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(3BLMedia/theCSRfeed) November 2, 2009 - New research points to a new business imperative to begin to implement Sustainability into everyday business strategy. The "new normal" is forcing entrepreneurs to rethink — and in some cases completely reinvent — their businesses, moving from a reactive stance into a more strategic, proactive one.  

Specializing in sustainable development solutions for corporations, the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) is hosting its North American Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) certification workshop on February 9 – 10, 2010. This unique two-day intensive program supports Executives and Sustainability professionals acquire the skills and competencies required to grow and to become qualified CSR practitioners. Sustainability can increase efficiency and be cost-effective in a growing, developing, and highly competitive industry that is dramatically shifting standards and priorities in strategic development.

"Our workshop in North America represents the culmination of years of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability experience of CSE in the European and International markets,” says CSE President Nikos Avlonas, having worked with more than 4,000 professionals in 12 countries. Mr. Avlonas is one of the workshop trainers with extensive international experience in Strategic Sustainable Development Advisory Services .The February workshop will provide opportunities for companies to build authenticity into their CSR programs and have CSR practitioners certified by CSE and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), the well known international institute for environmental training. 

According to a recent study by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), almost 90 percent of the U.S. population believes it is important for companies to not just be profitable, but to be mindful of their impact on the environment and society. Just over 70 percent of consumers state that knowing a company is mindful of their impact on the environment and society makes them more likely to buy their products or services, and almost 50 percent indicates it makes them more likely to buy their stock.[1] 

The CSR Practitioner’s workshop is certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), and is designed for all professionals responsible for the management of CSR, Marketing, and Public Relation activities. General Managers, Public Relations Managers and Sustainability and Environmental Professionals will advance their CSR understanding, acquire the skill and knowledge that will bring added value and authenticity to their company, and also earn an official business qualification.

The ultimate goal of the CSE workshop in North America is to provide the tools and training that will instill the growing importance of corporate social responsibility into company strategy and also help them demonstrate ethical business practices. This will in turn build corporate and community recognition in sustainable business through the examination of current best practices. With specialized, detailed and highly focused training, the CSE workshop will cover: 

·      CSR & Sustainable Development Concepts

·      Global Warming & Climate Change Issues

·      Future trends & legislation in the U.S. & Worldwide on Corporate Responsibility

·      The Stakeholder Approach & CSR

·      CSR Communication & Reporting

·      Global Standards/Models/Guidelines & Tools for practical CSR integration (GRI, UN Global

       Compact, EFQM)

·      A CSR Action Plan for your organization (prerequisite for CSR practitioner Qualification)

CSE will be hosting a Sustainability Roundtable Discussion on February 9th at 5:30 p.m. at the Hotel Monaco. The event titled, “Emerging from the Economic Crisis, using Sustainability to Transform your Organization”, will help participants think about how Sustainability applies to their current business models, and discuss with other like-minded individuals the business barriers to adopting Sustainability. 

To improve your organizations’ and/or institutions’ Sustainability and bring positive impact and added value for all stakeholders, enroll in CSE’s North American Workshop at www.cse-northamerica.org, contact Nick Andrews at 773-714-5065 or via e-mail at nick@cse-northamerica.org.

About Centre of Sustainability and Excellence

CSE is a leading advising organization & Think Tank with offices in Chicago, Athens, Brussels and Cyprus specialized in providing sustainable development solutions to various corporations and institutions. It represents the outcome of the cooperation between experts and scientists, who deal with, apply and provide support in the most advanced practical methodologies towards sustainability, while adhering to social and environmental criteria. Through its network of international partners, CSE offers coaching in a vast array of advising services promoting Sustainability & Excellence to Organizations, Society and Governments. CSE is operating in more than 10 countries.  For more information please visit www.cse-northamerica.org.

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) in North America is proud to announce it will be hosting its IEMA Workshop titled, “Certified CSR Practitioner IEMA Approved”, on February 9-10, 2010 for the second time in Chicago.

This certified workshop will give participants the opportunity to earn a certificate designating them as Qualified to originate and manage a Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability program within their organization. The CSE workshop is certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), and is designed for all professionals responsible for the management of CSR, Marketing, and Public Relations activities. General Managers, Public Relations Managers and Sustainability and Environmental Professionals can advance their Sustainability understanding, acquire the skill and knowledge that will bring added value and authenticity to their company, and also earn an official business qualification through this two-day workshop.

With specialized, detailed and highly focused training, the CSE workshop will cover:

• CSR/Sustainable Development Concepts & its Return on Investment

• Global Warming & Climate Change Issues

• Future trends & legislation in the U.S. & Worldwide on Corporate Responsibility

• The Stakeholder Approach & CSR

• CSR Communication & Reporting

• Global Standards/Models/Guidelines & Tools for practical CSR integration (GRI, UN Global Compact, EFQM)

• A CSR Action Plan for your organization (prerequisite for CSR practitioner Qualification)

More than 80 Professionals from 5 continents have already joined this unique workshop, which is designed for all professionals responsible for the Sustainable Management of their organizations. The certified workshop, launched in Europe and expanded in many different countries successfully by CSE, represents a stepping-stone for organizations that want to implement Sustainability into their operations gradually, one-step at a time. September's CSR Practitioner Workshop was certified as carbon neutral and attracted an eclectic group of professionals, ranging from CSR Managers to University Directors, and finally CSR media.

