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The Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) hosted its third annual sustainability conference on Tuesday, June 16. Leaders from around the Nutmeg State—and beyond—convened in Hartford to discuss best-in-class sustainability initiatives and to assess how “green” practices are faring in these difficult economic times.

Here are two observations worth considering. First, interest in sustainability is alive and well in Connecticut, which I believe is good news for us all. Second, we still have a long way to go in terms of building dialogue around sustainability in our state.

Click here to read more.

As many of you may know, Andrew Winston (the co-author of “Green to Gold”) is releasing his new book “Green Recovery” later this summer. Luckily for us, he’s not keeping us waiting, and has posted a sneak-peek excerpt from the book that includes the chapter on “Getting Lean”.

I find Andrew’s writing to be equally as entertaining as it is accessible, and chock-full of examples and anecdotes gathered during his visits with corporations the world over. But what I love most are the little zingers interspersed throughout the text. Here’s one about greening IT infrastructure that made me laugh out loud:

“…What’s the most powerful thing you can do to reduce IT energy use? Every time I speak to tech companies or sustainability executives, I hear one theme over and over: the people who create the energy use have no clue how much it’s costing. The prescription:

Add the power bill to the CIO’s budget.”

Simple and straightforward? You bet.
Powerful and game-changing? Absolutely.

Now that’s the type of sustainability solution I can get behind.

I used to be a coffee drinker. I would hurry to the coffee maker in the kitchen five or six times each morning and rush back to my office, annoyed that I had to leave my desk for even the 30 seconds or so that it took me to refill my cup and get back to my desk. Two years ago, I stopped drinking coffee and switched to tea.

At first, I would turn on the teapot, run back to my office, work until I heard the shrill of the whistle, and dash back to the kitchen. Then the stress of it all got to be too much. Now, I force myself to take a small break each time I want a new cup of tea. Put the pot on the burner and turn on the stove; open two packages (I have a really big, thermal cup) of jasmine green; and wait. I visit the goldfish, read part of an article from the weekend paper, jot down a thing or two on our running grocery list.

What I’ve found is that these little breaks help me to step away, if only for a few minutes, from the busy-ness that characterizes my days; refocus my mind and my energy; and return to my desk feeling rejuvenated and a little calmer—not to mention happy that I have a fresh cup of tea.

The other day I asked a couple of clients how well their company addressed work-life-balance issues such as telecommuting and flexible working hours. They looked at each other. While some areas were better than others, the company had no policy and work-life balance was not seen as a priority issue. Perhaps if more companies encouraged the equivalent of the tea break* or enabled employees to manage their energy by, for example, formalizing telecommuting and offering reduced work weeks and flexible scheduling, they could benefit from a more motivated and energetic workforce—especially in these trying times. Introduce hot desking and mobility centers and they begin to reduce space usage and carbon footprints, not to mention costs. Build a culture that rewards people for the quality of their work rather than the amount of time they spend at work.

What if employees were encouraged to turn off their Blackberries while on vacation (or at least when they go to bed)? What if, rather than taking a performance bonus in cash, an employee could opt for a year of three-day weekends? Would there even be any takers?

I think I’ll have another cup of tea.

*A book by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, entitled The Power of Full Engagement, takes the idea of the tea break to a whole new level. Definitely worth reading.

Barclays Sustainability Report 2008 PDF

Build a Roadmap for Long-Term Success!

Presented by Framework:CR
Hosted by the Altamont Group

In order to generate maximum value, sustainable practices must be integrated consistently across all business units as part of core business strategy. A comprehensive sustainability strategy raises awareness of risks and opportunities; drives innovation; strengthens customer, investor, employee, and other relationships; and, ultimately, improves overall business performance and profitability.

The Sustainability Strategic Planning Workshop will take you step-by-step through the process of

• Assessing current sustainability performance,
• Building internal support,
• Defining your strategy, and
• Integrating and implementing sustainability initiatives

You’ll learn from sustainability leaders from various industry sectors–including automotive, consumer products, financial services, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, technology, and more–through case studies and best practice examples. You’ll also have the opportunity to share your own experiences with other webinar participants via built-in interactive components.
 
PRESENTER: Kathee Rebernak, Chief Executive and
Aleksandra Dobkowski-Joy, Principal at Framework:CR
DATE: June 24, 2009
TIME: 1:00-2:30PM (EST) 
REGISTER: Via the course brochure or register@altamont-group.com
SINGLE ATTENDEE: $249 (early registration)
ADDITIONAL ATTENDEE: $99

Yesterday morning, I stopped by a Starbucks on the way to work to grab a cup of coffee. Mixing in my cream and sugar, I couldn’t help noticing the big green lettered “YOU” on the cup. “Me?” I thought. Hmm, I’m always interested in me!

And so I read on to learn that through my purchase, I was contributing to ethical trade—Starbucks bought more than 228 million pounds of responsibly grown coffee last year. I also learned that the corrugated cardboard “hot sleeve” keeping my hand cool was made of 60% post-consumer fiber.

Both cup and sleeve featured a link to Starbucks’ sustainability website, but most people probably don’t make it that far. So, I am perhaps among the few who admire the approach: quick stat on cup, full background on website to buttress claims and avoid charges of greenwashing. The brief message on each cup (and napkin, and hot sleeve, and…) makes it into the hands of millions of people each day: form, function, content, and context all rolled into one.

I’ve always been one to read the cereal boxes on my breakfast table. Now it’s coffee cups. And I’m finding that what’s on the packaging is getting a lot more interesting every day.