Sustainable Program Management

Steps to Reduce Scope 3 Emissions 🌏 Addressing Scope 3 emissions is essential for businesses aiming to substantially reduce their environmental impact. Typically representing the most significant portion of a company's carbon footprint, these indirect emissions arise from activities not owned or directly controlled by the organization but are critical to its operations. The journey to minimizing Scope 3 emissions begins with a baseline assessment. This step involves establishing a thorough understanding of current greenhouse gas emissions, evaluating internal readiness, assessing the maturity of data systems, and delineating emissions categories within the supply chain. Following the initial assessment, the next phase is goal setting. Organizations must define specific emission reduction targets and establish performance metrics not only for internal functions but also for suppliers, fostering a collaborative approach to sustainability. Strategic planning is crucial. Companies need to develop detailed strategies that address each category of Scope 3 emissions. This involves engaging suppliers through targeted abatement strategies and ensuring these plans are robust and aligned with broader environmental goals. Initiative scoring involves assessing potential projects. Organizations must score initiatives against prioritization criteria, conduct Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) cost-benefit analyses, and perform risk assessments to prioritize actions that offer the most significant impact. The roadmap development phase helps in planning abatement strategies and developing a detailed implementation roadmap. Creating enabling toolkits for strategy execution ensures that the plans are actionable and grounded in practical steps. Execution preparation involves planning internal capabilities and developing communication strategies to ensure that the roadmap is implemented effectively. This step is about setting up the internal infrastructure to support the execution of emission reduction strategies. Initial and continuous actions include conducting kick-off sessions and beginning supplier engagement. Providing ongoing resources, education, and support ensures that suppliers are aligned and capable of meeting the set targets. Finally, performance monitoring is vital to track progress. Organizations should continuously monitor performance through data collection and scorecards, making necessary adjustments to strategies and initiating diverse approaches as needed. This image represents an oversimplification of the process; the reality is that the process is complex and has many underlying things to consider. This is just an example of a linear process to be considered. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climateaction #strategy #emissions #scope3

Are you keeping track of your company’s emissions in real-time? It might sound like a small step, but monitoring emissions continuously could be the shift we need for more sustainable industries. Imagine knowing every hour – or even every minute – exactly what’s going into the air, especially in fields like oil and gas, where methane leaks are a growing concern. The stakes are high, with increasing regulatory pressure worldwide and ambitious goals from global conferences like COP26. In this environment, knowing your emissions isn’t just good business; it’s essential. Continuous Emissions Monitoring (CEM) systems offer businesses real-time data about pollutants in the air, water, and even noise pollution. It’s no longer about random sampling or occasional checks; instead, CEM provides a steady, live feed of emissions data directly to the cloud, often powered by IoT. From methane to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and beyond, companies can see their environmental impact unfold in real time, offering a unique opportunity to act fast on unexpected trends or leaks. For instance, imagine an oil company that can catch a small methane leak early because of real-time monitoring, preventing it from turning into a costly – and environmentally damaging – problem. By having a clear picture of emissions data as it happens, companies can save time, meet regulatory expectations, and ultimately reduce their environmental footprint. Switching to continuous monitoring may seem challenging, especially for large or remote facilities. However, newer IoT solutions have brought down costs and increased accessibility, allowing even larger companies to deploy CEM across wide areas or multiple locations. Instead of using traditional detection methods that are often expensive and labour-intensive, businesses can adopt a system that’s more adaptable to their needs and budget. With emissions monitoring, we’re not just tracking data – we’re getting insight that drives better decisions, enhances accountability, and ultimately pushes us closer to a cleaner, more sustainable future. Is your organization ready to embrace that kind of visibility?

