Educate. Measure. Improve. Connect.

February Newsletter Content

The private sector is poised, positioned, ready and willing to tackle today’s toughest business challenges with sustainability as a framework and driver.

From COP25 to Green Biz , the hype is that businesses have been, and will continue to be, the key players in driving innovation to solve some of our toughest challenges. From the SDGs to B Corps , from public to private, from small business to Fortune 500's and up, there is no doubt that business is in the spotlight as a keystone of change.

Whether you are just getting started and learning how Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) can create value or you have been at this a while and see the trends evolving , one thing is certain, we, the WSBC, are here to support your journey through education, through helping you measure and improve, and through facilitating connections that further your work and collaboration. Hence our tagline: Educate. Measure. Improve. Connect.

We are moving into spring and the energy is ripe for connection. Get out your calendar and save the dates, we have several ways for you to plug in, learn, measure, improve and connect . (For all event details view the "Sustainability Events" section below.) Next week we will be at MM 2020 offering free 1:1 sustainability consulting. In March, we will be hosting collaborative events in Waukesha County and the Fox Valley and in April we will be in Madison at The Nelson Institute’s Earth Day Conference , celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day!! For the first time ever there will be a business workshop inset at the conference for business by business on Carbon . WSBC and Evolution Marketing have teamed up to craft a workshop for business leaders and their teams to unpack their carbon footprint and implement practical and achievable carbon management strategies. I hope you will join us!

Educate. Measure. Improve. Connect.

2019 Sustainable Business Award Winners

The Sustainable Business Awards recognize businesses and individuals that are prioritizing sustainability and making strides towards impactful change in Wisconsin. The winners of these awards demonstrate leadership, initiative, innovation and are making measurable impacts.

The awards offer the prestige of being recognized by the Wisconsin business community and serve as a platform to elevate sustainable practices in the greater community.  The Sustainable Business Awards celebrate recipients for challenging conventional business practices and demonstrating cutting edge environmental, social and governance leadership while rewarding them for being leaders in their industry and community.

Congratulations to the following awardees that were announced and celebrated on December 11, 2019 at The Water Council in Milwaukee.

Special Award

Thomas L. Eggert Leadership Forward Award:

Clay Nesler of Johnson Controls

Clay was selected by the WSBC Board of Advisors as someone from the business community who has demonstrated tremendous sustainability leadership, is a visionary thinker, leverages relationships in order to move the business community forward making substantial impacts and has served as a mentor to other sustainability professionals.

Read more about our award winners and what they are doing to be more sustainable!



For those of you unable to attend, presentations and photos are available for viewing below.

Sustainability Events

There are many no cost strategies to improve the energy efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems. Join our friends at Slipstream to learn how to run your industrial refrigerated systems better with simple changes to reduce energy consumption while meeting refrigeration load. This half-day workshop is geared for customers with custom refrigerated systems including cold storage and refrigerated warehouses.

Attendees will get an in-depth look at refrigeration system settings and new technologies. You will leave with an understanding of the key elements to develop a successful implementation strategy that will improve your system and save on your operating expenses.

Join Wisconsin Clean Cities in The Electric Zone for an evening dedicated to women & electric vehicles! Learn more about EVs, EV charging infrastructure and the Wisconsin women who are leading the charge. The event will start with networking from 6 p.m.-6:30 p.m., with presentations and a tour of The Electric Zone vehicles to follow. The event is free and includes free auto show admission, but registration is required.

Mercury is a globally recognized leader in the manufacturing of high performance marine and mobility vehicles. How does that happen? How does a company grow from a single outboard engine in 1939 to an international sensation? In their own words “…We love the outdoors, We love engineering. And we love to go fast". You can make the case that their "love”, transcends just boats and motors. It is a part of a culture that drives learning, innovation, and agility.

Early adopters of sustainable technologies and practices, Mercury Marine continues to work on becoming recognized one of the most environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing organizations here and abroad.