To request additional information or register in the next workshop contact CSE at research@cse-net.org or info@cse-northamerica.org .

3BL (Triple Bottom Line) Media and the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) announced today a strategic partnership which will provide CSE clients with access to the world’s largest corporate social responsibility and sustainability news distribution network.  The partnership will bring global recognition to the sustainability initiatives undertaken by leading progressive businesses as part of their work with CSE.

CSE provides services for Sustainability Management and Reporting, Climate Change Solutions, including LCAs and Carbon footprint Strategy, Green Marketing, CSR Assurance and Sustainable Investment. CSE also conducts executive training workshops in more than 18 countries around the globe.

“In support of our global efforts to promote Sustainability, we consider our partnership with 3BL Media vital in enabling organizations to communicate their Corporate Responsibility commitments, as well as share best practices via a comprehensive distribution network,” says CSE Managing Director, Nikos Avlonas.

3BL Media’s communications strategies include the production and distribution of videos, podcasts, media advisories, press releases and blogs.  3BL Media produces “theCSRminute” which is viewed by media professionals, business executives and consumers, and is considered a major source of reliable issues and trends, of breaking news and profiles of businesses and organizations. 3BL Media news distribution reaches the largest, most relevant audience through a proprietary network that includes thousands of media points, social networks, bloggers, video sharing sites, affiliates, aggregators and partnerships with major news outlets worldwide.

“As a recognized leader in CSR and sustainability consulting worldwide, we are honored that CSE chose 3BL Media to communicate the important work that their clients are doing.  We look forward to working closely with CSE and helping to keep stakeholders informed,” says 3BL Media CEO, Greg Schneider.

via 3blmedia.com

SDialogue today announced a new report, Social Media Advances the Sustainability Dialogue, New Ways to Powerfully Engage Stakeholders.  The paper identifies the natural intersection between sustainability and the rise of social media; explores what leading brands are doing to change how they communicate; and shows how organizations can use their sustainability efforts to engage with their stakeholders in powerful ways that enhance trust and reputation.

Today’s stakeholders are increasingly looking for an authentic, two-way dialogue – gone are the days of one-way communication.  Much of today’s efforts to communicate about sustainability by the S&P 500 focus on producing reports that comply with standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). A traditional sustainability report is still needed, but there are other ways for companies to disseminate that information and turn it into a conversation that builds trust, solves problems, and increases reputation, all of which contributes to the financial bottom line.

Social media is a growing phenomenon, and one that should not be underestimated in terms of reach and influence.  Forrester reports that “More than 4 in 5 US online adults now participate socially with people aged 35 to 54 growing 60 percent in the last year alone. 

The prevalence of social media and increasing importance of sustainability efforts offers companies a unique opportunity to more effectively engage stakeholders. There is a natural intersection between social media and sustainability as both require authenticity, accountability and engagement with their audience to be effective.
   
SDialogue’s paper shows how the power and influence possible with social media enables companies to advance the sustainability dialogue, taking it to a new, higher level of engagement and transparency.  It can be downloaded for free at www.sdialogue.com/social.

The Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) in North America proudly hosted its second Sustainability Roundtable on September 1st in Chicago. The event titled, “Moving Sustainability Forward at a Time of Economic Slowdown”, focused on the materiality of an organization’s Sustainability Strategy and discussed the challenges in keeping the Sustainability actions close to the organization’s core activities.

The successful discussion featured contributions from a large number of organizations representing five continents, organizations such as ArcelorMittal, Boeing Corp, Qatar Airways, Sara Lee Corp, Grainger, Potash Corp, as well as the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and DePaul University. Dr. George Nassos, of the Illinois Institute of Technology, as well as Nikos Avlonas, CSE President, facilitated discussion. City Council member, Alderman Manny Flores of Chicago’s First Ward, made a special appearance referring to the City of Chicago’s green initiatives.  

The concluding remarks of the Roundtable can be summed up by saying that, the movement behind Sustainability in business is picking up momentum and becoming more mainstream, as the business case (focusing on the bottom line) for Sustainability is now a prerequisite for investing into any initiative.

The Roundtable Event piggybacked onto CSE’s main event, its Certified CSR Practitioner Workshop. The CSE workshop is certified by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), and is designed for all professionals responsible for the management of CSR, Marketing, and Public Relation activities. General Managers, Public Relations Managers and Sustainability and Environmental Professionals will advance their Sustainability understanding, acquire the skill and knowledge that will bring added value and authenticity to their company, and also earn an official business qualification.

 CSE will host its next Certified CSR workshop and Roundtable discussion on February 9-10, 2010.

To request additional information contact CSE at research@cse-net.org or info@cse-northamerica.org.