#blockchain | #carbonmarkets | #sustainability | #ESG : Integrating Satellite Imagery and Blockchain Technology for Enhanced Monitoring. Integrating blockchain technology to enhance environmental regulations and the carbon market can presents several key advantages: ● Enhanced Transparency: Blockchain's immutable ledger offers stakeholders unprecedented transparency throughout the carbon offset supply chain, reducing the risk of fraud or misinformation. ● Traceability and Accountability: By linking geolocation metadata to individual trees on the blockchain, stakeholders can verify the location and status of carbon offset projects, ensuring accountability and authenticity. ● Efficient Monitoring and Compliance: Blockchain enables efficient monitoring of compliance with environmental regulations and carbon market standards, mitigating the risk of non-compliance. ● Mitigation of Fraud and Double Counting: The immutable nature of blockchain prevents fraudulent activities such as double counting of carbon offsets or misrepresentation of projects, ensuring the integrity of carbon offset transactions. ● Dynamic Carbon Accounting: By linking CO2 absorption data to trees on the blockchain, stakeholders can dynamically adjust carbon accounting based on changes in forest conditions and prevent the issuance of invalid offsets. Combining Technologies for Enhanced Monitoring Satellite imagery for better environmental monitoring and law enforcement has been used for years, such as government monitoring systems that use satellite images to monitor deforestation-related crimes. The inclusion of blockchain technology in these efforts can now bring more accurate, transparent, and tamper-proof data. With satellite imagery providing real-time, high-resolution images of the land, allowing for detailed monitoring of environmental changes, the blockchain can ensure that the data collected from satellite imagery is stored in a decentralized and immutable ledger. This guarantees that the final information processed by satellite images cannot be altered or hidden in the event of an environmental crime. Another example is the ability to detect and report changes taking place in forested areas. Satellite imagery provides a continuous monitoring of vast areas in almost daily frequency to identify and monitor changes in the environment conditions, while #smartcontracts on the blockchain could implement these monitoring systems on the environment, where stakeholders can access deforestation alerts in smart contracts in real time and see any changes in the forest carbon stocks.

Lancet paper proposes a new framework to make school meals #planetfriendly Excerpts: "Regular provision of school meals improves school enrollment, attendance, and attainment, and lowers dropout rates, especially for girls, reduces socioeconomic disparities, and in low-income settings and households acts as a social safety net by reducing food insecurity and supporting family budgets." "Planet-friendly school meals, defined as programmes delivering equitable and healthy foods for children, produced in ways that do not pollute or overexploit natural resources and protect biodiversity, are a platform to tackle some of the food system challenges." Combined with holistic food education, planet-friendly and nutritious school meals can foster healthier and more sustainable food practices. "...the framework highlights four components needed to facilitate planet-friendly school meals: healthy and sustainable menus, clean energy for cooking, reduced food waste, and action-oriented and holistic food education."

Decarbonisation in EPC Projects and Role of Project Controls In the EPC capital projects’ space, remarkable work is being done in the industry for decarbonisation of the facility operations and manufacturing of products. However, a key part of achieving project excellence is also to work towards controlling the emissions during; 1)  The EPC project execution and construction phase. 2)  The emission embedded in the manufacturing of the project materials. This post is about point 1) If the EPC cycle is broken down further, various studies reveal the following contribution of emissions in each phase: Design, Engineering and Management – 1% Manufacturing / Fabrication – 84% Transportation /Logistics – 5% Installation / Erection – 5% Even though Design & Engineering is about 1%, it influences the other 99% Some measures which can be implemented are; 1)  Design Considerations: Optimising the facility footprint, avoiding over-specifications, increased usage of scrap materials and recyclable materials, Reducing construction material wastage by using circular economy techniques.   2)  Execution Methodology:  Employing electrified construction machinery. Reduce on-site fabrication and increase modularisation. Proper Planning and sequencing of assembly & erection. Improved scheduling to avoid idling of machinery and resources. Implement AWP (Advanced Work package) system. Include decarbonisation requirements during Constructibility reviews and Model reviews. Optimise construction resources – Water, power, fuel and site facilities.   3)  Logistics Considerations : Efficient project planning to avoid air freight of critical project equipment. Optimise material handling, storage and preservation. Detailed planning and collaboration with vendors, logistics team, contractors and suppliers   4)  Digital solutions : Carbon Measuring and monitoring tools to track EPC project impacts across multiple sites. Embedded carbon calculator in construction and installation. AI Simulations to model and optimise emissions during engineering phase.   5)  Cooperation of all Project Stakeholders : Decarbonisation in EPC projects cannot be achieved successfully without the full support and involvement of Owner operators, Main Contractors, Consultant, Subcontractors, OEM, and Suppliers. How can Project Controls contribute to the above scenario? As PC folks are responsible for integrating, monitoring and reporting the Project parameters, we can actively play a key role. Some Examples : - Involve in the creation of a Carbon Index KPI for Construction, alongside the other KPI’s such as SPI and CPI. Tracking and Reporting the KPI. - Support in updating the Project execution strategies and workflows to align with decarbonisation objectives. - Support the Strategy department in deploying initiatives across projects and aligning contractors and vendors What else would you add? Do share your thoughts on this topic... #projectcontrols #decarbonisation