Join WAEE and their members for a presentation and a tour at the Mercury Marine Global Headquarters and Manufacturing Facilities. Learn how Mercury has leveraged technology, culture, environmental and social responsibility, into success.

The manufacturing landscape is exciting and filled with many opportunities and challenges. Its dynamic nature favors companies that proactively change with the times .

With that in mind the Manufacturing Matters! 20/20 theme is “Focus & Go.” There will be 6 tracks with 3 sessions in each one to choose from, including a session on Integrating Sustainability Into Decision Making. To see a full listing of sessions please click here .

*If you plan to attend, Mark McDermid and Jessy Servi Ortiz will be offering a no fee consulting opportunity: Find Value for Your Company with Sustainability. This is a time set aside for you to l earn more and explore how sustainability can help attract and retain talent, mitigate risk, protect your brand, reduce cost and increase revenue.  

Our 2019 Wisconsin Women in Green collaborators invite YOU to join us to celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) and the women making a difference in our families, our communities, and our workplaces. Women in Green is a worldwide initiative to inspire and empower women working every day to make measurable impact on quality of life.

This event will showcase female heroes standing up for a future with clean air, clean water, healthy food, access to quality education and equitable housing.

Join us to learn more about the female heroes in our communities, as well as stand up together for a brighter, more inclusive future.

For businesses operating in Waukesha County, this workshop will highlight the free resources offered by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council , WOW Workforce Development Board and The County. The program will focus on the Green Masters Program, employee engagement and environmental resources available to businesses.

The event takes place at Retzer Nature Center.

This program is designed to cover trending topics and how they can help you improve your impact in sustainability will cover:

If you are interested in learning from businesses in the region about how sustainability adds value, wondering how to get started or enhance your tracking systems, or if you are interested in expanding networking opportunities with colleagues to learn more sustainability best practices we invite you to join us for this collaborative event.

The cost to participate is $25 and includes lunch.

I n celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, this year’s conference will set the stage for a convergence between the past and the present, highlighting the junction between conservation and restoration of the planet and new, ecological innovations. There will be a focus on how we can leverage the best aspects of the past environmental movements while incorporating an increased sense of social justice.

**This year WSBC and Evolution Marketing (in collaboration with The Nelson Institute) are co-hosting a inset workshop by business for business on Carbon called Tactics and Tools for Carbon Strategy and Management. This workshop is essential for businesses grappling with understanding what carbon means, how to track and manage it as well as determine a strategy for reduction. Learn more here.

Join Slipstream for an informative half-day event dedicated to helping you “dial it in” by improving the energy efficiency and productivity of your facility. The featured topic includes a two-part workshop on building tuning processes and strategies that will highlight existing building commissioning, ventilation, heat recovery, and control strategies. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to network with colleagues, earn continuing education credits, and learn immediate tactics to reduce energy costs in your building. There is no cost to attend this course and early registration is encouraged.  



PRESENTERS

Job Opportunities

The Sustainability intern will engage in a variety of activities to address a wide range of sustainability initiatives. Under the direction and mentorship of our Corporate Sustainability Team, the Sustainability intern will undertake projects directed at quantifying and benchmarking current sustainability metrics and provide recommendations for continuous improvement within the framework provided.

Inspiration Corner

The Drive Toward Sustainability in Packaging

Source: McKinsey & Company

"Sustainability—particularly regulatory and public concerns around single-use packaging waste—is combining with other powerful trends to drive major changes in consumer packaging."

Governments, on all continents, have responded to public concerns regarding packaging waste, especially single-use packaging waste, and are implementing regulations to both minimize environmental waste and improve waste-management processes.

At the same time, these sustainability-focused initiatives around innovation and the need for change in the use of packaging are combining with other major industry trends affecting the packaging industry. As a result, Fast-Moving-Consumer-Goods manufacturers and retailers are beginning to experiment with complete packaging redesigns and a fundamental rethinking of their delivery chains (including circular delivery models).

To read more about this innovative initiative to curb plastic waste generation, click on the button below.

In the News