American Society for Quality (ASQ) Sustainability Survey

ASQ Sustainability Survey

Scan the QR Code to benchmark your Sustainability & CSR performance against best practice within your industry 

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ASQSustainabilitySurvey
 

#quality #sustainability #csr #climatechange #environment

Quality and Essesntial Element of Sustainable Development - American Society for Quality EED Summer Newsletter 2020

 

American Society for Quality EED Sutstainability Committee Strategic Plan - ASQ EED Summer Newsletter 2020

 

 

 

Sustainability Footprint: A Case of Persception in Two SMEs - American Society for Quality EED Summer Newsletter 2020

 

UN Global Climate Action Summit Affiliate Event - How to Protect Your Business from Global Megaforces

How to Protect Your Business from Global Megaforces

Top Tools for Strategic Growth and Sustainable Wealth

 Register to join our webcasts on SCSRTV during the UN Global Climate Action Summit

Dates: 12th, 13th and 14th September 2018

11am -12.30pm PST

20:00 - 21.30 GMT

3pm - 4.30pm EST

Register for my 3 hour strategy immersion session. You will develop sustainability strategy to:

1. create products and services that do not harm the environment

2. develop businesses with a social purpose 

3. achieve profitable 

We will begin your journey by understanding how your can reduce your exposure to the risks posed by global megaforces using our 10MF toolkit. 

I will demonstrate how you can use the Sustainable Strategic Growth Model to Learn, Develop, Implement, Optimise and Sustain to transform your organisation. The model has been adopted by managers and business leaders at major international organisations such as Tarmac, Ferrovial Agroman, Asanko Gold and the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society.

Included in the 3 hour immersion session we will provide you with our sustainability megaforces 10MF flashcards . 

Your personal copy of our strategy books Sustainability Footprints in SMEs - Strategy and Case Studies for Entrepreneurs and Small Business.

Start your journey by registering for our one to one sustainability strategy immersion session by clicking the link below. I look forward to our conversation

https://bit.ly/2LPvVjY

10 Sustainability Megaforces (10MF) Guides

Celebrate European Sustainable Development Week by future proofing your business using the SMART actions outlined in each 10MF guide.

The 10MF toolbox can be used as posters in your sustainability or CSR awareness campaign posters, on social media posts or as flashcards team building strategy sessions.

Download your toolbox by clicking the link below:

https://bit.ly/2LDmILA

#sustainability #csr #quality #ESDW #environment #sustainabilitystrategy

European Sustainable Development week 30 May - 5 June 2018

To celebrate European Sustainable Development Week #ESDW we are sharing strategic resources for business growth such as our 10 #sustainability megaforces (10MF) toolbox. 

Click the link below to get your 10MF toolbox now! 

https://bit.ly/2LDmILA 

#CSR #environment

#quality

Management Systems and Performance Frameworks for Sustainability

My second book Management Systems and Performance Frameworks for Sustainability: A Road Map for Sustainably Managed Enterprises is now available! A through an in-depth exploration of quality management theory, this book proposes a "Sustainability Management Framework" as a structure for a balanced approach to developing operations strategy for corporate social sustainability (CSR). #SustainableStrategy This book is a development in sustainable theory showing you a road map of how to put it into practice. #FutureProof Receive your complimentary copy as part of your ©Diploma in Sustainability Strategy comment below to know more. http://ow.ly/icHT30jN5RK

Garthdee Field Allotments and Community Garden Project

Garden allotments are often an overlooked mechanism to foster sustainability connecting individuals to the environment by growing food and building community engagement. In this episode I showcase the work of Stuart Oram Chairman of the Garthdee Field Allotments and Community Garden. To learn more on how you can incorporate CSR in to your business strategy, register for the upcoming Certificate in Sustainability Strategy and Diploma in Sustainability Strategy course www.SustainabilityStrategy.org 

Vattenfall European Offshore Wind Development Project Presentation

For further insight into embedding sustainability into your business. Register for the upcoming Certificate in Sustainability Strategy and Diploma in Sustainability Strategy by visiting our website www.SustainabilityStrategy.org

IEMA Approved Certificate in Sustainability Strategy

This course gives candidates a practical insight into the application of sustainability practices to business.

