The project focuses on profitable strategies and best practices for small to mid-range rural economic development organizations to improve efficiencies, impacts and profits.

San Rafael, CA, March 26, 2010: The California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) has engaged the consulting firm Sustainametrics to create a sustainable business model for economic development corporations in rural California communities. Funded with a grant by the US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA), the study will include research from interviews and group sessions with leading EDC’s across California, online surveys across a wide cross section of economic development entities, and research on best practices and sustainable models nationally that are appropriate for California. The primary goal of the research is to identify the critical issues with respect to rural EDC’s needs, best practices for economic sustainability, exemplary operating models, revenue enhancement, and partnering as well as shared service opportunities. This project will be completed by June 30, 2010 with a published report and presentations to CALED, its members, the California Office of the USDA and other economic development groups.

“There are well known challenges to California EDC’s, including infrastructure needs, broadband availability, capital access, regulations and permit process, and workforce development,” says Chris Yalonis, Sustainametrics Partner on the consulting team. “But, we do know of highly effective EDC’s around the state who are self-supporting, thriving and able to inform us on best practices and support needed to make an even larger group more successful. We are pleased to be working with CALED and leveraging their leadership to identify different models around the state that are successful, and identify performance metrics and reporting mechanisms, like online dashboards, that can be used by EDC’s and their stakeholders to track their efforts and successes.”

Wayne Schell, President and CEO of CALED, also noted, “With the experience and enthusiasm of the Sustainametrics team and the knowledge network of CALED, our members, and partners, we believe this will be a great partnership resulting in a viable sustainability plan for Rural EDCs.”

(download announcement in Adobe PDF)

Focus on profitable green strategies for small to mid range businesses and local government groups to improve efficiencies and profits.

San Rafael, CA, February 10, 2010: Sustainametrics announces the launch of a suite of advisory services and tools to help small to medium sized businesses and government entities grow revenues and reduce costs by greening their operations and products and services. The founding team comprises a comprehensive set of sustainability business expertise with over 150 years of collective experience in business and public sector operations, energy, water and material efficiency, environmental engineering, green certifications, renewable energy, green product design and marketing, stakeholder communications and engagement. Offices are located in Northern and Southern California and the Chicago area.

Designed to serve a growing market need for sustainable best practices that have quick payoff.

The SMB (small/medium business) segment in the US, comprised of over 12 million entities, is estimated to be responsible for as much as 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions and generated waste through direct or indirect energy use, transportation, manufacturing, supply chains, and product use and disposal. While many large businesses and cities are adopting green practices and even creating new sustainability director titles, many smaller-mid range organizations have neither the expertise nor the resources to make the full systems transformation required to get the promised economic and environmental benefits they seek. The Sustainametrics team focuses on this underserved segment. It also has the capacity to serve larger clients? needs and act as the internal sustainability team.

Sustainametrics uses a comprehensive approach to assess the client organizations? current path and goals, set up a profitable pathway to green operations and products, and provide the technical skills and strategies needed to execute. This is typically not available from neither capacity constrained sole practitioner green consultants nor large management consultancies and engineering firms that typically lack the needed suite of technical sustainability skills and business operational experience.. Sustainametrics offers a unique combination of:

1) comprehensive, systems approach to the entity;

2) formal, state of the art sustainability tools and training, and

3) a focus on profit and business value enhancement.

Through Sustainametrics customized approaches, guides, knowledge bases as well as licensable software, a large number of organizations will be able to affordably plan and execute initiatives to reduce their environmental impact, maximize efficiencies, green their products and services, and improve their brand/corporate value and profitability while improving their financial bottom line. .

Businesses are adopting sustainability as a profit enhancing strategy.

According to a recent study of several hundred organizations by Bob Willard, sustainability expert and author of the best selling book, The Sustainability Advantage, businesses that adopt sustainable practices achieve on average, between 20-35% annual improvements in profitability.

According to a 2009 Economist Intelligence Unit study of US executives, 40% of businesses have developed new products or services in the last two years that help to reduce or prevent environmental problems — and the demand for such goods and services is likely to rise as other firms and consumers seek to improve their energy efficiency. Even if some of this is just marketing — and eight out of ten (79%) respondents agree that too many firms use climate change as merely a marketing tool — a serious effort is under way in many industries to develop wholly new products, from electric cars and energy-efficient microprocessors to new home loans. Nearly one in three (30%) executives say such development will be a high priority in the coming years.

Drivers of adoption

Sustainable practices are becoming increasingly essential in this competitive and litigious business environment. Sustainametrics identifies the primary business drivers for adopting sustainability including:

Cost Savings-Energy efficiency: Many facilities can realize 20-30% improvements in energy use with little or no capital investment. Energy efficiency and leveraging government incentives where possible provides exceptional return on investment and market advantages. Energy audits and carbon foot printing can identify the easy to implement savings that can be derived by such actions as lighting conversion to CFLs or LEDs, weatherization, HVAC analysis & retrofits, Energy Star equipment purchases, less packaging, greener information technologies, business travel reduction using virtual meeting technology, and solar and wind based electricity generation.

Cost savings-Waste Reduction: The application of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle considerations drive reductions in material, transportation, manufacturing, and disposal costs. We focus on applying Lean concepts to identify and reduce waste throughout the enterprise.

