The committee will have the following scope:
Standardization in the field of Sustainable Development in Communities will include requirements, guidance and supporting techniques and tools to help all kind of communities, their related subdivisions and interested and concerned parties become more resilient and sustainable and demonstrate achievements in that regard.

The proposed series of International Standards will thus encourage the development and implementation of holistic, cross-sector and area-based approaches to sustainable development in communities. As appears in the program of work, it will include Management System Requirement, Guidance and Related standards.

The Standards Council of Canada invited Greenomics’ President, Erich Schwartz, to be a contributing member of both the committee and the subcommittee. In response, Mr. Schwartz stated “It is an absolute honour to be invited to contribute to such an esteemed organization as ISO, which has led the way to international standards since 1946. There are 163 countries that contribute to ISO, and I look forward to representing Canadian expertise.”

This workshop encourages the Profit pillar in the three P’s of People, Profit and Planet and acknowledges that without that strength, the jobs and health of the region will flounder just as the environment can without due care with our resources.
“Coming from the business perspective, leading workshops in BC and as far away as Turkey, Greenomics is a good choice to deliver the message and provide businesses the tools they need to become more sustainable.” said Greenomics President, Erich Schwartz, “Businesses that embrace sustainability now will gain the competitive edge they need to thrive in a rapidly changing economy”.

“The SCRD recently adopted a region-wide Sustainability Plan that highlights the important role businesses play in supporting a sustainable Sunshine Coast. It is important to provide opportunities, like this workshop, for business owners and their staff to delve deeper into business practices that are good for people, the planet and the bottom line “ says Johan Stroman, Community Energy Manager with the SCRD. “Reducing business costs and saving energy while providing the same or better service is where this workshop can help. Workshops like these also help encourage networking and collaborative problem solving.”

Being in the extractive business puts a lot of focus on companies like Lehigh Materials to be good stewards with the environment, but the responsibility doesn’t stop there and being part of the economic viability on the coast as a major employer means they have to keep an eye on People and Profit, too. “Our organization recognizes the value of the triple bottom line approach. Extracting a non-renewable resource is not sustainable. We have been working hard with our partners to develop innovative ways to return the disturbed land to a usable state even if the cost of doing so is greater than the standard industry approach.” says Mike Latimer, Lehigh Materials Mine Manager. “You can do a lot within an organization to empower your people to help you spot the ways in which you can reduce waste, conserve energy and maximize opportunities, at work.”

Other sponsors, such as the District of Sechelt, IGA Gibsons, and the Gibsons and District Chamber of Commerce, want to be a part of the plan and encourage businesses to look for ways in which they can improve employee retention and engagement, energy use, supply chain optimization, and more, while reducing internal costs through efficiencies and smarter choices.

Date: October 21, 2011, starting at 12:00 PM.

Join us for traditional pub food with a Sunshine Coast flair and beverages, and engage in a lively discussion of how businesses can proper by pursuing sustainable business practices. Discussion will be led by Greenomics president Erich Schwartz.

Registration Not Required

Greenomics president, Erich Schwartz, will attend and will be presenting the rational for getting businesses engaged in policy making, community involvement, and environmental responsibility.

Panel of Experts

Erich Schwartz, President – Greenomics Corporation
Sharon Anderchek, General Manager – Community Futures Sunshine Coast
Chris Reid, Chartered Accountant
Finance/Credit – to be announced
Organizational Expert – Leah Goard, Owner/Operator-Organized to Thrive
Communications/New Media – Laurie McConnell, President-Bad Dog Design/bigpacific.com

Join us for an informative session with our “Experts Panel”. The only thing that we can all count on these days is the rapid pace of change. This is especially evident in our small business community. Ask our panel the tough questions for which you need answers. We’re willing to tackle any small business subject that may assist you to thrive in these challenging times.

What is the biggest challenge that you are facing in your business today?

Feel free to submit your questions in advance of the meeting so our experts come prepared. Or ask questions from the floor.
Send your issues and questions to sharon.anderchek@communityfutures.org or to staff@gibsonschamber.com and we’ll make sure they are addressed.

Since 2007, REC has been running a sustainability certificate programme together with Bogazici University for senior executives of private companies coming from different industries such as pharmaceuticals, FMCG, automotive, and cement. The programme’s goal is to convey fundamental sustainability concepts and practices to enable participants to more effectively manage their business and become more competitive.

This year, REC has incorporated Greenomics board game “Greenomics the Game” into the programme as an innovative learning tool. It fits perfectly into the programme structure as it is an engaging game with lots of challenges, and leads participants to think out of the box.

Kerem OKUMUŞ, Deputy Director, REC Turkey

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and ING – a 2010 Conference sponsor – today announced the winners of “The Big Five Competition” in which small and medium-sized enterprises competed for a prize worth €13,000 ($C18,000) at this year’s Conference Market Place. “This opportunity gives people from around the world visibility to some of the innovative and creative sustainability solutions coming out of British Columbia, Canada.” said Erich Schwartz, President of Greenomics.

With this competition GRI and ING aim to enhance the profile of small and medium sized sustainable organizations and provide them opportunities to present themselves at the GRI conference, the world’s largest gathering of sustainability reporting and transparency experts. Ms. Dailah Nihot, ING’s Head of Corporate Responsibility, said, “Given the global challenges in today’s world, it is clear we need more innovative sustainable solutions. The business community is an important factor in driving innovation and bringing it to the market. We co-launched this competition with GRI in an effort to encourage some of the sustainable forerunners and support them in building their businesses for the future.”

GRI received over 50 applications from nearly two dozen countries around the world. The jury, consisting of Eric Bouwmeester, Wilbert Lek, Nancy Kamp-Roelands, Jonatan Pinkse, and Giuseppe van der Helm evaluated the applications and their contribution to sustainability. The five winning organizations come from The Netherlands, France, Canada, the U.S. and the UK.

Participants of the 2010 Amsterdam Global Conference can look forward to engaging with the innovative Big Five Competition Winners throughout the two and a half day Conference. For further information on both the Conference and the Market Place, visit GRI’s Conference website.

BIV is starting their Business Excellence Breakfast Series this June 11th, 2009 with their Colour Series. It is designed to give you real world insight into the four pillars of business excellence: profitability, sustainability, investment, and philanthropy.

The first in the series is The Business of Being Green: Practical advice to make sustainability work for your business. At a time when business focus is turning to cutting costs and the bottom line, how do you keep sustainable initiatives high on the priority list?

We are pleased to announce our president, Erich Schwartz, has been invited to be a panellist for this exciting topic. He will be providing insights into how sustainability can make your company more profitable. Please join us at the Colour Series: GREEN.

To learn more and register, see Colour Series GREEN Event

“I genuinely hope you will attend this event and join us in furthering sustainable business practices to make businesses more profitable.” Erich Schwartz