Climate change, energy and fuel consumption, the scarcity of water and material resources, population growth, wealth, urbanization, food security, the decline of the eco system and deforestation - the emergence of these sustainability mega forces within the 21st century business context have created both risks and opportunities for businesses.

The IEMA Approved Certificate in Sustainability Strategy will provide the knowledge and skills necessary to assist managers with designing strategies that will mitigate the effects of sustainability risks and enhance organisational potential to exploit opportunities.

You will study the development of effective business plans that incorporate sustainable development goals using the Sustainable Strategic Model Analysis Tool.

Subjects include:

• Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility – Context and Definition
• Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Dilemma
• Sustainable Strategic Growth Model - a solution to the Sustainability and CSR dilemma
• Sustainability Footprints – tools for growth
• The Politics of Sustainability
• Case studies

This qualification would benefit senior management, company directors, Quality Managers, Safety Managers, Environmental Managers, CSR/Sustainability Managers, Marketing and early career professionals who are involved in Sustainability/CSR implementation and reporting. 

The approach used in the course assumes no prior awareness by providing the knowledge and strategic tools to deploy sustainable development utilising best practice case studies.

For further information on our upcoming course dates and online program view our website www.sustainabilitycsr.com 

Download a free chapter from my new book Sustainability Footprints in SMEs

To celebrate the upcoming launch of my new book Sustainability Footprints in SMEs in January.

I am offering a free chapter to all my friends: https://lnkd.in/bxrgZbc

Help us spread the word by sharing on social media!

Scotland - A future with Zero Waste?

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Scotland’s devolved government launched an ambitious Zero Waste Plan on 9 June 2010. The Zero Waste Plan aims to achieve waste recycling rates of 70 per cent with 5 per cent of waste going to a municipal landfill by 2025.


The UK has been considered as one of the laggards within the European Union, in terms of its efforts to promote waste recycling. Only two other EU member states – Greece and Portugal – have a worse track record when it comes to recycling waste. In the long term, this exposes Great Britain to the threats of landfill fines imposed by the European Union. In parallel with this, the export of UK waste to China for recycling also reduces opportunities for developing UK-based competency in recycling.
Within this context, the challenge for Scotland appears daunting. Its own track record over the past decade shows that 92 per cent of municipal waste was transferred to landfill during the period 2001/2002, reducing only to 63 per cent in 2008/2009. With a relatively small population size of 5.19m, the Scottish economy generated 20m tonnes of waste in 2008, of which 8.6m tonnes were attributable to construction sector activity. The rest of the commercial sector accounted for 7.6m tonnes of waste, with household consumption contributing 2.9m tonnes of waste.

This situation is exacerbated by the closure of landfill sites on the Shetland Islands and the Hebrides, whose  municipal waste is now pre-treated and used to generate Energy from Waste (EfW) as part of their district heating scheme.

Zero Waste Plan
Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan is influenced by three main drivers:
•The European Union Waste Directive 2008/98/EC. This European wide policy instrument is aimed at developing a “recycling society” within the European Union, whereby waste prevention, recycling and waste recovery options are explored for their environmental and economic feasibility. Landfill disposal is the least preferred option.

•The Climate Change Act (Scotland) 2009. This is an innovative legal instrument binding the Scottish Government to an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an interim target of a 42 per cent reduction by 2020. Specifically, Part 5 of the Act requires the Scottish Government to initiate programmes to improve waste reduction. Waste in landfill sites releases hazardous methane gas, contributing to overall greenhouse gas emissions. The Scottish government is keen to apply carbon measurement techniques to help reduce the impact of waste on climate change, in addition to using traditional weight measures which are used to analyse its waste management performance.

