“When it comes to sustainability and my business, where do I even begin?” We get this question more often than you’d think.

It’s not the money you’re spending; it’s the impact you’re choosing.

Regardless of if you're publicly-traded or privately-held, domestic or international, consumer-facing or insulated by a large supply chain, here are a few reasons you might want to report your GHG emissions. 

Responding to the CDP shows investors, consumers, and competitors that you’re taking corporate action with climate change. 

2022 marked the most significant year of growth in Foresight’s history. It was exciting, it was exhausting, it was rewarding, it was painful, and it was worthwhile.

Every Friday morning, we have an all-team meeting that includes 15 mins of learning. "Learning" is a broad term that applies to personal topics of interest, local nonprofits telling us about their work, new sustainability start-ups, and Ted Talks we thought people might enjoy.

Every organization, regardless of industry or size, uses energy in one form or another. For decades, utility invoices were another bill to be paid and forgotten about, but as markets shift and evolve, energy consumption is becoming a vital metric to understand and track. We outline 4 reasons your organization should consider adopting an Energy Management System (EMS). Before we discuss that, though, what is an EMS?

Last month I had the opportunity to attend Fast Company's Innovation Festival in New York City. Over three days, I attended various panels, events, and interviews all focused on a specific dimension of business innovation. While it is fun to imagine tomorrow's great advancements, I left the festival focused more on today since that is – after all – where it all begins!

Maybe you've heard someone say, “we vote with our dollars.” The basic idea is this: we are told that - to be sustainable consumers - we should buy plant-based products that are compostable or recyclable where we live (insert any number of sustainable marketing terms here). It puts the onus on each person to use their purchasing power to drive climate change, one compostable product at a time.

We believe in the power of transparency to drive change. When companies are open, honest, and accurate about their ESG efforts, stakeholders can engage in improvement on all levels. Certifications and standards provide unifying frameworks for reporting these efforts, building accountability and consistency in the marketplace.

At Foresight, we love the adage, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Without actual data, you can’t make strategic decisions for the good of your company - and others agree. While there are a host of reporting frameworks for companies, the CDP is one of the most comprehensive frameworks with unique benefits. Because of its layered scoring structure, though, it can be challenging to get a “good score.” Here’s a look at how it works.

Architects work at the inflection point between investors and users or - more candidly put - between people and power. Enlisted to create spaces from voids, architects are quite literally shaping the future of communities. The adage holds, ”with great authority comes great responsibility”. Historically, dollars have driven the development of neighborhoods and cities.

On March 21, 2022, the SEC passed a rule called “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors” by a 3-1 vote. If you are looking for some good sleeping material, the 490-page document can be found here. This rule could have significant implications for companies listed on the stock market.

It’s not surprising that one of the most significant issues facing our world is energy security. As the turbulent global political climate continues to affect energy assurances, finding ways to guarantee consistent energy at an affordable price and in an environmentally conscious manner is at the forefront of many change-makers.

No matter where your company is in its sustainability journey, there has never been a better time to get a handle on your carbon emissions. Whether you’re stepping into this space for the first time or want to continue leading the pack, below is a decision tree to help advance your path forward.

As a learning-focused company with a culture of curiosity and human flourishing, Foresight Management has historically sought to build teams with diverse skillsets. The office halls are lined with information about each employee, ranging from their top 5 Clifton-Strengths and Enneagram numbers to their worst fears and favorite condiments. Foresight clearly focuses on celebrating our differences and providing varied support and opportunities for each person’s unique skillsets.

Bryan Newland, a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community (Ojibwe) in northern Michigan, stood up in front of a room full of mostly white men and said unapologetically, “the values, ethics, and wisdom you need to address climate change are alive and well within indigenous communities all across the country”. He went on to say, “We may not have a lot of advanced degrees (although some of us certainly do), but we know things”.

As a result of COVID increasing our attention towards global health, we've heard a lot about improving Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), despite not having new standards and little new technology for IEQ. At a recent ASHRAE conference, I listened to a keynote presentation in which the presenter said, “If we just maintained our buildings as they should be maintained, we'd see a dramatic improvement in IEQ.”

If you think of the major news stories of the past two years, some that come to mind include The Great Resignation, supply chain problems, chaotic energy prices, and genuine push for companies to be sustainable. Despite these stories being seemingly unrelated, there is a theme across all of them: Conscious Capitalism.