When Nancy Mancilla, co-founder of ISOS Group first heard about the opportunity to become a GRI certified training partner for the United States, she immediately thought of engaging the professor who first introduced the term “sustainability” into her vocabulary -“Sustainability Accounting Pioneer”, David Bainbridge showed immediate interest and began to work with ISOS Group on developing their training program for the US.

This opportunity comes at a perfect time for MGSM, since they are one of a handful of institutions in the United States offering an MBA in sustainable management practices. In the past year, MGSM faculty members, including Dr. Rachna Kumar and Dr. Jennifer Roney have even taken advantage of becoming GRI Certified; Dr. Kumar describes the GRI Certification course as “providing advanced insights into GRI’s sustainability reporting framework and its application as an anchor for understanding the drivers and best practices in the area.” MGSM’s Bright Green MBA program students will also have the opportunity to enhance their studies through this complimentary certification, just as private and non-profit sustainability professionals, policy makers, consultants and other academicians will benefit from this technique of tracking and reporting progress in social, environmental and economic areas affecting day-to-day operations.

ISOS Group has recently established a number of collaborative partnerships across the country. Each entity will offer the certification in different formats in order to appeal to various audiences. Courses offered through MGSM are adapted to organizations of all sizes, small and medium-sized enterprises, and sector-specific groups. As part of ISOS Group’s operating philosophy to increase accessibility to academics, sponsorships will be sought out to help offset costs to graduate students. ISOS and Alliant have already successfully delivered courses and are currently inviting interested parties to register for the October 7-8, 2010 event. For more information about our sponsorship program, please refer to: the ISOS Sponsorship Opportunity.

About ISOS Group: Recognized as GRI’s Certified Training Partner in the United States, ISOS Group is an innovative sustainability consultancy firm providing Sustainability Assessments, GRI Sustainability Reporting certifications, guidance throughout the reporting process and External Assurance of reports in addition to an array of other supporting services. For more information please check our website at: www.isosgroup.com or send us an e-mail to ISOS Group

About MGSM: Marshall Goldsmith School of Management (MGSM) offers programs in Business and Management, International Relations and Organizational Psychology at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. The programs offered integrate within the larger framework of sustainability across the different degrees. MGSM’s business programs aim to have an interdisciplinary and systemic approach while infusing sustainability into every discipline. The school is driven by the goal to produce graduates who think critically about solving problems, have competence in the human side of business and posses abilities to make a difference in addressing global challenges. www.mgsm.alliant.edu/

ISOS Group, a GRI Certified Training Partner in the United States has recently established regional partnerships in an effort to reach a wider audience and meet the growing demand popping up across the country. Last week, Concept Green was confirmed as a “Collaborating Partner” to work with ISOS Group to provide GRI Certification in Sustainability Reporting Trainings in the Southwestern region of the U.S. The Certified Training Program has been developed especially to help report makers and users to more effectively use the GRI Framework and GRI reports.

New Mexico-based company Concept Green actively helps organizations understand and master sustainability reporting so organizations can credibly communicate their sustainability commitment to the public at large. Unlike traditional financial reporting, sustainability reporting quantifies and explains the environmental, social and economic impacts and interactions an organization has within its community. Concept Green follows the “gold standard” of sustainability reporting—the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

On a global scale, the GRI framework is so effective that some countries have issued mandates for their nation’s corporations to practice sustainability reporting based on the Global Reporting Initiative’s G3 Framework. GRI’s G3 is the first choice of sustainability reporting standards among the world’s largest and most progressive organizations. In order to better help groups achieve the full value of reporting, GRI has set up a certified training program, which walks practitioners through each step of the reporting process, which is designed to transform management practices into those modeled on a triple-bottom line approach.

Through the collaborating partnership between ISOS Group and Concept Green, both groups will reach out to educational institutions, organizations and associations to provide GRI Certification in Sustainability Reporting across the Southwestern region of the U.S. The founders of both companies intend to host their first joint event early this fall. For more information about the certification process and/ or training sponsorship opportunities, please contact ISOS Group or Concept Green

About ISOS Group: Recognized as GRI’s Certified Training Partner in the United States, ISOS Group is an innovative sustainability consultancy firm providing sustainability assessments, GRI sustainability reporting certifications, guidance throughout the reporting process and external assurance of reports in addition to an array of supporting services. www.isosgroup.com