•The Courtauld commitment. This is an agreement between government and the retail sector established in 2005 to reduce packaging, increase packaging recyclable content and improve packaging design by participants in the UK retail sector supply chain.

The philosophy behind Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan is rooted in the six steps of the Waste Hierarchy Model proposed in the EU’s Waste Directive (as seen in the box on the previous page).

Articulated in the Zero Waste Plan are initiatives to translate the broad philosophical approach of the Waste Hierarchy model into practical measures which are illustrated in the box below.


To implement its Zero Waste Plan, the Scottish Government is turning to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the recently rebranded Zero Waste Scotland (formerly WRAP Scotland). The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) also provided support to develop Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan. The latter’s role is now in doubt, however, as it has fallen victim to UK government fiscal austerity measures. In the absence of the Commission, it is envisaged that the Scottish Parliament and Audit Scotland will monitor the success of the Zero Waste Plan and the overall development of a sustainable economy in Scotland, although the effectiveness of this proposed arrangement is yet to be demonstrated.
Critical to the success of the Zero Waste Plan is the development of infrastructure to segregate and reduce the contamination of recyclable materials, such as contamination from food waste. This issue can be resolved through an increase in the composting of food waste, and consumer awareness campaigns encouraging individuals to see food waste as an importance resource. According to the Plan, waste materials could contribute 31 per cent of Scotland’s renewable heat target and 4.3 per cent of its renewable electricity target; but in order to make this happen, a shift in public attitudes is vital. Rather than waste being perceived as a liability, or an unavoidable consequence of consumption, it must be seen as an asset.
Waste management infrastructure developments such as aerobic and anaerobic composting sites, Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facilities and Energy from Waste (EfW) schemes require a high level of capital investment, but they can contribute to long term economic growth and job creation. Initial projections indicate Scotland needs investment in waste management infrastructure of £1,046m above current levels, over the next 15 years, if it is to meet EU and Scottish Government waste reduction targets. A possible revenue option could be the redirection of costs incurred from the collection and disposal of waste, amounting to £404m during the period 2007 -2008. The onus is on businesses and households to help achieve this by reducing their own waste.
Improving the awareness of waste as a revenue source and its impact on the environment and human health has been a key programme of Zero Waste Scotland – the body mandated to implement the Scottish Zero Waste Plan. Through its partnerships with local councils and SEPA, Zero Waste Scotland has provided workshops, seminars, as well as consultancy support to encourage both individuals to change their attitudes to waste, and organisations to implement environmental management systems.
A recent waste awareness initiative conducted by Zero Waste Scotland showed the financial cost of cleaning litter on Scottish highways amounts to £100m annually, besides its environmental impact on the Scottish landscape and safety risk implications for litter collectors.

Legal framework
Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan provides business and society with a sustainable approach to development, but an intellectual appeal may not be enough. The Scottish Parliament is also backing up the programme through statutory instruments. The cornerstones of this future legal framework of waste management are found in the following proposed regulations:

Zero Waste Scotland Regulations 2011
Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.
•The introduction of the above regulations also necessitates amendments to the existing regulations, including:

•Environmental Protection Act 1990

•Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994

•Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000

•Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003

•Environmental Protection (Duty of Care) Regulations 1999.

•The Zero Waste Scotland Regulations 2011 will enshrine in law five key zero waste management goals:

•A landfill ban on key recyclable materials

•Bans on mixing separately collected recyclable materials

•The segregation, separation and collection of key recyclable materials

•Restrictions on the inputs to energy from waste processes

•A property-based ban on waste disposal of organic content to landfill.

