Sustainability Transformation
for Organizations

The Sustainability Transformation Program will enable your organization to:

• Gain recognition for growing an organizational culture that is purpose-driven
• Build your brand as a leader in sustainability and climate action
• Enhance customer loyalty and engagement
• Reduce costs and use of resources – energy, water, GHG’s, and materials
• Expand use of safe, renewable energy, particularly solar and wind
• Reduce carbon footprint
• Increase cost savings and improve cash flow and credit rating

In this video from the Sustainability Transformation Course, Naima McQueen, Executive Director of the Alliance for Community Development, a co-founder of REV+ALL, and Elliot Hoffman, CEO of REV+ALL, welcome you to REV+ALL’s Course.

REV+ALL provides organizations with two levels of engagement:

• Sustainability Guides – a smaller group that takes the Sustainability Transformation Course and participates in three live virtual Sustainability Coaching sessions to fine tune the ways to use the REV+ALL Sustainability Transformation Program so that it is uniquely appropriate for your organization. 
• Sustainability Champions – a much larger group that takes the Sustainability Transformation Course, acquires the lens of sustainable value creation, and provides leadership in sustainability and climate action throughout your entire organization.

The REV+ALL Sustainability Transformation Program will help the employees in your organization to understand the key dimensions of sustainability and how to apply them directly to address climate change and unlock new strategic value and savings.

This is a practical, action-oriented program providing:

We have designed this free sample to provide you with significant value and give you a good introduction to REV+ALL’s Sustainability Transformation Course.  Continue on by clicking on each of the 8 Modules below for an overview of each Module and a sample of the content in the Module.

This video introduces the key concepts that underlie Sustainability Transformation and the many benefits that emerge from undertaking the Sustainability Transformation Journey.

Module 1 introduces the key concepts that underlie Sustainability Transformation and the many benefits that emerge from undertaking the Sustainability Transformation Journey. 

The Module goes on to present compelling examples of how economic and social values are shifting toward Sustainability Transformation in ways that are impacting businesses and organizations, including significant changes in regulatory and reporting frameworks.

Sustainability Transformation requires engagement with all of the stakeholders of a business or organization, including customers, employers, suppliers, and communities. Module 1 concludes with a discussion of the stakeholder mindset and the ways Sustainability Transformation needs to respond to stakeholder needs and to produce stakeholder value.

This video initiates the process through which you will be able to create a sustainable value lens for your organization.

Module 2 begins with an exercise for formulating your organization’s values, culture, and purpose in relation to Sustainable Transformation. Does your organization aspire to: climate leadership; being one of the best places to work; accomplishing social good; and/or supporting your local community?

The module goes on to assist you in mapping your stakeholders, including, employees, customers, suppliers, owners, investors, and related community organizations. The map will help you as you build support for your Sustainability Transformation initiatives.

Module 2 then enables you to develop a sustainable value lens, including impacts on planet, people, and profit, that you then can use to assess current and future actions, using the REV+ALL Sustainable Value Opportunity Assessment. You will assess buy-in, budget, capabilities needed, and stakeholder alignment to determine the best sustainable value opportunities

Module 3 presents an approach to sustainability change management. Naima McQueen introduces the module.

The Module offers a model which identifies 7 key strategies for success that can become stumbles if they are not pursued. Successful change management calls for:

1. Generating a sense of urgency.
2. Providing a compelling vision.
3. Building support before launching.
4. Choosing the best possible team(s) for implementation.
5. Removing key obstacles and rewarding right behavior.
6. Celebrating wins and accomplishment of short-term goals.
7. Promoting the story of successful Sustainability Transformation.

The Module then presents a Sustainability Transformation Roadmap for you to download and use in identifying, implementing, and tracking Sustainability Transformation Initiatives.

Waste is a big problem. The U.S. has 4% of the world’s population but produces 12% of the world’s waste – on average, 4.9 lbs. of waste per person per day.

Module 4 outlines the primary sources of waste, with food, yard trimmings, paper, plastic, and metals in the lead and then applies the sustainable value lens to identify ways to reduce waste and thereby produce cost savings, reduce environmental impact, and improve public image.

The Module applies the Waste Hierarchy – prevention, recycling, energy recovery, and disposal – to outline the steps for reducing waste in your business or organization.