About Concept Green: Concept Green is a Limited Liability Corporation based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Concept Green works nationally, providing sustainability consulting and support services to large multi-facility organizations. Concept Green specializes in sustainability program development, performance measures and sustainability reporting. Concept Green is certified by the Woman’s Business Enterprise National Council as a Woman-Owned Business. Concept Green is an ISOS Group Collaborating Partner in executing GRI Certified Trainings in the Southwestern region of the U.S.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) offers the world’s most widely recognized and used sustainability reporting framework. Course participants receive their course completion certificates, which demonstrate their knowledge of GRI’s Third Generation sustainability reporting framework, directly from GRI. ISOS and Prizma’s GRI-approved trainers have already successfully delivered over ten GRI-certified courses and currently scheduled GRI-certified courses in the US include the following:

July 29-30, 2010: Berkeley Faculty Club, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

October 7-8, 2010: Marshall Goldsmith School of Management, Alliant University, San Diego, CA

For further details about courses and how to register, please visit ourRegistration Page. In collaboration with ISOS Group, Prizma will now be offering additional in-house and open courses in the Midwest and East Coast regions of the US.

ISOS Co-Founder Alexandru Georgescu concluded the agreement made with Mehrdad Nazari, Prizma’s Director, by saying, “we greatly welcome this partnership with Mr. Nazari, who can help us meet the growing demand for high quality and GRI-certified sustainability reporting training!” Prizma’s Director Mehrdad Nazari said “we welcome this opportunity to collaborate with ISOS Group and bring GRI-certified training courses on sustainability reporting to underserved regions of the Midwest and East Coast.”

To receive notifications of scheduled courses and/or express your interest to host a training event, please send an e-mail to mehrdad@prizmasolutions.com (for US Midwest and East Coast) and info@isosgroup.com (for rest of the US).

About ISOS Group: Recognized as GRI’s Certified Training Partner in the United States, ISOS Group is an innovative sustainability consultancy firm providing Sustainability Assessments, GRI Sustainability Reporting certifications, guidance throughout the reporting process and External Assurance of reports in addition to an array of other supporting services.

About Prizma: Prizma is a niche ESIA (environmental and social impact assessment) and CSR (corporate social responsibility) advisory practice. Prizma works with its clients to make their projects more bankable, credible and sustainable. Services offered include coaching, bankable risk/impact assessment studies, due diligence, readiness assessments, CSR strategy and sustainability reporting. For more information please check Prizma’s website at: www.prizmasolutions.com.

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) – pioneering developer of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting framework – will be the featured guest at a prestigious event at New York’s NASDAQ OMX Exchange on 14 May 2010, titled: ‘Sustainable Investing: What’s at Stake for Investors & Public Companies?’

The invitation-only roundtable, organized by NASDAQ OMX Exchange in partnership with the sustainability rating specialist CRD Analytics, will begin with a keynote address by GRI Chairman, Prof. Mervyn King.

Prof. King will call on all companies to adopt globally standardized reporting practices for their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

“We are looking forward to addressing some of the world’s largest corporations listed on the NASDAQ, highlighting how GRI provides the best way to unlock the economic value of sustainability reporting,” says Mike Wallace, Director, Sustainability Reporting Framework at GRI in Amsterdam, NL.

GRI’s participation in the roundtable exemplifies the active role it has been taking internationally for the past 12 years to provide guidance to companies, investors, governments, and NGOs on global ESG reporting trends. GRI has tracked more than 1,350 organizations that formally issued a GRI-based sustainability report in 2009 – this is a 25 percent increase on the prior year. Studies suggest there are many more GRI reporters than are formally documented.

The recognition by business of the importance of sustainability reporting, and of GRI’s role in driving its global adoption, is reflected by its central role in the May roundtable. In ringing of the NASDAQ closing bell, GRI will symbolically demonstrate its role at the heart of the business community, with the ceremony broadcast live on the iconic NASDAQ OMX video tower overlooking Times Square.

The Global Reporting Initiative has been engaging directly with the European Commission, the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other international governments to advocate for policy leadership in advancing ESG reporting.

The inclusion of ESG topics on the agenda of these international governments further clarifies what publicly traded companies must disclose to investors about climate-related ‘material’ effects on business operations. With developing guidance emerging from the European Commission, international governments, and specifically the US SEC pointing to the Global Reporting Framework, GRI is looking forward to sharing their developments in New York City. Additionally, GRI has been invited by the US SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee (IAC) to present on GRI’s involvement in global ESG reporting trends this summer.