Scotland has chosen to develop its Zero Waste Plan as part of a wider low carbon strategy for economic growth. However, if it is to achieve these waste management targets, and reap the rewards of both economic growth and job creation, it requires investment to upgrade its existing waste management infrastructure in an age of fiscal austerity. And that is only half of the battle: Scotland’s real challenge is to create a “Zero waste society” in which all its stakeholders participate in making “Scotland plc” a sustainable entity through the efficient use of resources.
Vital to the success of the Zero Waste Plan are the proposed Zero Waste Regulations which will provide a legal framework driving the implementation of sustainable approaches to waste management. The recent enactment of the Waste Information (Scotland) Regulations 2010 provides a clear indication of the intention of Scotland’s lawmakers to require the business sector to embrace sustainability. Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan was rolled out with little fanfare or hype, but its potential consequences for the way Scottish businesses currently operate are yet to be understood by Scottish CEOs and business leaders.
Six steps to “Zero Waste” Prevention

This is the cornerstone of Scotland’s approach to Zero Waste. Prevention includes any steps taken before a substance or material becomes waste, such as reducing the quantity of waste, product life span extensions, improved packaging and environmental and safety impact mitigation.

Re-use
This is the process of using products again for the same purposes for which they were initially designed.

Preparing for re-use
The cleaning and treatment of waste so that it can be re-used without further processing.


Recycling
Converting waste materials into products or substances for commercial or industrial use.



Recovery
Use of waste material as a substitute for other primary resources e.g. energy from waste schemes.



Disposal
Processing options which do not include the recovery of waste materials.



Waste Hierarchy Model, from the European Union Waste Directive 2008/98/EC

Waste hierarchy model

Prevention


• Implementation of Clean Technology, Eco-design and Best Available Techniques (BAT)

• Development of pertinent indicators, promotion of ISO 14001 and waste awareness programmes


Re-use
• Improve product durability

•Encourage the use of non disposable product alternatives

Preparing for reuse
•Development of reuse and repair networks


Recycling

•Implementation of carbon metrics and optimising the collection of recyclate (material that is capable of being recycled)

• Mandatory sorting of waste by commercial and industrial organisations

Recovery

• Institution of landfill bans for unsorted waste and restrictions on waste that is incinerated

• 25 per cent cap on local authority waste used for waste to energy schemes

Disposal

•Landfill reduction targets

Food Glorious Food - is the question of food shaping a new world order?

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During the past fortnight we have witnessed the toppling of despotic regimes in Tunisia and the continued crisis in Egypt one of the world's oldest civilizations. In each situation the populace were forced to protest against increasing food prices which subsequently mushroomed into protests of other societal ills ranging from unemployment to basic human rights.
The UN's December bulletin announcing the highest increase in its Food Price Index peaking at 214.8 points fell on the deaf ears of Western donors distracted by annual Christmas and New Year celebrations. This apathy was also fueled by the preoccupation of Western governments with domestic policy austerity measures to the detriment of not only Foreign Policy budgets but also aid programs to Africa, India and Latin America. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that world cereal output will drop by 1.4 percent to 2.23 billion metric tons whilst demand will increase by 1.8 percent to 2.26 billion metric tons thereby creating the first cereal deficit since 2008.
The crisis in global food supply is exacerbated by environmental shocks ranging from floods in Pakistan, Brazil and Australia with drought in Argentina. Lets not forget the case of nuclear armed Pakistan is acute as that country is facing terrorism arising from Taliban insurgent incursions from neighboring Afghanistan and Taliban sympathizers from within its own populace not withstanding flood devastation, population displacement with its consequent food shortages. The  Philippine's one of the world's biggest importers of rice has increased the retail price of rice in December by 8% despite a quarter of its population living on $1.25 a day according to World Bank estimates. To add to Philippine misery its cereal harvests have been decimated by a combination of drought and flooding.
A recent report by Foresight a UK government future's think tank argues for fundamental change to the existing approach by global society to food and the management of the food supply chain. The report unsurprising indicates that the world's food supply chain is unsustainable which has lead to a situation where a billion human beings are hungry, another billion are the "hidden hungry" and of course there are the billion of us who are never hungry. This global disparity has led to flash points which flare in regions within which there already existed social and political tensions concerning issues of disenfranchisement  and distribution of wealth. Especially Tunisia which for the past 30 years has been viewed as a cheap holiday destination and in some cases second home locations for the global middle class or Egypt another popular tourist destination which until recently was hailed in the business press as the "new mecca" for the call center outsourcing industry in each case little regard was given to the social or economic conditions within which the faceless population survived, I think it unlikely that the other leg of the three legged sustainability stool - the environment - was even considered in the strategic planning of multinationals who have invested in Egypt within the past five years - its no wonder civil society has collapsed as there was investment but not sustainable development.
As international middle east "experts" and political strategists ponder on live television the consequences of western inaction from their Cairo hotel studio whilst being fed from the sandwich buffet from the hotel bar I wonder if Egyptian children in villages along the Nile can ask for more dinner .... did I hear correctly did they ask for more?

