s-2000 ratings system overview

Sustainable2000: Rating System of Sustainable Businesses

1© Chamber of Sustainability, July 2009

$Achieving progress

toward sustainability

requires maintaining and

improving economic,

environmental, and community

wellbeing, not choosing one over

the others


SUSTAINABLE2000 is a nationally recognized sustainable business rating system that provides a systematic way to measure and evaluate companies in their economic, environmental, and community initiatives

It provides third-party verification that a business, non-government or government organization is using strategies aimed at improving performance across economic vitality social equity stewardship of resources in an equitable manner that is sensitive to their impacts on the community

© Chamber of Sustainability, July 2009 3

Developed by the Chamber of Sustainability, Inc. (CoS) in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin’s School of Business

Provides a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable sustainable business practices, processes and operating solutions in a balanced context

Flexible enough to apply to all business types regardless of scale

It works throughout a business’ journey along the pathway of sustainability


The CoS is working to facilitate the benchmarking and exchange of sustainable business practices to improve the viable sustainability of participating organizations

One essential ingredient of this benchmarking process is the measurement and evaluation of various aspects of business operations as it relates to generating; profits reducing ecological footprint improving the social aspects of their community both

inside and outside the enterprise


The unique framework of the SUSTAINABLE2000 rating system enables any organization involved in the process to evaluate their progress toward sustainability

The rating system has been developed using survey creation and administration methodology, keeping in mind that all three aspects of sustainability, environmental stewardship, economic vitality and social equity within the enterprise’s community, are equally important


The practical implementation of the Brundtland definition can have many uses, but the use for the CoS rating system is the framework developed by John Elkington in 1998 in his book “Cannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century

Business.”


Participant organizations answer a series of comprehensive questions

These questions create transparency in their practices, processes, goods and service delivery while creating metrics in balancing the three key sustainable components

Each question works to determine how much to reward or encourage certain business practices, based on the impact of an initiative or practice on sustainability.


Each question is assigned to one of three categories: Environmental Economic Community.

Questions were developed with a sense that these three categories are not silos, but flexible since in reality, these categories overlap

Issues related to the social dimensions of a company, like the employees and community often overlap with economic issues including profit and internal stakeholders

Likewise, the economic issues of a company are many times deeply related to the environmental dimensions of a company


Since a wide variety of businesses will participate in the Sustainable2000, the questions apply to companies or organizations who make or produce products, provide services, or both

They will not be asked to respond to questions that do not apply to their business.

The questions are denoted as Manufacturing (M), Service (S) or Both (B)

Companies will not be penalized for being unable to answer a question outside their area of business


There are two types of questions in the questionnaire The majority of questions instruct the user to “Choose

One,” meaning that a company can only choose one answer

The other type of question is called “All That Apply,” meaning that a company can choose more than one answer


A “Choose One” question has answers that each have a certain amount of points attached to it

The answer weight is a value out of one (1) For example, if a company responds to a question with an

answer that contributes highly towards a sustainable business, they may receive 0.9 for that question.

An “All That Apply” question calculates how many answers were chosen and points are awarded based on number of answers For most of these questions, one or two answers will give the

company a majority of the answer weight, and more than two answers will give them full credit

Answer Weight is not revealed to the survey participants


Along with the answer weight, each question has a point value, based on the significance towards sustainability and the impact on the TBL.

The question value is on a scale from one to nine A large question value indicates that the subject of the

question significantly affects the TBL Question Value is not revealed to the survey participants


To construct valid questions that adequately measure organizational sustainability it is important to define sustainability

The most common and widely respected definition of sustainability is from the Brundtland Commission at the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development which is “development that meets the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.


Answer weight: Each answer has an assigned point value, based on significance on sustainability

Question weight: Each question has a point value (out of 9) based on impact on the triple bottom line

Total Score: Equally calculated between three categories

16

Environmental

33.33

Economic 33.33

Community 33.33

Total 100

© Chamber of Sustainability, July 2009

18Sources: Porter & Kramer (2006), Chatterji & Levine (2005)


Category Listed Product/ServiceApplied Date Company NameVerified Date AddressRanking in Category (1-20) if applicable City/Town, State, Zip

CodeSUSTAINABLE2000 ranking (1-2000) CountryContact Person Website Sustainable Mission Statement: Company Logo: The company logo will be hot linked to the companies

website

Description of Company’s product or services:


Once a company has registered and submitted their survey, the company will be listed on the CoS website but not certified or ranked

In order to complete the process, the company will be assigned CoS reviewer and must submit supporting documentation for completion of the review process

This process adds a currently absent, matrix- based approach, to the sustainability equation, giving a company a robust portrayal of its sustainable investments for marketing and discernment


The questionnaire is distributed to participants on line. Each company that applies will be given log-in access to

this form The log-in will allow access an unlimited number of times,

and allow various users to save information during the process

However, only one submittal per company will be allowed


Questionnaire entry is no small task We strongly recommend each company establish a team

that will complete the entry together This team should be cross-functional, including employees

from all departments in the company It should also span the vertical ladder of a company,

including employees from various levels of management, and non-management roles


Companies need to understand that outside data is required to complete an entry

Teams should ideally compile some of this information before beginning the questionnaire, or have it readily available in order to streamline the entry process

This information may need to be emailed to the review committee


Such information includes: Certifications and corresponding numbers Safety standards used Recent sales and revenue data Product makeup information Transportation practices of goods and services Partnerships with organizations, NGOs Employee pay Employee demographics Insurance benefits Energy and water use


Companies are encouraged to prepare additional information that supports their answers

Audits of individual answers or companies may be made after the entry is received

Verification of any question with supporting documentation may be done electronically, to ensure that points are awarded correctly


Registration:

Member: One Complimentary Submission

Non-Member: $500/per submission

Processing: Individual or single location:

Member Non-Member1-25 employees $ 400 USD $ 650 USD26-100 employees $ 600 USD $ 800 USD101-250 employees $ 750 USD $1,000 USD251-500 employees $ 875 USD $1,250 USD501+ employees $1,000 USD $1,500 USD

Chain or Multiple locations:Total number Employees Member Non-Member# of LocationsCost1-25 employees $ 250 USD $ 750 USD X $26-100 employees $ 350 USD $ 900 USD X $101-250 employees $ 400 USD $ 1,200 USD X $251-500 employees $ 550 USD $ 1,500 USD X $251-500 employees 11+locations$ 150/add loc $ 300/add loc $5500+X $501+ employees $ 700 USD $ 2,000 USD X $501+ employees 11+locations $ 200/add loc$ 400/add loc $7000+X $

Examples: 3 locations with 125 total employees @ $400 (member) X 3 locations = $120015 locations with 300 total employees @ $550 (member) X 10 Locations + 5 locationsx$150= $6,250


30

Top 1%: 20 Companies

Next 4%: 80 Companies




Last 25%: 500 Companies


Questions?