Risk avoidance: Compliance with statutory regulations is the first step to avoiding penalties, negative press and keeping executives out of jail. Anticipating and developing strategies for impending regulations is a proven way to avoid costs and gain advantage over competition.

Revenue Enhancement: A growing customer preference for sustainable products and services represents opportunities for innovation and market share growth.

Product and Service differentiation: Design for sustainability methods allow companies to realize cost savings and differentiate products and services to satisfy customer expectations for minimizing environmental impact.

Supply chain optimization: Collaborating with suppliers on green initiatives helps mitigate the overall regulatory risk, increase control on supply chains, generate cost reduction opportunities, and enhance responsiveness to market changes

Transport costs optimization: Substantial benefits are derived from optimizing transportation logistics, including energy use during tendering and dispatching loads.

Materials risk mitigation: Reductions of energy and raw material consumption bring costs down and assure a higher resiliency to energy and raw material price volatility.

Team

The core team consists of a well integrated group which brings over 150 years of collective experience in sustainability operations, operations, environmental engineering and science, LEED and green certifications, energy management, lean manufacturing, marketing, green product design and development.

Sustainametrics Team

Top from left: Mike Harrison, Kristin York; Bottom from left: John Mascarenhas, Chris Yalonis, Mike Olson, Doug Carter

For additional information on Sustainametrics, contact Chris Yalonis at 415-453-9030 or go to www.sustainametrics.com.

Sustainametrics provides consulting expertise, web based tools and knowledge bases to businesses and government agencies to help them achieve high sustainability performance. Services include research/planning and assessments, energy/climate program planning, water/carbon/waste reduction, green certifications, eco-market opportunity analysis and strategies for revenue growth, and sustainability training. www.sustainametrics.com

What is it?
Walmart’s Sustainability Index initiative is undoubtedly a shock to many of their 100,000 suppliers. The 15 questions on the Index focus on four areas: Energy and Climate, Material Efficiency, Natural Resources, and People and Community. These questions push beyond the typical boundaries that a supplier uses to manage their resources to remain a top competitor for the price-focused Walmart.

What is driving it?
We believe that Walmart, the worlds largest retailer, sees the path to sustainability as one that is driven by market forces, one that will give them a competitive edge, and one that makes them a ‘better’ company. 

Business realities today include sustainability related trends: resource constraints and price volatility, increasing consumer awareness of and interest in environmentally beneficial products, and active demands from stakeholders ranging from shareholders to non-profits around sustainability. Walmart, we believe, is interested in working with its suppliers to eventually align its supply chain with it’s own sustainability goals. In fact, Walmart has publically committed to be on a path to use 100% renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain our resources and environment! We believe the 15 Question Index is the just the beginning of measurements, transparency and progress for Walmart’s vast supply chain.

Does it apply to you?
Of course, if you are a current or potential supplier to Walmart. And, even if you are not a Walmart supplier, if you earn your revenues in the supply chain for major retailers. Do you understand how market forces are driving your customer to push business sustainability? What does this mean for your business? Do you want to be ahead of this curve and potentially gain competitive advantage? Is it better to wait and see what your competitors are doing? What are the risks of being behind the curve?

How can Sustainametrics Help?
We are in business to help mid-size businesses navigate the sustainability evolution – strategically and profitably. We can work with you to understand and answer the Walmart Sustainability Index, or to develop a more strategic road map to sustainability that includes Walmart’s Index.
Sustainametrics’ leadership team is experienced across all four areas of Walmart’s Index. Our core service areas include: Energy and Greenhouse Gas Management, Waste Reduction and Lean Operations, Water Efficiency and Management, Stakeholder Engagement and Communications. When we wrap those areas in holistic, systems thinking and align them with your corporate strategy, we provide enhanced value that pays off in both the short and longer terms.

Walmart, we believe, knows that its suppliers will only truly embrace sustainable practices if doing so produces positive business results. Sustainametrics knows that too. We welcome the opportunity to show what ‘Profitable Green Strategies” can mean to you.

See Walmart’s 15 Question Sustainability Index here

On January 27, 2010 the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) approved release of “interpretative guidance” on existing disclosure requirements relating to climate change. The release statement explained that the guidance was intended to “provide clarity and enhance consistency”, that the SEC was not amending rules and interpretations, nor was it weighing in on the facts of climate change.

The guidance highlights that growing need for companies to address the impacts of potential regulatory changes, international treaties and accords, climate related environmental impacts, and other risks and opportunities related to climate change related marketplace developments in their disclosures. Sustainametrics’ strategic vision and financial acumen can assist your company recognize the risks and opportunities that these changing times present. Ask us how

On January 12, 2010, EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, announced seven priorities for the EPA’s future. These build upon the five priorities that she announced at the beginning of her term a year ago. These seven priorities for the future are: 1) taking action on climate change, 2) improving air quality, 3) ensuring the safety of chemicals, 4) cleaning up our communities, 5) protecting America’s waters, 6) expanding the conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice, and 7) building strong state and tribal partnerships.

The first five are the priorities that Ms. Jackson announced at the start of her tenure in early 2009. The sixth priority extends the EPA engagement into the realm of environmental justice discussions and influence in EPA decision making. The seventh priority improves the collaboration and support of tribal nations and state governments in their actions for environmental protection.

How will the EPA’s priorities affect your business operations and markets? Sustainametrics works with organizations across several interelated areas of sustainable business, focused on the nexus of business performance and “taking action on climate change.”