Top Tools for Sustainability Consultants · ISO 14000 from the International Organization for Standardization was by ... ISO 14001 is an integral part of EMAS and EMAS requires all

December 2012

Early this year, the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP)collaborated with New York City-based research, advisory and consulting firm GreenResearch on its 2012 survey of 1,548 sustainability consultants from around the world.iThe following article is the third in a series that ISSP is publishing to provide furtherinsights from the survey data and other research and to address the questions:

1. What is the market for sustainability consulting? 2. What are the key competencies a sustainability consultant should have?3. What are the key associations and tools a sustainability consultant should know

about?

Top Tools for Sustainability Consultants: Sharpen Your Saw with Standards and Certifications

By Linda Lovett

IntroductionThe rise of sustainability as a megatrend is forcing fundamental shifts in how companiescompete. As more firms seek to integrate sustainability principles into their operations inorder to manage opportunities and risks arising from climate change, water shortages,energy demand and other global concerns, they are turning to standards and certificationsthat can help them analyze their processes and business model, determine ways toimprove them, and measure their progress.

Like other standards and certifications, those related to sustainability have four importantadvantages:

1. Provide a framework to measure and quantify certain (e.g., sustainability) aspectsof the business;

2. Provide a path/guidelines towards improvement;3. Instill a sense of responsibility and discipline within the organization to improve

on an important business aspect; and 4. Provide a mechanism to communicate their efforts and leverage the benefits.ii

© 2012 International Society of Sustainability Professionals

Standard or Certification? It is important to make a distinctionbetween a standard and acertification. Sustainability standards are an

established norm or requirement.There usually is a formaldocument that establishesmethods processes and practices.However, these are mostlyvoluntary and organizationschoose to adhere to them,without involving any externalverification.

Sustainability certifications are amethod of externally reviewingand verifying that theorganization is adhering tocertain levels of sustainablemethods and processes in itsbusiness model. Much likestandards, they also provide toolsor a methodology for anorganization to improve on itsperformance.

Certs No Deal Breaker for Many Clients…Despite these advantages, many organizations are still in the dark about sustainabilitystandards and certifications and do not look for them in a sustainability consultant. TheGreen Research/ISSP survey conducted in early 2012 asked sustainability consultants,“Which professional certifications matter most to your clients?” Of the 1063 thatresponded to the survey, only 25% answered this question; 25% of those replied with“none,” “don’t know,” or “not applicable.” In the written comments there is discerniblefrustration both with their clients’ lack of knowledge or interest in certifications and withthe lack of certifications applicable to their work:

“Certifications have no recognition within the client base.”“Certs are not at the top of their list of concerns.”“Little interest.”“Little knowledge of what's available.”“Honestly, clients never even ask for my resume, nor for any credentials….I don'tthink my clients think very much about certifications, and some might even be cynicalabout them.”


“Unfortunately not much available.”“This is an area of real weakness - there are no applicable standards.”

As noted in the previous ISSP Insight articles about the Green Research/ISSP survey,companies are still in the early stage of sustainability planning and implementation, sotheir lack of knowledge is understandable. Indeed, many of the survey respondents takethis in stride, and some expressed optimism that the situation will eventually change assustainability became mainstream:

“Most (clients) are still learning about certification and trying to understand how itwill benefit them as a business.” “I don't believe there is an understanding or knowledge of 'good' certifications at thisstage.”“Most are too new to sustainability to know what, if any, professional certifications tolook for.”“Most are unaware of this as a 'pedigreed' profession as available or quitenecessary.”“This is a new enough field that experience and knowledge and 'chemistry' are whatmatters. This will change. Certification in GRI, GHG, LCA will be important tosome.”


…but Awareness is GrowingThe 192 sustainability consultants thatdid respond positively to the GreenResearch/ISSP question aboutprofessional certifications offered a vastarray of acronyms, numbers, and brandnames from around the globe.Navigating this maze can be daunting forthe most experienced sustainabilityprofessional. It’s no wonder that companies are confused and slow to get on board.

