Making Sustainability Standard Practice
Vol. 12       No. 14      February 2019 
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In This Issue:

Quick Links:
Conferences 
Not to Miss: 

ECONOMIST GROUP SUSTY SUMMIT
3/21

ETHICAL CORP.
RBS NY 3/18-19

For more info, download their brochure at:
RMG 
4/11-12


ELEMCON 
5/13-15

CvCC EUROPE 
10/19


Education Events:


Ongoing 
Self-Study:

TopFrom the President's Desk
Make ISSP Part of Your Career Strategy
By Jeff Yorzyk, ISSP-CSP

Last weekend I was honored to be a judge at a business case competition focused on solving real world social and environmental business challenges, sponsored by the University of Colorado's Net Impact chapter. It was an excellent case focused on Danone North America and how to leverage their B-Corporation status to drive positive change related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Having led the team that hosted the first of these competitions way back in 2001, it got me thinking about my professional journey and the key decisions I made to get where I am today.

The first of these decisions was to focus my career on sustainability and to close the door on any other possibility; no matter what role I took on for a company, sustainability would be part of it. This led to signing up for regular newsletters and other resources that would help me stay abreast of developments in the field; to this day, I still receive - and scan - upwards of a dozen newsletters. The second decision was to commit to engaging with organizations that would help me see beyond a specific job or company to understand the broader field of practice - a resolution that had humble beginnings as a program volunteer with a local sustainability NGO, and led me to my current involvement in the ISSP Board.  (Con't.)


Profile: KK Leong, ISSP-SA
This month, we profiled ISSP Sustainability Associate (ISSP-SA) KK Leong, who works as a Director of Hotel Engineering for Wynn Resorts in Macao, China.

KK's interest in sustainability dates back to when he was hired as assistant chief engineer for the biggest hotel under a 5-star luxury brand, and having an "a-ha moment" about the hospitality industry's enormous natural resource consumption and waste production. Even more, while working in Shanghai, KK recalls there were times when he was standing in front of a colleague (about 1m apart) in the hotel lobby and he couldn't even identify who was in front of him due to the heavy smog. The pollution was affecting both his staff and guests. And while management cared deeply about this issue and looked at it from a data standpoint, he knew more needed to change.
 
"Sustainability is a broad and complex area of study. There are people who have been involved in a particular facet for many years, but are still not able to explain some very basic sustainability concepts, frameworks and global megatrends, etc. ISSP's sustainability credentials really enhance one's understanding. The organization's certification and outreach team provides fantastic support, and there's no other association like this, to my knowledge. Being a credential holder and member continues to keep me engaged, inspired, and motivated."

Read more about KK's story on
our ISSP Member Profiles page . For more information on the professionals who hold an ISSP credential, be sure to check out our credential holder directory .

Ashland LLC Donates ISSP-SA Study Guide to Ohio State University Library
Ashland LLC, a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has been a long-time supporter of Professor Neil Drobny's (ISSP Professional Development Committee member) undergraduate sustainable business classes at Ohio State University. Most recently, Ashland donated an ISSP Sustainability Associate Study Guide to the University Library so it may be available to any student who plans to take the exam. Drobny, who offers extra credit to students who take and pass the exam, says he learned early in his career in engineering that "professional certification is an important way to differentiate oneself in today's competitive job market." Accordingly, his courses include heavy doses of professional development as well as academic assignments.
 
Nicole Voss, Director of Sustainability and Environmental at Ashland, remarked, "It is our honor to be in a position to provide this valuable tool."    

Related Resources:

(TODAY!) WEBINAR:  8 Attributes of Successful Sustainability Leaders
February 12th @ 10am PT / 1pm ET

Based on his book, "The Battle To Do Good: Inside McDonald's Sustainability Journey," Bob Langert, who led McDonald's CSR efforts for 25 years, will discuss McDonald's fascinating and turbulent journey to try to be a responsible company over the three decades, often facing battles with the likes of PETA and Greenpeace, and facing controversial issues such as obesity, deforestation and animal treatment. 

