Rethinking Sustainability: Going Beyond Compliance

By Jonathan M. Estes, August 2009

The business imperative for becoming sustainable has not gone away—just the capital to achieve it. Going beyond compliance for environmental, social, and profitable reasons has become a key competitive issue and it requires learning more about these triple bottom-line outcomes and applying little financial fancy footwork. We often consider each sustainability initiative on the same financial level: A recycling program is just as good as a new roofing system which is just as good as a new waste water treatment system. In fact, there are hundreds of things to go green but it doesn’t mean you implement the first five. That doesn’t make business sense. What’s needed is a plan at the right time for the right project with the right tool to achieve the best outcome.  Read full article

A Guide to Measuring Performance in a Green Economy

By Chris Perceval, Jonathan M. Estes, Alyssa Farrell,  September 2009

Organizations cannot afford to ignore the environmental impacts of their business operations, and they don’t intend to. Estes recalled interviewing leaders at dozens of companies who projected great sustainability plans when economic indicators showed positive returns on all types of green investments. The economic climate took a dive shortly after Estes completed the first draft. Would this downturn change these companies’ plans? “I had to re-interview everybody,” Estes said. “I was surprised to find that most of them said that sustainability was going to be part of their organization’s DNA. This was not a fad, but rather a long-term trend, the right thing to do.” Nobody asked to revise the statements they had previously made about their green goals, only perhaps to trim their spending forecasts in that direction. Read full article Also, see the video.

Accounting for Sustainability

A Survey of North Carolina Finance Professionals and Public Practice Professionals

By Jonathan M. Estes, July 2009

The role of sustainability and sustainable developments is of great importance to the way companies are conducting their businesses. In addition, the connection between sustainability and a company’s strategy and financial performance adds great value to those who possess knowledge in sustainability, both inside and outside the organization. CPAs have a key role in this “new world” because of their unique set of skills. The purpose of this survey is to recognize the current position, needs, tools, and future potential developments in sustainability in relation to CPAs and business professionals. This brief survey was performed and analyzed by Strategic Measures Inc. in collaboration with the NCACPA during the summer of 2009.  Read full article

Leadership and the Business Case for Sustainability in the Federal Sector

Successful integration of sustainability practices requires aligning the mission of the organization with goals and objectives on the part of agency leadership

By Jonathan M. Estes, December 2010

Both Executive Order 13514 and Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) Section 432 require federal agencies to strategize, implement and report on their energy-efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission-reduction initiatives. Across the federal government, sustainability initiatives are emerging with increasing prevalence. Some examples include the multiple-agency program, E3 (Economy, Energy and Environment), which helps manufacturers become both lean and green; the General Services Administration’s (GSA) promotion of green procurement and high-efficiency green buildings; and the U.S. Navy’s recent test flight of the Green Hornet, an F-18 powered by 50 percent bio-fuel in anticipation of the deployment of its “Green Fleet” within a few years. With the number of sustainability projects and initiatives underway within most federal agencies, how should stakeholders in the federal government measure and analyze the benefits of promoting and investing in sustainable practices and products? Regardless of the type of sustainability initiative, the business case is the most important document to justify and report their outcomes. In order for the results to be valid and respected, stakeholders must understand three key dimensions of the business case: 1) Leadership and strategy alignment; 2) Overcoming the challenges of meeting statutory and Executive Order requirements; and 3) Choosing the best measurement model for analyzing results.  Read Full Article.