sustainability and environmental management e-105 strategies for sustainability management robert b....

Sustainability and Environmental Management E-105

Strategies for Sustainability Management

Robert B. Pojasek, PhDAdjunct Lecturer on Environmental Science,

Harvard School of Public Health

Week 4: Systems Approach to Sustainability

Framework for Sustainability Projects

2

Program Projects Not Initiatives

3

INITIATIVES

Sustainability Program within the Sustainability Management System

First – Hierarchical Process Mapping

4

1 2 3

2.1 2.2 2.3

2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4

Top Level

Second Level

Third Level

Resource Accounting

5

Determine the Risk of the Projects

6

Source: Department for Education and Skills, part of Document 0235/2004

Determine the Operational Risk

7

Source: Department for Education and Skills, part of Document 0235/2004

Select the Projects Using Risk

8

Define the Project

9

Rank-Order with Pareto

80% of the $$$ are spent on 20% of the resources/losses

Oldest tool in the Systems Approach (Vilfredo Pareto, 1897)

Separates the vital few from the trivial many

Can also use Pareto for risks to the business

10

Pareto Chart

11

Root Cause Analysis

12

Brainwriting – Alternative Solutions

13

1 2

3 4

5 6

7 8

9 10

14

Bubble-up/bubble-down is designed to select an alternative for implementation

It is a forced-pair comparison

It allows for extensive team interaction

No alternatives are eliminated

Additional information may be required in an iterative prioritizing process

Prioritizing Alternative Solutions

15

Potential for compliance through prevention

Reduction in hazard and risk

Resource conservation enhanced

Recovery of valuable by-products

Benefits safety of workers

Gains management/worker support

Effectiveness

16

Benchmark candidates available

Engineering sophistication of project

Availability of suitable vendors

Availability of equipment

Little disruption to production

Adequate space available

Ability to Implement

17

Availability of capital

Positive cost/benefit analysis

Expedient payback potential

Availability of outside funding assistance

Reduction of future risk/liability

Cost

Draft Action Plan

18

ActionResponsible

PersonPerformance

StandardCompletion

DeadlineResourcesNeeded

Date:

1

2

3

4

Alternative Selected•Purpose•Project•Benefits

Integration of sustainability into core business practices - ‘make the business case’

Make sustainability part of every business decision (management)

Make sustainability part of what every employee does every day (workers)

Drive for continual improvement with prevention as the preferred means

Systems Approach to Sustainability

20

ANY QUESTIONS?