However, by sorting the standards and certifications mentioned into broad categories, onecan glean some insights into what sustainability professionals are working on now andwhat corresponding standards and certifications they find most useful. Some standardsand certifications are suitable for organizations primarily in certain sectors and some arespecific to geographic regions. Those cited in the Green Research/ISSP study obviouslywere relevant and important to those survey respondents, but they may not be the rightchoice for your organization. This article proposes only to provide pointers to some ofthe more prominent standards and certifications that sustainability consultants are usingtoday.

With those caveats, what follows are the Green Research/ISSP survey “Top Ten.”

Number 1: US Green Building Council LEED Certification

Cited by 25% of survey respondents, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) dominated as the certification believed to matter most to clients. LEED is aninternationally-recognized green building certification system, providing third-partyverification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimedat improving performance across key metrics: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship ofresources.

While much of the construction industry has been stagnant, green building constructionmaintains its market share of non-residential buildings and has even grown in severalsectors, according to a recent report by McGraw-Hill Construction (MHC). MHC findsthat the demand for green buildings exceeds the supply of trained workers and predictsthat by 2014 green building jobs will account for nearly half of the design andconstruction workforce.iii With new jobs specifying the need for expertise in LEED,Sustainability professionals that have earned a LEED Professional Credential can play alarge role in bridging this gap.

Number 2: Other Green Building/Energy Efficiency Certifications

Distant to LEED, but still making a strong showing with 15% of survey respondents,were green building and energy efficiency certifications from other organizations aroundthe world. Receiving the most mentions were:


BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), a voluntarymeasurement rating for green buildings established in the UK by the BuildingResearch Establishment (BRE). Since its inception in 1990, BREEAM has grownin scope and geography and is now the world's foremost environmentalassessment method and rating system for buildings. BREEAM equivalents inother regions include LEED North America and Green Star in Australia.

Green Star, a voluntary environmental rating system for buildings in Australiaunder the Green Building Council of Australia. Green Star AccreditedProfessional training focuses on the content and application of Green Star ratingtools.

National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS), anational rating system that measures the energy efficiency, water usage, wastemanagement and indoor environment quality of a building or tenancy and itsimpact on the environment. NABERS trains and accredits assessors to performbuilding ratings.

The Building Performance Institute, Inc. (BPI) is a standardsdevelopment and credentialing organization for residential energy efficiencyretrofit work in the United States. BPI develops professional credentials forindividual professionals and accreditation for contracting companies. Certificationis based on testing protocols set by the American National Standards Institute.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) isan international professional engineering association based in London thatrepresents building services engineers. It promotes careers by accrediting courses,approving work-based training programs, and providing routes to professionalRegistration and Membership, including Chartered Engineer, IncorporatedEngineer, and Engineering Technician. CIBSE also trains Low CarbonConsultants, a professional core of experts in the design and operation ofbuildings for optimal energy performance.


Source: Green Research Sustainability Consultant Survey, 2012


Number 3: Technical/Professional Certifications

A significant number (10%) of sustainability consultants view the technical andprofessional certifications related to their academic fields of study as most important totheir clients and their own success. Credentials suggested include:

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification, American PlanningAssociation

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), American Board of Industrial Hygiene Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Institute of Hazardous

Materials Management Chartered Scientist, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental

Management Chartered Engineer, Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Certified LCA Practitioner, American Center for Life Cycle Assessment Certified Public Accountant, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Number 4: Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured framework for managingan organization’s significant impacts on the environment. An EMS helps organizationsimprove their environmental performance and comply with environmental laws andregulations. ISO 14000 from the International Organization for Standardization was byfar the most popular EMS mentioned by respondents to the Green Research/ISSPquestion on certifications, but there were a couple other honorable mentions:

ISO 14000 is a family of standards and certifications that addresses variousaspects of environmental management. The first standard, ISO 14001, deals withenvironmental management systems (EMS), providing requirements and generalguidelines for an EMS. It applies to those environmental aspects that theorganization identifies as those which it can control and those which it caninfluence. It does not itself state specific environmental performance criteria.

EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management toolfor organizations to evaluate, report and improve their environmentalperformance. ISO 14001 is an integral part of EMAS and EMAS requires allorganizations listed in its Register to run an environmental management system.Therefore, those organizations automatically comply with ISO 14001requirements. However, EMAS registered organizations fulfill requirements thatgo beyond the scope of ISO 14001.

The Green Dragon Environmental Standard certifies tourist services andother companies in Wales. It offers an environmental management systemrelevant to the specific needs of companies and organizations and rewards actionstaken to achieve environmental improvements. It is also often used along withISO 14001.

ISO develops international standards, but does not certify to the standards it develops;certification is performed by external certification bodies. Understanding ISO standardsis important for sustainability professionals, who may be helping a company achievecertification or working in one already certified that must operate in accordance with the


standards. Given the large number of ISO-certified organizations, there are alsoopportunities for sustainability practitioners to become certified ISO auditors. There’seven a standard for that: ISO 19011 provides guidance on auditing management systems!“Normative processes are typical of large companies because they involve substantialfinancial, organizational and human investment. For the smaller ones, normativeprocesses usually take place by pressure from the competition, large customers orcontracting companies.”

– Sustainability Compendium: Social and Environmental ResponsibilityManagement Tools

Number 5: Product Certifications/Production Standards

To become certified, products and services must pass performance and quality assurancetests and meet criteria stipulated in contracts and regulations. Some 6% of GreenResearch/ISSP survey respondents mentioned product certifications as being important totheir clients. The standards and certifications that these sustainability consultants citeprovide a window into the wide variety of areas in which they are working. For example:

GEO Certified, golf’s ecolabel Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) Bonsucro Certification for Sustainable Sugarcane Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Round Table on Responsible Soy Association (RTRS) Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards, certification, accreditation Green Leaf VOC / VOC+ Certification Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) certification USDA BioPreferred certifications and awards Envirodevelopment (Aus) branding system for sustainable homes Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

While these are product and production certifications, not professional ones,sustainability practitioners clearly need to be familiar with the ecolabels andenvironmental certification schemes in their areas of focus.

Number 6: Social/Ethical Standards

Principles-based standards help organizations become more accountable, responsible andsustainable by addressing issues affecting governance, business models, andorganizational strategy and by providing operational guidance on sustainability assuranceand stakeholder engagement. The most commonly mentioned to Green Research/ISSPwere:

Accountability 1000 (AA1000) is the work of the Institute for Social andEthical Accountability (ISEA), also known as AccountAbility, an internationalmembership organization based in the UK. The AA1000 series of standards aredesigned to promote integrated thinking and reporting. They are used byorganizations ranging from multinational businesses to SMEs, governments, andnon-profits.


The SA8000 standard is the work of Social Accountability International(SAI), a non-governmental organization whose mission is to advance the humanrights of workers around the world and to create a common language formeasuring social compliance. SA8000 is based on conventions of the ILO, UN,and national laws.

ISO 26000—or simply ISO SR—was released in 2010 to provide guidelines forsocial responsibility (SR). In contrast to ISO management system standards, ISO26000 contains no requirements, so it is not certifiable. It is intended instead toencourage organizations to go beyond legal compliance as an essential part oftheir social responsibility. It aims to complement other instruments and initiativesfor social responsibility, not to replace them.

Number 7: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), developed by an organization of the same name, isthe world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework. It sets out principlesand indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic,environmental, and social performance. A large multi-stakeholder network of thousandsof experts in dozens of countries participate in GRI’s working groups and governancebodies, use the GRI Guidelines to report, access information in GRI-based reports, orhelp to develop the Reporting Framework in other ways. GRI offers Certified TrainingPrograms worldwide for organizations that want to learn about using the framework fortheir sustainability reporting.

