Earthcharter

Tampa Bay Businesses Define Sustainability

Written by Jan Roberts Thursday, 18 February 2010 20:29

Ask a dozen executives what corporate sustainability means, and chances are they will deliver 12 different definitions. Some will talk about regulatory compliance and risk management. Some will describe cost reductions. Others will mention somewhat hazy measures, such as carbon neutrality, or more tangible metrics, such as energy efficiency improvement and revenue per sustainable product. A few will give skeptical shrugs. However, the executives of 18 Tampa Bay companies, being recognized as the 2010 Earth Charter US Sustainable Business Award Winners, light up as they discuss their demonstrated commitment to the triple bottom line of sustainability that includes people (employee and community wellbeing), planet (environmental health) and profit.

The ECUS Sustainable Business Award Winners being celebrated at the University of Tampa on February 19th are part of a powerful sustainable business trend. The trend is seen in the launch of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index to track the financial performance of sustainability driven companies; the fact that 25% of Fortune 500 companies have Chief Sustainability Officers and that over 100 US Companies are using the Global Reporting Imitative--the international Gold Standard for Measuring Sustainability. The winning companies contribute not only to a sustainable local economy but also to a sustainable future for all humanity and the planet, itself.

Since 2009 was challenging economically for business, it was initially expected by the ECUS Sustainable Business Awards Committee that companies would be tightening their belts and restricting resources for employee, community and environmental wellbeing. Instead, it was encouraging to find companies being creative in maintaining their commitment to retaining employees, contributing to the community and safeguarding the health of the planet.

Among the ECUS Sustainable Business Award Winners are companies that:

• use 70% recycled steel in their products,
• raised $300,000 for earthquake victims and continue to invest in the rebuilding of Haiti;
• make payment to employees for community service one of their top priorities;
• invested 50% of their annual profit in reducing waste;
• offer employees up to one year off with pay to devote to a social cause close to their hearts;
• put their life savings in Tampa’s first Gold LEED Certified building;
• hire formerly incarcerated individuals, treat them as family and have had zero turnover rate in 3 years;
• developed innovative paving material made from waste tires with an incredibly high porosity rate of 2000 gallons per sq. ft. that could abolish storm water sewers;
• enacted a program which burns solid waste and powers 56,000 households;
• offer employee ownership programs;
• can claim being Florida’s first green certified Pest Management Company;
• doubled employees in the past twelve months and anticipates quadrupling the number of employees over the next twelve months;
• own two electronic recycling machines that are EACH capable of processing 150 million pounds of material annually; and
• invested in being the first Silver LEED Certified resort in Florida.

Recognition of the 18 award winners was the culmination of a thoughtful 12 week journey that involved eight MBA students in a class project for the course “Sustainability: the Triple Bottom Line” offered at the University of Tampa’s John H. Sykes College of Business and taught by adjunct professor Jan Roberts. Some of graduate students described it as a near-Herculean endeavor that entailed endless hours and days in recruiting promising businesses; developing criteria on social, environmental and financial performance; conducting one on one interviews with executives and employees and then rating and ranking the finalists through forthright and sometimes fervent class discussions.

It is important to note that the University of Tampa’s Center for Ethics and the graduate business students that participated in the awards project are part of a paradigm shift emphasizing environmental and social responsibility as well as financial health that is taking place in university business schools. This shift is borne out by the 2009 Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey of accredited business schools around the globe that noted steady growth in dedicated courses on sustainability, social enterprise and stakeholder engagement.

Class discussion on the sustainable business criteria was especially illuminating and forthright when members of the ECUS Sustainable Business Awards Committee—Chair Gregg Nicklaus, Charlotte Starfire, George Sherman and Barbara Heineken—and ECUS Sustainable Business Coalition member Miriam Zims visited the class. They explored topics like benefits for full time vs. part time employees, work-life balance policies, employee turnover trends, health insurance benefits for life partners; percentage of investment in community infrastructure; community service hours paid by the company; and questioned whether ever growing profits are really essential and what constitutes “Greenwashing”. In the end, the SBA Committee signed off on the criteria and the students moved on to company interviews and evaluations.

Evaluation of the nominated businesses generated enthusiasm as well as differing opinions. Sometimes it was difficult for a student to put aside his or her personal bias due to a warm experience during the interview process. At other times, a student’s presentation about a company needed additional information before a decision could be made. However, as companies were discussed and decisions made, there was a prevailing sense among the students of appreciation and even pride in the quality of the companies’ sustainable business efforts and actions.

UT’s graduate business students who participated in the ECUS Sustainable Business Awards Project are:

• Chelsea Ruth-Davidson Cellamare
• Kevin Jilbert
• Rhonda M. Lee Dalrymple
• Jason Peter H. Moses
• Armando Rodriquez
• Subhashini Santhanam
• Phasuthorn Viryasiri
• Ece Yilmaz

The 18 ECUS Sustainable Business Award Winners clearly show that despite difficult economic times their commitment to the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit is steadfast and strong in Tampa Bay. In 2009, ECUS in partnership with the University of Tampa’s Center for Ethics and the 2008 ECUS Sustainable Business Award Winners launched a Sustainable Business Coalition for companies interested in learning and exchanging sustainable business practices. Join them and co-chairs Gregg Nicklaus and Andrew McIntosh in building a stronger sustainable economy in Tampa. For more information contact Jan Roberts This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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