To learn more about quality, safety and environmental management visit www.sustainabilitycsr.com 

ISO 26000 - New approach to management systems or a new competitive barrier

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Reflecting on the major stories of the past 15 days of the New Year - floods in Australia and Brazil, shooting of public officials in the US state of Arizona with its relaxed approach to firearms, extravagant bankers bonuses, food riots that led to the overthrow of a dictatorship in Tunisia - there are common themes such as climate change, ethics and human rights which all fall under the vast umbrella of social responsibility.
Into this foray at a critical time in 21st Century history enters the ISO 26000 Guidance on Social Responsibility: that explains all we currently know about corporate social responsibility & sustainability delivered in 120 pages of diagrams and illustrations. The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) whose traditional focus has been on engineering and scientific issues felt compelled to lend clarity to the existing proliferation of CSR reporting schemes and standards and began work on the ISO 26000 standard in 2002.
The ISO 26000 standard builds on Brundtland definition of sustainability and interprets its approach through an understanding of the interconnectedness of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The approach to sustainability and corporate social responsibility is based on an organisation defining its priorities in relation to the core subjects of the standard which are organisational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, community involvement and development.
The standard clearly describes best practice guidance for each core subject yet avoiding being prescriptive. In my opinion the ISO 26000 standard in its present form cannot be a certifiable standard as its 120 pages of potential criteria will be a certification auditors nightmare and thankfully the ISO committee has not indicated any intention of pursuing this option at present. Sentiments expressed by emerging economies such as India on the inclusion of labour practices as a core subject is being perceived as a competitive barrier to trade and in the case of China the use of human rights criteria as a potential indirect attack on its national sovereignty.
If recent events are any indication of potential future threats to governments and organisations, visionary political and business leaders will embrace the principles of the ISO 26000 standard  to create new competitive models and produce products and services that not only sustains growth but contributes to the development of a socially responsible society.

Climate Change is it a myth?...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

After spending and hour clearing snow from the footpaths around my house yet again this winter I am beginning to question the concept of climate change.  Snow storms in the United States have brought record snow fall, in some places in the Midwest 19 inches of snowfall and reports from Arizona a traditionally warm state as much as 3 feet in some instances. New York city the world's leading financial capital has been paralyzed yet again by this unusual weather phenomena with the reputation of its flamboyant Mayor Micheal Bloomberg being severely tarnished as the city's budget cuts resulted in a 75 reduction in the snow removal workforce. The issue of budget cuts and resilience raises its ugly scepter once again.   In the UK record snowfall has disrupted public transport services and claimed political scalps in Scotland with the resignation of that regions Transport Minister. The Southern Hemisphere has not been spared from savage weather, flooding in Australia and drought in Argentina has impacted on world food supply chains.
The facts are we have had the 10 hottest years on record since 1995, global temperature rises have increased by 0.18C per decade since 1976 this increase is 3 times more than previous decades and actually snow cover in the US is at the same levels or less than the previous year based on data provided by the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
Have we reached that ecological tipping point whereby we are unable to reasonably predict weather patterns and temperature? If this is the case the effect on agricultural planning and global food supply may be catastrophic. Newton's Third Law of Motion states that "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" if liberally applied to climate change I believe human action or activity has resulted in our climate reacting in ways which may be neither equal or opposite. In essence "For every action there is an over reaction" 

Sustainable Economics - A question of Biofuel or Butter...

