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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

The driving force behind our success

Dr Robert B Pojasek Picture

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

Dr Robert Pojasek P2 Champion 2006 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Award

P2 Champion 2006

National Pollution Prevention Round Table

Pollution Prevention

Dr Robert Pojasek Appreciation by Canadian Pollution Prevention Roundtable

Appreciation for Outstanding Dedication

Canadian Pollution Prevention Roundtable

Recognized for Teaching Effectiveness

Dr Robert Pojasek Harvard University with the Petra T Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Awar

Petra T. Shattuck Excellence Award

Harvard University

Making the Business Case for EHS 

Process Improvement Focus

Dr Robert Pojasek Winner of the AXEX Award Making the Business Case for EHS

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

Award for Publication Excellence

Pollution Prevention Ethic across the United States

Dr Robert Pojasek Appreciation by American Institute for Pollution Prevention

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

The high-level structure features uncertainty risk

00:00 / 14:17

Discussion focused on the following areas:

 

  • What is organizational sustainability?

  • What international management systems are used with the "high-level structure" to create a basic organizational sustainability program at the supplier level?

  • What are the six pillars of an organizational sustainability program that is consistent with the "high-level structure"?

  • How does this structure differ from the current sustainability programs?

01

02

Organizational sustainability: Risk and
risk management

00:00 / 18:26

Discussion focused on the following areas:

 

  • When we combine sustainability practices, sustainability programs, and contributions to sustainable development, how do we include risk management programs?

  • How is traditional risk related to the uncertainty risk that you described?

  • Large corporations use risk management as a key process within their financial and non-financial internal audit programs. Do they use ISO 31000 for this purpose as well?

03

Quality, sustained success and organizational resilience

00:00 / 16:24

Discussion focused on the following areas:

 

  • The popular standards that can be used to further improve the ability of organizations to create world-class organizational sustainability programs.

  • ISO 9004, that is a quality standard that helps companies provide quality management that is used for the sustained success of the organization.

  • Adding organizational resilience to the organizational sustainability program.

04

Learning guidelines
for sustainability
managers

00:00 / 15:13

Discussion focused on the following areas:

 

  • What does the sustainability professional need to learn to manage these changes while adding growth to the sustainability program?

  • Bob, Can you tell us how they might be involved in training new sustainability managers or in the continuing education of established sustainability managers?

  • How does everyone get the information they need to participate in the new sustainability high-level structure?

05

Improvement, innovation, and learning in a well-run sustainability program

00:00 / 17:25

Discussion focused on the following areas:

 

  • Many leaders are interviewed about the improvement that they have inspired in the organizations that they run. How does innovation happen in a well-run sustainability program?

  • A lot of people understand improvement and innovation. What is this process you are calling learning?

  • How does the organization know that these activities are working to deliver continual improvement and innovation?

​Environmental Storytelling That Sells

  • LinkedIn
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