environmental, and economic sustainability. All decisions are examined through a sustainability lens. This has led them to make fundamentally different decisions with regard to product design and sourcing; community and staff relations; and business operations. Some of theirs goals for 2012 include a 30% absolute reduction in existing facilities CO2 emissions from 2007 levels, 90% of materials diverted from the landfill, and a commitment to work with one factory community in China.

Vancity is Canada’s largest credit union, with 14.1 billion in assets and almost 400,000 members. Vancity is known as an innovator in the financial sector, and has also implemented many social and environmental programs in the course of its business, such as its Clean Air Auto Loan, and low-interest loans for energy efficiency retrofits for homes and businesses. In 2005, Vancity made a commitment to make its entire operations carbon neutral by 2010. However, in 2008, Vancity announced it had already achieved its carbon neutral goal – the first North American financial institution to do so.

Ziptrek Ecotours offers zipline adventures in British Columbia’s breathtaking coastal temperate rainforest. The company blends outdoor adventure with an enlightening ecology-based curriculum informed by The Natural Step’s scientific understanding of sustainability. One of the most important factors of the company’s success in educating others about sustainability is its dedication to leading by example. Ziptrek’s founders are committed to carefully planning and designing every detail of their operations to minimize their impact on the environment and integrate social responsibility to everyday decision making.

Santropol Roulant is a Montreal-based meals-on-wheels program is proving that investments in sustainability can have strong payoffs – socially, environmentally, and financially. Since developing a vision and action plan for sustainability, Santropol Roulant’s kitchen saved close to $3000 in 2007, due in large part to partnerships with local grocers and wholesalers to recover surplus foods.

SUSTAINABILITY LINKS

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