Course on Reporting Environmental Performance

Every year, more companies across the globe are recognizing the importance of sustainability and CSR reporting for improved reputation and financial returns from customers and investors, in addition to increasing cost savings and risk aversion.  In 2008, 84 percent of the 250 largest global companies by revenue reported on sustainability performance, 75 percent of which used the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework for their reporting process[1].

The GRI provides a standard framework and guidelines for measuring and reporting an organization’s economic, environmental, and social performance.  The GRI framework yields reliable, credible and comparable metrics through its use of performance indicators in 6 key categories: Environmental, Human Rights, Labor Practices and Decent Work, Society, Product Responsibility, and Economic.  By reporting on the indicators most relevant to their operations, organizations can present their significant environmental, social and economic impacts and opportunities. 

But at first glance, the number of indicators within each category may seem intimidating and even confusing.  To help organizations understand what these indicators mean, as well as where and how to start their reporting process, BrownFlynn Learning provides its signature course, “The GRI Process”, and has recently partnered with Symbiotic Engineering to offer a comprehensive course on GRI’s 30 Environmental Indicators.

On February 11, 2010, BrownFlynn Learning will complement its training session for “The GRI Process” (February 9-10) with the one-day course focused on the GRI Environmental Performance (EN) Indicators.  Environmental engineers (bios below) will help participants garner an in-depth understanding of the standard protocols and methodologies for setting goals and for tracking and reporting environmental performance toward those goals.  Instructors will delve into how the environmental indicators relate to benchmarking, reporting GHG inventories and life cycle analysis, and addressing problems faced by participants.

Sustainability Workshops

BrownFlynn Learning, BrownFlynn’s new training and education division, is now pleased to be offering workshops to enhance sustainability initiatives at any level of an organization.  The workshops are customized to address issues specific to a participant’s company and/or industry.

Below is a listing of the workshops currently offered:

Sustainability – Getting Started

• Triple Your Bottom Line—The Business Case for Sustainability
• Organizing for Success in Sustainability
• Gaining Employee Buy-In for Sustainability—An “Appreciative” Approach

Sustainability and Finance (Ideal for investor relations managers)

• The Sustainability Indices: With More than 100 Rankings, Which Ones are Important?
• Harnessing the Benefits of Corporate Accountability and the Triple Bottom Line

Sustainability Reporting

• From Bloomberg to Goldman Sachs—Sustainability on Wall Street (Trends in Reporting and ESG)

Legal Issues Affecting Sustainability

• Minimizing Risks and Maximizing Opportunities through Sustainability
• Sustainability and Understanding the Regulatory Landscape
• How to Avoid Greenwashing and Prepare for Regulatory Compliance Related to Sustainability

Your Supply Chain and Sustainability

• Engaging Your Vendors While Furthering Your Goals
• Supply Chain Pressures—The Wal-Mart Effect and New Expectations Related to Product Life Cycles

In addition, BrownFlynn Learning offers its signature course, The GRI Process: a GRI-certified training course about the sustainability reporting process. 

See BrownFlynn Learning’s website for more information about our training and education opportunities, which include open-enrollment courses, on-site courses, conferences and webinars.