Getting Started

Step 1: Understand your environmental impact

First, take an inventory of resources used and waste and pollutants generated throughout your operations. For most companies, the categories for such an inventory include:

• Resource inputs such as energy, water, chemicals and other supplies; and
• Releases, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, releases to air and water, solid waste outputs.

Your inventory will highlight which parts of your operations are most resource-intensive and generate the most pollution and waste -- and thus present the greatest potential for improvement. Often, a company will begin with an environmental inventory or “footprint analysis” of its own operations, and then expand the analysis to include impacts throughout its supply chain.

You may wish to hire consultants to help you conduct your inventory, though there are also free resources available on the web to guide you.

Resources

• Use the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol) to account for your greenhouse gas emissions GHGProtocol.org
• Measure your water footprint with report on water strategy: What’s Next in Water Strategy [PDF]
• Access numerous international standards and procedures for testing your products and processes at ASTM.org

Step 2: Develop a baseline and set goals

Once you understand your key environmental impacts and quantified your performance in those areas, you have a baseline -- a starting point for measuring progress and setting goals for improvement.

Next, set concrete and measurable goals and track progress against them. That will allow you to speak credibly to customers, suppliers and the public about your environmental commitments and their results. Setting goals also can catalyze creativity and innovation -- often, companies find that aggressive goals are more attainable than they expected.

To successfully set goals, consider these factors:

• Impact on your business
• Benefits to the environment
• Benchmarks against peer companies and standards
• Stakeholder interests and concerns
• Company philosophy

Reviewing all of these factors will ensure your goals are both attainable and significant in their environmental and business benefits. All goals should have clearly defined start and end dates.

Resources

• Discovers what others in your industry are reporting at the world’s largest online directory of company issued CSR, sustainability and environmental reports. CorporateRegister.com
• Join Climate Leaders is an EPA industry-government partnership, to help develop a comprehensive climate change strategy EPA.gov
• OpenEco.org is an on-line community where you can assess, track, and compare your energy performance. OpenEco.org

Step 3: Align and set priorities

Just as you do for any other investment in your company, you need to prioritize your environmental initiatives by aligning them with your business strategy. Ask yourself what issues matter most to your customers? Where can your company gain the greatest value? What technologies and products are available to help you make progress?

Focus your efforts and resources on initiatives with the greatest potential to help your business (enhancing revenues, cutting costs, or avoiding risk) and of the most importance to your stakeholders. Setting clear priorities sets the stage for you to create a comprehensive plan of action, identify the resources you need to implement it, and fully engage your organization.

Resources

• The GEMI Metrics Navigator presents a six-step process to select, implement and evaluate a set of “critical few” metrics that focus on sustainability and an organization’s success. GEMI.org/MetricsNavigator

Step 4: Communicate with stakeholders

Next is communicating your baseline, improvement goals and any strategies you have put in place to key internal and external stakeholders. These include your employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, environmental and other advocacy groups, and the communities in which you operate.

Being transparent about your environmental plan will strengthen relationships, and help you develop even stronger strategies as you progress. Stakeholders can also serve as important bellwether for emerging environmental issues that may not yet be on your radar screen.

Resources

• Use the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to share your climate change data along side the world’s largest corporations. CDProject.net
• Model your reporting after the world’s most popular standard in sustainability reporting guidelines at the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) GlobalReporting.org

Step 5: Take Action

Understanding and improving on your environmental performance is an iterative process that evolves over time. The deeper you integrate environmental considerations into all of your business units, the bigger the benefits; both financial and environmental. Use the tools and best practices in the Exchange to better your business and your environmental footprint.

Resources

• ENERGY STAR is a joint program that can help you save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. EnergyStar.gov
• Learn how to reduce your solid waste at EPA’s Wastewise.
• Reduce the environmental impact of your products with EPA’s Design for Environment EPA.gov
• Incorporate environmental considerations into your product design through an A-B-C-D methodology with Sustainable Design Report by Business for Social Responsibility [PDF]