He'll provide an unfiltered and unsullied inside view of McDonald's failures and successes. Most importantly, he'll share examples and stories about the 8 attributes of leadership that he found in common with those that forged meaningful change.

ISSP credential holders will earn 0.5 CEUs for attending this webinar; the webinar will be free to attend ($25 for non-members).  Reserve your spot!

COURSE:  Stakeholder Engagement
Starts February 20th @ 11am PT / 2pm ET

Stakeholder Engagement is an essential component of risk reduction and opportunity optimization for organizations.  In addition, it is a requirement of sustainability reporting under frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standard's Board (SASB).  

Engage International's Wendy Firlotte will cover employee engagement in this interactive two-week course. Explore and understand more effectively how to develop a well-rounded approach to stakeholder engagement by successfully integrating corporate social responsibility into your sustainability programs. Signup!

WEBINAR:  Zero Hunger | Zero Waste - The Kroger Co. & WWF
Starts March 12th @ 10am PT / 1pm ET

In September 2017, The Kroger Company announced its bold social impact plan - Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, which aims to end hunger in our communities and eliminate waste in our company. Long-standing Kroger partner World Wildlife Fund is working with the company on its journey to zero food waste, starting with food loss and waste tracking in our stores in 2018 and now identifying new pathways to reduce food waste through prevention, donation and recycling practices. 

Attendees will hear from Lisa Zwack at Kroger and Pete Pearson at World Wildlife Fund about food waste management strategies, food waste tracking and about corporate/NGO partnerships.  Signup!

COURSE:  Employee Engagement
Starts March 20th @ 11am PT / 2pm ET

Stakeholder Engagement is an essential component of risk reduction and opportunity optimization for organizations. In addition, it is a requirement of sustainability reporting under frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). 

The Sustainability Learning Centre's Kathryn Cooper, ISSP-SA, will cover community and stakeholder engagement, to provide the sustainability professional, at any level, insights into a proven systematic process for engaging priority stakeholders and identifying material issues for action.   Signup!

ISSP is Hosting an Informal Happy Hour in Conjunction with GreenBiz19 in Phoenix!
Invitees will include not only ISSP members and other conference attendees, but also any sustainability professionals in the area.
 
This will be an evening get-together on Tuesday (2/26) at a location convenient to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge conference center.
 
Register now (no charge!) to get on our mailing list and we will let you know when the plans are finalized.
 
Hosted by: ISSP Board Members - Jeff Yorzyk, ISSP-CSP (President) and Sarah Lewis, ISSP-SA (Member-At-Large).

See you in Phoenix in February! Still have q uestions? Contact Gina MacIlwraith at  [email protected].
 
There is no charge for the event; pre-registration is requested to ensure you get the final event details ( click here to register).
 
Please share this event information with colleagues and friends.
ISSP Out & About
ISSP Board members and associates can be found sharing their kno wledge, sharpening their skills and networking at sustainability gatherings around the world. Reach out and introduce yourself to the ISSP members listed below if you too are planning to travel to one of the many sustainability conferences going on this spring through fall. Let us know where you're headed by dropping a note to  [email protected] .

2/26-28 GreenBiz '19 , Phoenix. ISSP Governing Board President Jeff Yorzyk, as well as several other BOD and committee members will be in attendance.
 
3/4-6 Sustainability in Packaging 2019 Conference , Chicago. ISSP Greater Chicago Regional Learning Network Co-Lead Amy Glawe will be attending.
 
3/18-19 Responsible Business Summit, New York City. ISSP-NYC Founder & Co-Chair Mark Wolf and ISSP-NYC Founding Co-Chair Trisha Bauman will both be moderating sessions.
 
3/19 Tennessee Environmental Conference , Kingsport, TN. ISSP Governing Board President Jeff Yorzyk to deliver the keynote address.
 
5/7-9 TSC Summit 2019, Chicago. ISSP Governing Board Member Sarah Elaine Lewis will be attending.


The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world's leading professional association for sustainability professionals. ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward through building strong networks and communities of practice.