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As I relax during my early morning commute to work I began reading a summary of the UN's Food and Agriculture Agency report that states its food price index has risen almost two points above the record set in 2008 and now stands at 215 points. This dire situation has contributed to food riots in countries such as Cameroon, Bangladesh, Haiti and Somalia. Industry analysts attribute food price increases to poor harvests in Russia, Canada and the Ukraine, a drought in Argentina and recent floods in Australia. Climate change has wreaked havoc on the global food supply chain to the disadvantage of consumers in emergent economies for whom food comprises a larger proportion of their household budget.
In light of this scenario European plans to increase the use of Bio-fuels will require the reallocation worldwide of  69000 square kilometers of land; an area more than twice the size of Belgium removed from vital food production. Europe's audacious plan hopes to provide 9.5% of its transport fuel by 2020 of which 90% will be derived from food crops. NGO research indicates that this initiative may prove harmful to the environment in  long run by increasing greenhouse gas emissions by an extra 26 - 56 million tonnes annually which is estimated as the equivalent to having 12 -26 million automobiles on European motorways by 2020. The economic question of our decade is not guns or butter but biofuel or butter...
Writing about food makes me hungry I guess I'll just step out to a Tesco Express for a sandwich and a cup of hot chocolate... how convenient.. It might be a cold sandwich but at least the bread is buttered...

A breath of hot air, the poor and workhouses

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Anyone thinking about a Charles Dicken's novel conjures up a horrible nightmare of dark smoke filled chimneys, half starved families and workhouses for the poor. This scenario is far removed from our post "Cool Britannia" environment or is it? The EU has been a champion in the use of policy instruments such as vehicle emission controls, Integrated Pollution and Prevention Control (IPPC) and the Large Combustion Plants (LPC) Directive. The European Commission's most recent report on air quality sadly indicates that if its policies were implemented by all member states there would be even further improvements in air quality for EU citizens. Evidence of this is the continued poor air quality of UK cities such as London and Edinburgh  that perpetually ignore EU air quality standards. In 2011 EU air quality targets become mandatory which may see the imposition of fines from Brussels for any identified breaches. The fines are one issue but the choking question is the impact on human health from poor air quality.
Amazon one of the world's leading online retailers recently cut short the shift of its casual labour force at its Gourock, Scotland site in an effort to reduce their wage bill; with some workers who were compelled to work at the site as a condition of maintaining their Jobseeker's Allowance spending the rest of their shift at the plant as they were unable to secure public transportation to return home until the following morning.
Its all perfectly legal in the UK but is it ethical? As a righteous man once said "The poor you have always" and  I would also add workhouses

UK Value Added tax increases to 20% - is it sustainable...

Sustainability is a three legged stool comprising of economic, social and environmental spheres, as a sustainability practitioner I am inclined to be biased to the latter two issues. The increase in value added tax (VAT) to 20% may be a blessing in disguise to the environment by controlling rampant consumption but this leaves the other legs of the stool i.e. the economic and the social a little bit weak..
The present UK coalition government pledged to be the greenest government ever despite having to tackle a large fiscal deficit. The rise in VAT will contribute £13 billion revenue into HM Treasury but it will also mean a reduction in disposable income. The other alternatives were income tax increase which by nature rise with income or an increase in National Insurance which may yet happen in the Spring of 2011.
Sustainability also embraces the concept of our impact on future generations, therefore I agree with attempts by the present government to tackle our burgeoning debt as I am not one to pass the buck or the budget to my son's generation. I think I may just consult him for his views on the rise in VAT, I forgot he is playing on his new Wii games console.... I guess its time for me to call my Dad fortunately he is Canadian...