Strategic Sustainability: fad or solutionAuthors Angela Melling & Mohammed Ayaz

The JourneyStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

What is “Strategic Sustainability”?ApproachExploration of the concept and researchReview conclusions drawnRecommendation: fad or solutionWhere to go next?Close

Model OverviewStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

EconomicSuccess

EcologicalHealth

SocialResponsibility

StrategicSustainable

Management

The Research – Who says What?Strategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

“Many organisations are now moving towards eco-friendly products some of

which include McDonalds which has change its packaging to Polystyrene and

also Heinz fishing for tuna without harming dolphins”

(Quazi, 2001)

The Research – Who says What?Strategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

“39 per cent of adults in the UK buy green products as far as possible and a further 20 per cent buy them whenever they see

them”(Quazi, 2001)

The Research – Who says What?Strategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

“college graduates are looking for more than just a pay check, they are looking for companies with which they can identify

morally and philosophically”.

(Dechant and Altman, 1994)

How is Sustainability Measured?Strategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Natural resource conservation and emission levels

Other environmental activities and initiatives aspects of employment

Occupational health and safety Community relations Stakeholder involvement Economic impacts of the organisation,

other than those financial measures used in the financial accounts

The GRI Reporting FrameworkStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

ReportingFramework

What to Report

How to Report

The Strategic Balanced ScorecardStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Source: Bieker et al (2001)

Birmingham City University (BCU)Strategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

22, 000 students from 80 Countries£270 million into the regional economy and support

thousands of jobs in the area Investing £260 million in the estateThe Complete University Guide ranked BCU as a top

10 UK university for spending on facilities in 2012 and 2013.

Sustainability AchievementsStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

New multi-million pound flagship campus was honoured with the 'Sustainability Award’

Retained ‘first class’ rating in this year’s People and Planet Green League.

Staff have raised over £3,500 to help build three water pumps at schools in Zambia.

Sustainability AchievementsStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Since 2005/6, the University has achieved:19 per cent reduction in carbon emissions37 per cent reduction in water use zero waste to landfill from the central waste contract for the first time since 2012.

Awarded an EcoCampus Platinum award in honour of its environmental work.

Two Key Sustainability ProjectsStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Birmingham City University (BCU)

TWO KEY PROJECTS ON SUSTAINABILITY

1. EnAlgae Project

2. BIM – Smart Buildings (Parkside Building)

BCU – EnAlgae ProjectStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Birmingham City University (BCU) EnAlgae Project

Birmingham City University is involved in a major €14 million (approx £12.3 million) initiative to bring experts from across North West Europe together to develop the potential of algae as a source of sustainable energy.

Aims to reduce CO2 emissions and dependency on unsustainable energy sources, through the accelerated development and deployment of algal-based biomass and bioenergy technologies.

In 2009, the EC Greenhouse Gas Inventory reported that North West Europe was responsible for more than 40 per cent of the EU’s total Greenhouse Gas emissions. This was due to the region’s high population density and its intensive level of industrial and rural development

BCU – EnAlgae ProjectStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Europe-wide collaborationBCU Phd student

Smart Building - ParksideStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Birmingham City University (BCU)

BIM – Smart Building Parkside

Parkside also has solar panels on the roof which provide a proportion of the electricity for the site. The university aspires to achieve the “Excellent” level in the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment (BREEAM) for all its new buildings.

The Parkside Building also has a special “brown” roof: a layer of soil that enhance the roof insulation and encourage biodiversity. This was created to provide a habitat for black redstarts, a protected species which has already been seen in the area.

BCU is ranked 27th in the People and Planet Green League 2013 and has recently received the EcoCampus Platinum award. Energy Performance Certificate rating of B.

Smart Building - ParksideStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Birmingham City University (BCU)

BIM – Smart Building Parkside

Target to reduce its carbon emissions by 48 per cent by 2020 compared with a baseline year of 2005/06. We intend to achieve this target by investing in our estate, existing and future, and partnering with our staff, students and local community to drive cultural change. We have produced a Carbon Management Plan and are committed to reporting on its progress annually as part of our Annual Environmental Report.

Source: http://www.bcu.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-information/environment-sustainability/energy-carbon

The RecommendationsStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Conclusions drawn: SolutionExploration of the concept and research

Earth’s resourcesGrowing populationFinancial penalties for non-complianceMillennials

Recommendation: Research, Marketing, FrameworkWhere to go next?

www.fadorsolution.co.uk

ReferencesStrategic Sustainability, Fad or solution?

Dechant, K. and Altman, B. (1994), “Environmental leadership: from compliance to competitive advantage”, Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 7-27. International Institute for Sustainable Development (1992) Business Strategy for Sustainable Development: Leadership and Accountability for the 90s Quazi, H. A. (2001),"Sustainable development: integrating environmental issues into strategic planning", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 101 Iss 2 pp. 64 – 70 Raúl León, Soriano María Jesús Muñoz Torres Ricardo Chalmeta Rosaleñ, (2010),"Methodology for sustainability strategic planning and management", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 110 Iss 2 pp. 249 – 268Sadgrove, K. (1992), The Green Guide to Profitable Management, Gower, Hants.

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