New training
program in basic ecoliteracy and systems
thinking.
Furthermore, we are developing a new
training curriculum that will offer basic instruction in
ecoliteracy and systems
thinking.
about sdicSustainable Development International Corporation began in 1993 as the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. It underwent a name change and incorporated in 1996. For nearly two decades, the company has sought to help define what sustainability is and how to do it.
SDIC focuses primarily on greening organizations - governments and companies - because these entities have such broad impacts on the environment.
Currently, SDIC is developing a suite of green business tools, including a training manual, separate web site, and certification program.
SDIC's ultimate goal is to work with others to return good health to all ecosystems. Specifically, it will use business ecology practices to help organizations increase the number and size of greenways and corridors, create more healthy habitat for humans and other species, and rebuild depleted natural resources.
sdic's founderDr. Amy Townsend is founder and president of SDIC. With an education in anthropology, marine studies, and environmental studies, she began conducting research into what sustainability is and how to do it in the late 1980s. She has worked on a wide variety of human-environmental issues in the U.S. and abroad. Her work is published in numerous books and articles, including three green business books.
In addition to her work at SDIC, she serves as adjunct faculty at The George Washington University's School of Business and James Madison University's College of Integrated Science and Technology. She also is on the Board of Directors of Planktonix Corporation, an algal biofuels firm. She serves as a member of the Asheville, NC, chapter of SCORE and works with companies with greener products and services. |
5 reasons for greeningOur research indicates that companies become
greener for one or more of five reasons.
Businesses are motivated to improve their environmental performance for one or more of five reasons.
Environmental Impacts &
Values. Environmental impacts - Companies in
this category are motivated to become greener due to the potential
or real environmental harm that they already cause. For example, a
firm might decide to stop producing cancer-causing substances or
developing genetically modified seeds that could pollute the genetic
code of natural species thereby threatening ecological integrity.
Environmental values and impacts are not mutually exclusive
categories.
Environmental values - Companies in this
category become greener primarily due to their environmental values,
such as a belief that all living things, including humans, have the
right to a good quality of life and a broad range of evolutionary
opportunities through time. Similarly, they might follow the
Hippocratic corollary to "do no harm." In the latter case, a company
might decide not to develop a particular product or might stop
producing an existing product due to its potential to cause harm to
its employees, users, and the environment (a non-production
sustainability strategy).
Government Regulation.
Companies in this category institute greener behaviors in response
to current or anticipated regulation. As a result, they might
benefit in several ways. For instance, they might achieve or surpass
current regulations by avoiding penalties (e.g., fines or lost
market share when competitors move ahead of them), get a head start
on developing greener technologies, help to shape the direction of
greener technologies in their favor, and increase profits through
compliance-related innovations.
Economic Opportunities &
Disincentives. Companies in this category become
greener for the competitive advantage gained by new products,
processes, or greening strategies. They also might become greener to
avoid the financial burdens associated with non-compliance or the
failure to respond to environmental issues.
Organizational Crises.
Companies in this category change or develop strategies and/or
behaviors following one or more environmental or other crises that
result from unethical behaviors, lack of transparency, and so on.
Stakeholder Pressure.
Companies in this category respond to pressure from one or more
stakeholders (e.g., employees, managers, customers, suppliers,
industry, NGOs, shareholders, communities, politicians, regulators,
and/or others). Although the environment is a key stakeholder, it is
placed in a distinct category (Environmental Values & Impacts)
due to its significance in some companies' decisions to improve
their environmental performances. |
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