The Module concludes with a Workbook exercise to assist you to complete a waste audit identifies waste reduction opportunities and then presents current trends in waste reduction.

Module 5 discusses the many benefits flowing from the transition to a clean energy future and goes on to present ways for your organization to benefit from this transition.

The Module describes the process of decarbonization taking place as energy grids transition to renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and hydro generation. Clean energy now provides significantly more jobs than the fossil fuel industry, with wages 25% higher than national averages and locations diversified into all but 2 of the nation’s 3,007 counties.

Commercial buildings and industrial uses account for approximately 42% of energy usage in the U.S. and approximately 30% of that energy is wasted.

Changing to more efficient energy technologies and conservation-oriented employee behavior on the job and at home can cut energy use by 10% to 30%, producing significant cost savings and many other benefits to organizations and society. The Module describes an Energy Practice Hierarchy for evaluating most effective strategies.

The Module outlines how to undertake a low/no cost energy behavior change campaign using the REV+ALL approach to change management to address lighting, heating/cooling, plug loads, and office equipment management. 

The Module offers a Workbook exercise to identify opportunities to save energy and money in your organization and concludes with a presentation of the benefits of demand reduction and the reciprocal relationship between energy and water conservation.

Module 6 explores how the Circular Economy, featuring reuse, refurbishing, and recycling, differs from the take, make, waste Linear Economy.

The Circular Economy is defined as a systematic approach to economic Development that is regenerative by design and aims to decouple growth from consumption of finite resources. It aims to keep products in use for as long as possible, maintaining value at the best possible level of quality by remanufacturing, reselling, or refurbishing.

Drivers of the Circular Economy include: expansion of waste, depletion of raw materials and natural resources, adverse effects on health and the environment from chemical and other forms of pollution, and stakeholder demand.

It is estimated that between 8% and 10% of the U.S. economy has embraced circularity. The Module describes how the principles of circularity can be applied in organizations to: reduce single use plastics; extend product life through repair and remanufacturing; apply new standards and tools; and respond to new policy initiatives.

The Module presents industry experts stating that ‘it is going to take 4 Earths to support our current levels of consumption’ and asking: ‘can we afford to ignore the value embedded in our waste?’ The Module concludes with a Workbook exercise for recognizing circular economy opportunities in your organization.

Employee health and wellness is an important aspect of Sustainability Transformation.

Increasingly, employees are looking for purpose driven work and a better work/life balance, with many workers rethinking where, how, and for whom they work, in order to make lifestyle choices that pursue a state of optimal health and well-being. Health and wellness involve physical, emotional, mental, social, environmental, and spiritual dimensions.

The Module describes studies showing that happy and healthy workers are more satisfied with their work lives and more productive. For every $1.00 invested in health and wellness programs, organizations receive back $1.50 to $3.00 back on average in lower health care costs and higher retention rates.

The pandemic has served to increase other types of employee stress that leads to burn out. The Module presents studies showing that employees want a positive organizational culture and strong relations with empathetic supervisors who provide positive feedback and express gratitude. The Module concludes with examples of workplace health and wellness initiatives and a Workbook exercise for identifying and implementing a set of organizational initiatives.

“Climate Equity means working for and implementing climate solutions that…place the needs and voices of the most affected front and center.”

Heat waves, air pollution, natural disasters, and toxic drinking water all disproportionately affect lower income, redlined, and Native American communities, leading to significantly higher rates of asthma and other health problems.

In addition to being the right path to follow, Climate Equity also makes good business sense because more than 8 in 10 consumers want the businesses they patronize to tackle climate change and social inequity. Likewise, investors increasingly want to invest in businesses that demonstrate a high level of performance in relation to environmental and social issues.

The Module provides a Workbook exercise to assist you and your organization to assess your location in relation to Climate Equity. Are you ‘climate curious,’ ‘climate committed,’ or ‘climate courageous?’

The Module concludes by aiding you to incorporate Climate Equity in your Sustainability Transformation Roadmap, offering suggestions that have worked with other organizations, including: 

• Instituting diversity, inclusion, and equity policies.
• Engaging the families of your employees in climate actions.
• Establishing incentives for employee climate engagement.
• Encouraging your banks and investment managers to divest from fossil fuels.
• Advocating that your suppliers not do business with major polluters.
• Buying locally produced products and services.
• Supporting climate change organizations and climate positive government policies.