Sustainability
Consulting

Corporate performance and sustainability metrics don't have to be complex.

The center for corporate performance & sustainability gives step-by-step guidance on how to create a success-driven trilogy for your organization: sustainability, uncertainty, and organizational performance.

Creating cohesive
systems within organizations
to achieve success

We primarily focused on the transformation of "stand-alone" sustainability programs into structured programs that use the international "high-level structure" to integrate systems of management and create a peak performance sustainability program that addresses sustainable development, social responsibility, pollution prevention, resource productivity, and uncertainty risk management in all types of organizations across the globe.

The sustainability consulting framework is focused on a six-pillar approach

01

Uncertainty risk

This risk is different from the traditional risk (focus on threats-only, losses, insurance and controls placed on processes) that you are used to. It is defined as: “Risk is the effect of uncertainty on the ability of the organization to meet its strategic objectives.” The “effect of uncertainty” can be expressed as to potential adverse effects (threats) and potential beneficial effects (opportunities). We like to express these risks as the two sides of the same “risk coin.”

02

Organizational leadership

We have learned from “stand-alone” sustainability that it is of critical importance to identify the top leader at each company location (Corporation, operating facilities, and supply chain). Organizational governance (defined by ISO 26000:2010) will be structured in a way to enable the leader to be accountable for the sustainability and other organizational objectives. Organizational governance also makes sure that sustainability can help the organization achieve sustainable development through the activities of the business, not conducted independently of the business.

03

Planning

Planning is the first step in the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle. The organization’s leader will include sustainability (as defined by the ‘high-level structure’) in pursuit of the organization’s strategy and business objectives. No more separate ‘goals’ and ‘initiatives.’ Integrated sustainability will be tested in the organization’s internal and external context and with the internal and external stakeholders to find the opportunities that can be used to offset the threats. This will lead to the realization of sustained value.

04

Implementation

PDCA's "do" step is implementing a sustainable development program. Everyone will create targets to fulfill corporate objectives. The organization’s top leader will ensure that the sustainability activities are tracked using sustainability disclosures that are linked throughout the entire company and its supply chain. Stakeholders will be involved in reviewing the progress of the attainment of the objectives. A sustainability manager will ensure program implementation promotes sustainable development.

05

Checking sustainability status

The continual checks on the sustainability effort will be guided by formal sustainability program conformity activities that include ‘self-determination and self-declaration. Leaders at each facility will report the conformance activity to the sustainability manager and the organization’s management review team. All facilities will participate in this activity. Progress on all of the sustainability disclosures will be collected monthly and made available using a "software as a service application".

06

Improvement, innovation, and learning

These important sustainability program elements are what drive the “action” that helps the sustainability program enjoy full integration into the organizational structure and be able to withstand the disruption brought about by the uncertainty risk. Many refer to this effort as ‘building resilience into the organization so that it can contribute to sustainable development in the face of traditional and uncertainty risk.

A solution for everyone

Our sustainability consulting services is the guiding force for everyone needing to master sense-making, decision-making, and knowledge management as well as other attributes needed to enable us to achieve global sustainability. Whether you are a CEO, a sustainability manager for a corporation, or an independent consultant, we are here to help you.

Books
and publications

Book

How New Risk Management

Helps Leaders Master Uncertainty

Risk is the effect of uncertainty on the ability of an organization to meet its strategic objectives. The effects of uncertainty are expressed as opportunities and threats. Yet, most people associate risk with hazards and losses (i.e., pure risk). Unlike pure risk, uncertainty risk is not insurable because of its upside risk opportunities. Risk management is a key element of the open-sourced, high-level structure developed by the International Organization for Standardization.

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Book

Organizational Risk Management

and Sustainability: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

This book offers a practical and reliable approach to how an organization can move beyond all of the separate initiatives and hype associated with sustainability. It shows how to build in what is already in place, in order to create a sense of stewardship that protects the environment, creates a sense of social well-being, and shared value within the organization.

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White Paper

Circularity: How to Get Started

in Supply Chain at Any Tier

The methods discussed in this whitepaper are a hybrid of life cycle thinking and a detailed process-based approach to examining the entire operations from raw material extraction to manufacturing, transportation, distribution, customer use, and end of life. In addition to examining the processes, we also briefly touched on how to measure your target's progress over time. Since circularity necessitates fine-tuning over time, you'll need an easy way to track your progress and KPIs.

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The driving force behind our success

Dr. Pojasek is best known for his use of the international “high-level structure” that is used to integrate international standards for use at the corporation, its operating facilities, and the suppliers to operate a risk management and sustainability system. Having worked for one of the largest ISO standards advisory and certification, SAI Global (Sydney), he became certified in competency-based training to work with corporations, their large customers, the operating facilities and the suppliers to manage the ‘effect of uncertainty’ in their risk management program. He recently wrote on his experience with formal risk management programs in a book, entitled, “How New Risk Management Helps Leaders Master Uncertainty.” Dr. Pojasek used the high-level structure to improve the gate-to-gate process effectiveness and resource efficiency across supply chains in up to 30 countries.

Dr. Pojasek has had a long career in the areas of ethical training and implementation of management system standards (used more than 40 international standards) to create effective processes, efficient operations, and efficacious strategy. He used value stream diagrams to help key people to manage change and to create leading indicators to foster manufacturing excellence.

Dr. Robert B. Pojasek

Recognition and Awards

Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Award

P2 Champion 2006

National Pollution Prevention Round Table

Pollution Prevention

Appreciation for Outstanding Dedication

Canadian Pollution Prevention Roundtable

Recognized for Teaching Effectiveness

Petra T. Shattuck Excellence Award

Harvard University

Making the Business Case for EHS

Process Improvement Focus

APEX Award for the Best "How-To" Book of The Year

Award for Publication Excellence

Pollution Prevention Ethic across the United States

Appreciation for Promotion

American Institute for Pollution Prevention

Experience

Sustainability Consultant to industry for 20 years
18 years teaching online sustainability at the master’s degree level at Harvard University
10 years teaching process improvement at the master’s degree level at Tufts University and Harvard University
Keynote speaker at hundreds of sustainability conferences and in-house training programs
Conducted supply chain sustainability practices for Walmart (Asia, US, Mexico and Brazil)

Publications

Over 100 publications on process improvement and sustainability topics in journals
Developed sustainability programs using the international high-level structure at the operating facility and supply chain levels
Directed the drafting or review of sustainability reports for traditional sustainability programs

Associations

A founding member and board member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals
Board Chair and General Manager of the Corporate Responsibility Association (4.5 years)
Board Chair of the VCARE Academy, Canada and strategic lead for sustainability programs development

Featured podcasts
on high-level structure