🔒New biz group aims for statewide sustainability action

Nearly 90 representatives from some of Connecticut's most recognizable companies — Pratt & Whitney, LEGO, ESPN and Uber — gathered recently with the state's top energy regulators and boosters at UBS' Stamford headquarters to plot a green revolution in Connecticut.

The Oct. 13 event, attended by companies from across Connecticut and even New York, served as the launch party for the Connecticut Sustainable Business Council, a newly formed advocacy group that aims to build a statewide coalition to present a unified voice on ramping up environmental efforts of businesses and government alike.

Some companies, like rideshare service Uber, have already committed financial support to the group, while others in attendance were interested to learn more about how the council might benefit them, and vice versa.

Launched by longtime corporate-sustainability advocate Heather Burns, the council is pursuing nonprofit certification and hopes to combine elements of a chamber of commerce and think tank to promote policies and initiatives for businesses and government that could slow climate change.

Similar groups exist in other states, including Massachusetts, California, Vermont and West Virginia.

“I know that to be successful in bringing sustainable business to the next level, which by the way is critical to the existence of humans on this planet, we must break down industry sectors and cross county lines in the state,” said Burns, a Fairfield County resident.

In addition to Uber, the Connecticut Sustainable Business Council's founding members include the quasi-public Connecticut Green Bank; New Haven's ESG Compass, which provides software to assess environmental and other risks; Milford's EBP Supply Solutions, which counts green cleaning supplies among its offerings; and White Plains-based commuter services provider Metropool, whose CEO John Lyons is chairing the council's board of directors.

Mackey Dykes, the Green Bank's vice president of commercial and industrial programs, said at the launch event that the Green Bank was excited about the council's potential.

“There hasn't been a like-minded forum for groups like us and businesses like us to come together to share best practices to advocate together for sustainability in the state and to promote it,” Dykes said.

Keri Enright-Kato, director of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's office of climate change and technology, said Connecticut can't solve climate change on its own, but collective efforts — such as a Northeast carbon-credit trading program created in 2008 — can make a difference.

“We know sustainability makes business sense,” Enright-Kato said to the audience, adding that it can help reduce operating costs, improve reputations, attract employees and open new markets. “What are the opportunities for which your company or organization might have the biggest sustainable impact?”

Though much of the council's governance structure and high-level members are Fairfield County focused, that could change. Burns said she is planning launch events in Hartford and New Haven in March and June, respectively. She intends for the council to have a statewide membership.

Matt Powers, Uber's Connecticut general manager, said he saw a clear reason for the ridesharing company, which markets its services as a way to reduce traffic and greenhouse-gas emissions, to participate.

“What we're hopeful for is we can work with other like-minded businesses across the state to drive some real change,” Powers said, “whether it's on the legislative side or telling the public about sustainability.”

Asked about their respective interests in the council, Pratt & Whitney and ESPN both expressed optimism about its prospects.

“At Pratt & Whitney, and across all of United Technologies, we define sustainability as doing good for the planet while we do good for our customers, employees, communities and shareowners,” said Pratt spokesman Ray Hernandez. “To that end, we continuously evaluate opportunities where we can share best practices on sustainability and are encouraged to see many of our area peers engaged in similar activities.”

ESPN's Kevin Martinez, vice president of corporate citizenship, said his company wants to learn from area companies that are “on the cutting edge of sustainability.”

“ESPN is committed to protecting and preserving the environment, as well as educating and inspiring sports fans to embrace sustainable choices and lifestyles,” Martinez said. “We actively manage our energy and water consumption, as well as waste.”

Early goals

Though the council's precise policy agenda is yet to be determined, it's leadership has identified several key focus areas that it hopes will allow the organization to unite a broad variety of industry sectors, from institutional investors to organic farmers and manufacturers.

They include climate change and emissions, sustainable supply chains and sustainable procurement.

Burns is an expert on the latter, having run a consultancy since 2006 to help companies and government agencies implement sustainable strategies.

One idea discussed at the launch event was pushing state government to beef up Connecticut's sustainable procurement program, possibly through an executive order from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Connecticut already has sustainability requirements for agencies purchasing a variety of products, including cleaning supplies, appliances and vehicles. But Burns thinks that list could be expanded.

“We hope to increase market demand for those [sustainable] products and services,” she said. “We want to help those suppliers grow.”

One relatively new concept is creating sustainability standards for the professional services industry. Burns is vice chair of a committee within NSF International — an arbiter of standards and certifications for various products — that has been working on a framework for professional services. The committee began its work in 2009 after President Obama issued an executive order requiring federal purchasers to consider an array of environmental and social impacts for both products and services.

Burns said she expects the NSF committee to issue draft standards later this year for public comment.

They wouldn't be binding, but she hopes to use the council to encourage Connecticut's state government to adopt the new standards.

Differing interests

Perhaps one of the biggest challenges for the fledgling council will be catering to a wide base of industries and convincing companies that sustainability is worth the effort.

During a panel discussion, Stephen Freedman, UBS' head of investment strategy, said the best way to make the case to businesses about sustainability is by talking about the risks of not taking action — from physical risks to legal risks to potential changes in consumer behavior.

“The problem is this is all very long term,” Freedman acknowledged, noting that he sometimes struggles to convince clients that environmental investments won't underperform other options, even if the evidence shows they won't. “We're talking about many decades until [climate change] maybe gets ugly.”

Still, panelist David Levine, executive director of the American Sustainable Business Council, said more businesses are paying attention to their environmental and social impacts.

“It's short-term thinking that's gotten us into this situation to begin with,” Levine said.

Though it remains to be seen how it will fare, the Connecticut Sustainability Council hopes to be a force that pushes back against that mindset.