GRI will also highlight the latest developments in global ESG reporting at its biennial conference in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on 26-28 May. The world’s biggest sustainability reporting event, the Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency will be attended by ESG experts and opinion leaders from across the globe. For more information on the conference, please visit The Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency.

For more information on the sustainable investment roundtable at NASDAQ or GRI please contact:

Ms Gudrun Dohl
Media Communications Manager
+31(0)20-5310067
dohl@globalreporting.org

Over the last few years, thousands of organizations have publicly reported their performance towards sustainability. Currently, in North America, around 500 organizations do so. Reasons for sharing insights into sustainability performance with various stakeholders are multiple. It strengthens stakeholder relationships, assesses new opportunities and risks, it can help identify new markets and enhance reputation.

In addition to reporting, organizations can show their progress towards sustainability through use of certificates and standards. However, the ever-expanding broad range of standards and certifications can make a one easily feel lost in the sustainability jungle. The ISO9000, ISO 14000 and the upcoming ISO 26000 provide guidance to organizations on how to adopt better management practices to environmental and social issues, while the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is active in developing an array of voluntary standards. Also, financial bodies, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the FTSE4Good have begun to influence the market.

Larger companies seem to be making headway as well by pressuring suppliers to conform to particular sustainability principles. Maintaining a ‘license to operate’ seems to be the push companies need to implement sustainability into the fabric of daily business activities. As with other large multi-nationals, Arkansas’ very own, Walmart realized the importance of requiring certain standards of their suppliers in order to maintain its own reputation.

Preparing for Walmart’s Sustainability Index

Walmart’s Index set to launch in the next five years, is a tool that can help organizations progress towards sustainability in particular areas, like energy-efficiency, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and waste, and labor relations. We can start to get an idea of what will be addressed by the Index from the set of 15 questions that were rolled out to its suppliers last year. Ultimately, the Index will communicate a product’s sustainable footprint to consumers.

In preparation for compliance with Walmart’s requirements, suppliers will begin to employ various sustainability tools and standards over the coming years to help set strategies and goals. To keep their stakeholders informed about their progress towards sustainability, companies can include an overview of all their initiatives in a comprehensive sustainability report. In fact, producing a sustainability report will help suppliers communicate their progress towards sustainability, not only to Walmart or end consumers, but to a broad range of stakeholders. Communicating progress can help attract media attention, talented employees, investments, and new customers by showing leadership and ability to create opportunities.

What is GRI?

Many organizations use the Sustainability Reporting Framework developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) as guidance for their sustainability reporting. GRI is a non-profit network, operating from Amsterdam, consisting of thousands of stakeholders worldwide that build and enhance the Framework together. The Framework, which is freely publicly available, supports organizations in defining report content. A diverse group of stakeholders has developed a list with disclosure points and indicators. Most of these are applicable and usable for any organization, no matter what size, sector or region. The Framework also acknowledges the uniqueness of every organization and its circumstances. Therefore, guidance includes opportunities for each organization to add its own performance indicators in its communications. Reports based on the Framework make for easy comparison of performance of various organizations, or within organizations over time. In order to simplify things, a GRI beginner’s template has been created to assist in the reporting process.

Where do sustainability indexes converge with GRI?

Suppliers can use the list of GRI indicators to report on issues included in Walmart’s questionnaire to show how they are preparing for its Index. Integrating sustainability information into one document not only allows companies to take a proactive step towards compliance with Walmart’s index or anticipated legislation, but the practice of reporting also allows for the streamlining of organizational processes that increase efficiencies, limit liabilities and, in the end, affect the financial performance of a company.

A sustainability report can support companies in responding to various indexes and standards by pulling information from the report and dropping it into required questionnaire fields or formats.

We’ve already started to see proof that transparent companies outperform, and that growth is expected in this arena.

To report or not to report, that is the million dollar question!

ISOS Group is a certified GRI Training Partner for the USA.

Join the USA delegation to the GRI Conference in Amsterdam, and get a 20% discount on conference ticket

Are you based in the USA and considering participating in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Conference in Amsterdam on 26-28 May, 2010?

Join the USA delegation organized by the ISOS Group to benefit from:

- a 20% discount on your conference ticket fee
- networking opportunities with other organizations from the USA
- participation in a special USA delegation meeting on pressing sustainability issues faced in the USA

If you are interested in participating, please contact Sandra Vijn-Kumar via LinkedIn, or send an email to info@isosgroup.com before March 5th, 2010.