Number 8: Greenhouse Gas Verification

Increasing regulation requiring compulsory reporting and verification of the greenhousegas emissions generated by industries is expected to drive strong demand for GHGprofessionals over the next five years. Respondents to the Green Research/ISSP questionon certifications named several internationally recognized certifications that assistindividuals and organizations that want to quantify, assess, and report GHG emissions.

GHG-IQ Certification from CSA Standards (an operating name of theCanadian Standards Association) is intended for individuals who wish todemonstrate competence in GHG verification.

ISO 14064 is a standard for greenhouse gas accounting and verification to helporganizations quantify and report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions andremovals. It includes requirements for the design, development, management,reporting and verification of an organization's GHG inventory.

ISO 50001 specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintainingand improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable anorganization to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvementof energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use and consumption.The standard aims to help organizations continually reduce their energy use, andtherefore their energy costs and their greenhouse gas emissions.

Number 9: General Sustainability


The diverse roles that sustainability practitioners perform in the workplace make itdifficult to develop a sustainability qualification akin to those in areas such as humanresources, project management, and accounting. However, there are sustainability-focused certifications that are helping corporate responsibility/sustainability consultantsdevelop their professional competencies. Some cited by the Green Research/ISSP surveyrespondents include:

The Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (CSAP)qualification, developed in 2007 by AccountAbility and the International Registerof Certificated Auditors (IRCA) was the first internationally recognizedprofessional qualification in the field of sustainability assurance.


The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment(IEMA) is the world’s largest professional body for environmental practitioners.It provides professional qualifications and training courses.

Participants of the ISIS Academy’s Core Class series are trained in theprofessional application of indicators, systems thinking, innovation, strategy, andthe development of change agent skills. The workshops use a variety of tools andmethods, known as the ISIS Accelerator tools.

S-CORE is a sustainability assessment tool developed by AXIS PerformanceAdvisors, the International Sustainable Development Foundation, and the ZeroWaste Alliance. Licensed S-CORE assessors administer the tool.

Number 10: General Consulting

As was discussed in last month’s article about the ISSP competency study, the “hard” and“soft” skills now in demand from sustainability professionals are the bread and butter ofmanagement consultants. Green Research/ISSP survey respondents found generalconsulting certifications such as those offered by the Project Management Institute andthe Institute of Management Consulting to be important to themselves and their clients.This is likely to continue to be the case in the years ahead, although the specificcertifications desired may change as the nature of consulting work evolves in response tomarket forces.

Closing ThoughtsNearly 40% of respondents to the Green Research/ISSP certification question indicatedthat their work experience and academic credentials—not certifications—were whatclients looked for in a sustainability consultant. This should be neither surprising nordisturbing: credentials are meant to complement and supplement work experience andknowledge, not substitute for it! As a sustainability practitioner who sometimes finds thepace of change dizzying, I am encouraged to know that there are so many organizationsand associations that can help me “sharpen my saw” when I need it.

About the Author: Linda Lovett specializes in integrating sustainability practices into the core strategiesand functions of organizations. She began working on environmental and corporate social responsibilityissues while employed as a business research analyst for Hewlett-Packard. She subsequently earned anM.B.A. in Sustainable Business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute and served for five years as theSustainability Supervisor for the City of Corvallis, Oregon.


i “Global Sustainability Consultant Survey, 2012” Green Research:http://greenresearch.myshopify.com

ii “Sustainability Certifications and Standards: Making Sense of the Maze for your Business,”Strategic Sustainability Consulting, 2010: http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com/extra-resources/sustainability-certifications-and-standards.html

iii “Construction Industry Workforce Shortages: Role of Certification, Training and Green Jobs in Filling the Gaps, “ McGraw-Hill Construction, 2012: https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=18984

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Top Tools for Sustainability Consultants · ISO 14000 from the International Organization for Standardization was by ... ISO 14001 is an integral part of EMAS and EMAS requires all