[THE SMS COACHING PROGRAM IS NOT ACTIVE.]

As organizations seek to become more sustainable, they need a means for understanding the fundamental principles of sustainability and translating these into organizational practices. The Sustainability Management System Coaching Program is a structured and systematic training and coaching program designed to enable organizations across multiple sectors (business, government, education, and non-profit) to measure and manage their environmental and social impacts, while sustaining--and in many cases improving--their financial performance. See the Case Studies at the end of this section for examples of organization that have successfully implemented Sustainability Management Systems (SMS).

This program helps participating organizations to reduce and eventually eliminate harmful consequences of their operations, and to invest in practices to improve their long-term viability. Ultimately, this program is a business tool to improve organization's and our region's "triple bottom line" (economic, social and environmental performance).

Participating organizations benefit by…

• Identifying opportunities for operational efficiency and waste reduction.
• Expanding markets. New markets are constantly opening for environmentally and socially responsible products and manufacturing processes. A growing number of countries are requiring international standards such as ISO 14000 to be met by suppliers and vendors.
• Identifying new services and products. There are many examples of organizations generating new sustainable products and services that capitalize on competencies and resources readily available, but previously unidentified.
• Preventing future liability for unintended environmental and social impacts. This is an area of growing concern for companies of all types, in many industries, as the frequency and cost of litigation soars.
• Improving stakeholder relationships. Increasingly, shareholders and other stakeholders are calling for new standards of social and environmental reporting and management. They are holding senior management accountable for many areas of impact that have previously not even been noticed.
• Preparing for third-party validation and registration. Upon completion of the program organizations will be ready for external audit and Sustainability Management System registration, along the lines of ISO 14000 and other internationally recognized standards.

About the Program

This 9-month program consists of a series of five one-day workshops and up to 10 days of tailored coaching support for each organization, and provides each organization with a step-by-step approach to designing and implementing a Sustainability Management System. Several representatives from each organization may participate. Workshops will also cover actual case studies from leading organizations in the private and public sectors in both the United States and Europe. All materials and templates are included to guide participants through a series of specific deliverables established for each organization. This program includes a series of Sonoma County Stakeholder Forums, bringing together businesses, regulators, NGOs, and the local community to better understand the opportunities within each sector.

The first round of participants began March 2003. Other rounds will start throughout the year. The cost to participate in this program is $15,000 per participating organization.

Program Leadership

This program represents the collaboration of local businesspersons, non-profit managers, and sustainability professionals working in conjunction with Sustainable Sonoma County, the fiscal agent for the program. Founding Steering Committee: Grayson James, Resource Performance Partners; Ned Orrett, Resource Performance Partners; Beth Meredith, Sustainable Sonoma County; Eric Storm, Sustainable Sonoma County; Trina Dixon, Zainer, Rinehart, Clarke DFK; Tom Lanphar, CalEPA.

We would like to acknowledge Zainer, Rinehart, Clark DFK, a local accounting firm, as a sponsor of the program.

Workshops and coaching is provided by Ed Quevedo, Emily Hust and Mary Ann Ruiz of WSP Environmental, an international consulting firm helping clients manage their resources and operations while increasing their competitiveness. WSP Environmental has designed, implemented and registered the first SMS in the world.

For More Information contact Ron Sundergill at (707) 578-9133;
info@SustainableSonoma.org.

Case Studies

The following case studies offer examples of the power and value of developing a Sustainable Management System within different types of organizations.

DesignWorksUSA (a subsidiary of BMW Group) became the first company to be issued a conformity certificate for a Sustainability Management System.

As designers of everything from vehicles for the European auto giant, to cell phones for Nokia, and computers for Compaq as well as other products for Hewlett-Packard, John Deere, MCI, Peterbilt and Boeing, DesignWorksUSA realized the responsibility and potential impact of their approach to design. Making their product design activities more sustainable meant modifying the way DesignWorksUSA processes each job, which is done by applying four "tools" that address the environmental, economic and social impact of their design at each stage. DesignWorksUSA was audited to discern how their sustainability management system affected materials consumption, working conditions and the overall efficiency of the design process and became the first company to receive a conformity certificate for an SMS.

. . .

Genencor International takes the Sustainable Management System one step further-to the community.

Building upon its already established Environmental Management System, Genencor, an industrial biotechnology company, developed a more comprehensive Sustainable Management System for each of its sites (except China). Now the company is also looking to improve its SMSs through the creation of stakeholder boards for each facility. These boards will be comprised of regulators, members of the neighborhoods surrounding each facility and representatives from both local businesses and interested non governmental organizations. The goal will be to look at the Genencor's impacts not just from the company's perspective, but from the perspective of the community as a whole.

. . .

Cal/EPA Environmental Management System Pilot Project recorded significant improvements in environmental protection and economic savings.

One of the 8 participating companies in the pilot program, Artistic Plating, a metal finishing specialist, is projected to realize over $1 million in savings during a 10 year period. These savings are a result of environmental improvements in its manufacturing processes including the elimination of the toxic chemical perchloroethylene. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Palmdale, a leader in the design and development of aircraft, has realized a 54 percent savings of over $7 million from 1992 to 1999 as a result of reduced environmental costs. During that same period Lockheed Martin in Palmdale reduced its hazardous waste generation by 91 percent.

. . .

The City of Seattle receives prestigious Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities Award.

The City of Seattle, through their Office of Sustainability and Environment, addresses green buildings, pesticide reduction, transportation choices, and climate protection. Program effectiveness is supported by a city wide Environmental Management System.

Seattle Public Utilities, which provides regional water service, and drainage, sewage, and solid waste services to the City, continuously demonstrates exceptional ability to manage all projects to protect, sustain, and enhance environmental quality, both locally and regionally, through everyday business activities. Seattle City Light, the City's municipal electric utility, is committed to the long-term goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Seattle, a non-governmental organization that promotes sustainability and sustainable development at a local and regional scale, is implementing triple-bottom line indicators for individual neighborhoods.

Due to the broad sustainability strategy indicated by the links between groups of projects across the region, Seattle received the Stockholm Partnerships for Sustainable Cities Award as one of only ten city clusters worldwide, and the only one in the United States.

. . .

The City of Santa Monica achieves impressive results in all sectors.

In 1994 the City of Santa Monica adopted a Sustainable City Program (SCP) that outlines what sustainability means for the city, a plan to get there, as well as an implementation plan. Some of the impressive results from 1990 to 2000 include:

Resource conservation:

• Waste diverted from landfill increased from 13.8% to 55%.
• Water use decreased 6.3%.
• Greenhouse gas emissions decreased 5.2%.
• Santa Monica now purchases 100% of its energy from renewable sources, and all facilities have been retrofitted to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Pollution Prevention and Public Health Protection:

• Untreated, dry-weather urban runoff entering Santa Monica Bay from City outfalls decreased by approximately 95%.
• Citywide wastewater flows have been reduced more than 14%.
• The City's Urban Runoff Reclamation Facility (SMURRF) came on-line in 2001.
• It treats up to 500,000 gallons per day of urban runoff that can be reused for landscape irrigation and indoor toilet flushing at various sites around the City.

Community and Economic Development:

• The number of publicly assisted affordable housing units in the City increased by 47% between 1990 and 1998.
• The total amount of open space in the City increased by 10%.

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