ISOS Group is a certified GRI Training Partner for the USA.

For more information on the GRI Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency, go to www.globalreporting.org

The conference will address the latest developments with regards to sustainable entrepreneurship in Americas and the application of social responsibility in less developed countries. The topics of the conference are:

• New approaches for the measurement of the enterprise sustainable performance
• Sustainable management and financial performance
• Sustainable accounting
• Sustainable consumption: approaches and measurement
• Sustainable management in the small company
• Management tools and quality and their impact on the enterprise sustainable management
• Sustainable management of the provision chain
• Sustainable management of public institutions and measurement of its impact
• Theoretical contributions for the development of the environmental accounting, environmental finances and sustainable management
• Empirical studies, surveys and cases of study on the environmental, social and sustainable management in America and other countries

REGISTRATION

The Environmental Management Accounting Network - America (EMAN-AM) is a network of academic researchers, consultants, business people and policy advisors interested in environmental and sustainability management accounting as a set of tools of corporate environmental and sustainability management. The use of EMA as a core information and decision making tool, by both industry and government, has been increasing over the past decade, resulting in a considerable amount of information and experience that stakeholders are increasingly interested in communicating with each other. Several regional networks have formed to connect EMA practitioners and stakeholders around the world, including EMAN chapters in Europe, Asia- Pacific and recently Africa. These networks promote EMA tools within their regions, through their websites and annual meetings. The success of these EMAN chapters has inspired an effort to develop a new EMAN in the Americas. The proposed EMAN-Americas comprise a variety of EMA stakeholders from countries in North, Central, and South America, representing government agencies, academic institutions, business and industry, consulting organizations, professional associations and environmental/non-governmental organizations. EMAN AMERICAS aims to provide a medium through which those interested can exchange ideas and research related topics to Environmental and Sustainability Management Accounting in order to foster the implementation of its tools and promote good entrepreneurial and social responsible practices in America.

Make sure you sign up before August 27th to receive special early bird rates! Let ISOS Group know you heard about the seminar on 3P to claim an additional $100 off.

For more information please refer to the following article:
Join 3P at the ISOS Group’s GRI Reporting Seminar in San Diego!

ISOS Group, LLC and Alliant International University’s Marshall Goldsmith School of Management (MGSM) in San Diego, California have partnered to conduct Sustainability Reporting Courses based on the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) standard methodology, the most widely recognized in the world today! The course is aimed at providing participants with the tools needed to fully assess the sustainability of various activities and to reduce the negative impacts of day-to-day operations.

ISOS Group is a GRI certified training partner in the USA and we are a GRI Organizational Stakeholder.

Successful businesses of the future depend on a new type of professional prepared to accelerate economic growth while minimizing social and environmental risks. Therefore, this two-day course is designed to encourage participation among a diverse group of professionals looking to enhance their skills sets, such as for-profit and non-profit managers in charge of sustainability activities. The tools presented to participants can even benefit graduate students interested in developing their capacity to apply other sustainability-driven components learned in the classroom to the outside world.

The two-day event will be held at Alliant International University’s San Diego campus in Scripps Ranch. Registration includes instruction, GRI certification upon completion, meals, refreshments, learning materials, GRI publication entitled “The GRI sustainability reporting cycle: A handbook for small and not-so-small organizations”, and a bonus short-course on The Basics of Sustainability Accounting led by renowned sustainability pioneer, David A. Bainbridge.

For more information and registration guidelines, please refer to www.isosgroup.com.  Seating is limited, so register now!

For additional questions, please send an email to info@isosgroup.com or call +1 (619) 940-4856 || +1 (702) 430-8985.

Leonardo Academy, a non-profit dedicated towards advancing sustainability, and Eric Hansel of EGM Green, a green gaming equipment and advisory company are guiding efforts to design a set of Sustainable Gaming Standards according to the American National Standards Institute’s protocol. ISOS Group was recently notified of its acceptance after submitting a proposal to serve on the standards development committee in February. The committee representing diverse backgrounds and experiences will be charged with developing a comprehensive framework and common set of sustainability metrics to assess the environmental, social, and economic performance of the gaming industry. Slot machines will be the focus of the first phase since they are a tangible product from which to start from, while other aspects of the gaming industry are slated for future activities. The first phase is tentatively scheduled for completion in September 2009.