When I was entrusted with the Woolworth Building at 27 by Facade Maintenance Design Engineering. I understood the gravity of what that meant. To be responsible for a national landmark is to hold a piece of history in your hands but I also saw an opportunity to shape its future. I began to imagine this building not just as a masterpiece of its time, but as a template for how our historic buildings can adapt to a changing climate. The Woolworth Building, completed in 1913, has lived through every era of New York’s evolution. Now, in a new century defined by carbon, heat, and resilience, its restoration has become a template for how climate, architecture, and people can work in synergy. This restoration is climate engineering which is a process measured through data, chemistry, and the intelligence of materials themselves. On this national landmark, I am employing a framework of Carbon and Energy Strategies that reimagine preservation as both a scientific and a human act. Carbon Strategies 1. Carbon Kept - Preserving the embodied energy already held within historic materials. 2. Carbon Saved - Avoiding emissions by repairing instead of replacing. 3. Carbon Absorbed - Using lime-based materials that naturally reabsorb carbon dioxide over time. 4. Carbon Deferred - Extending the life of materials and postponing future emissions. Energy Strategies 1. Thermodynamic Conservation - Stabilizing temperature and storing energy within the building’s mass. 2. Environmental Equilibrium - Allowing the structure to breathe, balancing heat and moisture through natural exchange. 3. Optical Performance - Restoring reflective finishes to reduce solar absorption and mitigate urban heat gain. 4. Lifecycle Efficiency - Extending lifespan to reduce both embodied and operational energy across generations. These strategies work together to turn the Woolworth Building into more than a restoration; they transform it into a climate instrument, alive within its environment and responsive to light, air, and time. What makes this precedent powerful is that it proves something profoundly hopeful: that our past architecture can lead our future. If a 112-year-old national landmark can adapt without losing its soul, then every building can. The Woolworth Building is not being restored to what it was; it is being recalibrated for what it must become. #ny #sustainability #preservation #newyorkcity #buildingperformance The New York Times The Wall Street Journal Architectural Digest The American Institute of Architects (AIA) The New Yorker Dezeen Architects’ Journal The Architectural Review Spitzer School of Architecture Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation Harvard University Graduate School of Design Yale University Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning Pratt Institute School of Architecture AIA New York | Center for Architecture National Trust for Historic Preservation The Durst Organization

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. 𝐖𝐡𝐲? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬. The biggest mistake? Focusing on efficiency instead of effectiveness. A well-oiled machine is useless if it's moving in the wrong direction. Many executives believe operational excellence is about doing things faster and cheaper. They implement Lean, Six Sigma, and automation – but results are inconsistent, burnout rises, and teams feel disconnected. 𝐖𝐡𝐲? 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞: ✅ They optimize tasks, not outcomes ✅ They push efficiency, but lack alignment ✅ They focus on short-term wins, ignoring sustainable impact 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐱: 1⃣ Start with a Clear Vision – Align teams on strategic goals before optimizing processes. 2⃣ Drive Shared Consciousness – Break silos and encourage collaboration. 3⃣ Measure What Matters – Focus on long-term impact, not just quick fixes. 4⃣ Empower People, Not Just Processes – Equip teams to think critically and drive change. 5⃣ Sustain the Change – Make operational excellence a continuous journey, not a one-time project. Is your organization truly set up for sustainable operational excellence? Let’s discuss how to turn strategy into real results. #OperationalExcellence #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessGrowth

Managing Operational Excellence – A Sustainable Path to Growth. Operational excellence is not an industry buzzword and is much more than optimizing processes.  It's about building sustainable and resilient operations that drive long-term business success. It ensures that businesses maximize efficiency, reduce waste, enhance customer satisfaction, and stay competitive in an ever-changing market. It takes into account the entire process and procedures required for the efficiency of the business. What Does Sustainable Operational Excellence Look Like? For operational excellence to be truly sustainable, organizations must focus on four core pillars: 1️⃣ Process Optimization & Efficiency * Streamlining workflows to reduce bottlenecks and eliminate redundancies. * Implementing lean methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma, Kaizen) to ensure continuous improvement. * Leveraging automation and technology to improve speed and accuracy. 🔹 KPIs to Measure:
 ✔ Process cycle time
✔ Cost savings from process improvements
✔ Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
✔ First-pass yield (quality metrics) 2️⃣ Agility & Innovation * Encouraging a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement. * Utilizing data-driven decision-making to stay ahead of market trends. * Implementing scalable solutions that allow flexibility in operations. 🔹 KPIs to Measure:
 ✔ Time-to-market for new initiatives
✔ Number of process improvements implemented
✔ Speed of adaptation to market changes 3️⃣ People & Leadership * Fostering a culture of accountability and empowerment. * Investing in training and upskilling employees for sustained performance. * Ensuring leadership drives alignment between strategy and execution. 🔹 KPIs to Measure:
 ✔ Employee engagement and retention rates
✔ Training hours per employee
✔ Leadership effectiveness scores 4️⃣ Customer-Centric Operations * Keeping customer satisfaction at the core of operational strategies. * Using customer feedback to refine processes and enhance service delivery. * Ensuring end-to-end visibility and accountability in the supply chain. 🔹 KPIs to Measure:
 ✔ Net Promoter Score (NPS)
✔ Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT)
✔ Customer churn rate What to Look Out for as Indicators of Success? ✔ Sustained cost reductions without compromising quality.
✔ Faster execution of processes leading to increased productivity.
✔ Higher employee engagement and reduced turnover.
✔ Stronger customer loyalty and increased retention.
✔ Ability to scale operations. Final Thoughts Sustainable operational excellence isn’t a one-time initiative, it’s a mindset and a continuous journey. Organizations that prioritize efficiency, agility, people, and customer focus will not only survive but thrive in competitive markets. What strategies have helped you drive operational excellence in your organization? Let’s discuss this in the comments! #OperationalExcellence #Sustainability #BusinessStrategy #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership

Packaging accounts for 140M+ tons of waste each year. Here are actionable strategies my team has explored with clients to optimize packaging and save costs: First, we start with a Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) to identify the environmental hotspots and the most relevant actions to take. That analysis may lead us to many of the actions below. 1. Reduce Material Usage • Lightweight Materials: Use thinner and lighter materials that still provide adequate protection. • Minimal Packaging: Evaluate packaging design to eliminate unnecessary layers and excess space. 2. Use Sustainable Materials • Recycled Content: Opt for materials that are made from post-consumer or post-industrial recycled content. • Compostable/Biodegradable Options: Use materials like paper, cornstarch, or bioplastics that decompose naturally. • Renewable Resources: Incorporate plant-based materials like bamboo or hemp. 3. Design for Reuse and Recycling • Single-Material Packaging: Avoid mixing materials (e.g., plastic and metal) to make recycling easier. • Clear Labels: Mark packaging with recycling symbols and instructions to guide consumers. 4. Adopt Circular Economy Principles • Take-Back Programs: Offer incentives for customers to return used packaging for reuse or recycling. • Closed-Loop Systems: Work with suppliers to reclaim and reuse packaging. 5. Choose Responsible Suppliers • Source materials from suppliers that practice sustainable harvesting and manufacturing processes. • Ask suppliers to supply carbon and waste data associated with the packaging they provide. 6. Monitor and Adapt • Conduct Audits: Regularly analyze the environmental impact of your packaging. • Gather Feedback: Engage customers for suggestions on improving packaging. • Stay Updated: Keep abreast of advancements in sustainable packaging materials and technologies. https://lnkd.in/gTbkH_HM

5 Simple ways to bring sustainable food practices to your senior living community. 1. Source locally, dining seasonally 👉Locally sourced food means fresher, more nutritious meals that taste better. Plus, it reduces transportation costs and carbon footprints while supporting local farmers. 👉Build partnerships with nearby farms to create rotating seasonal menus that cater to residents' health needs and preferences. 2. Create community gardens and greenhouses 👉Gardening helps foster physical activity, a sense of purpose, and social connection. 👉Start small by introducing garden beds or vertical gardens. Encourage residents to get involved, and use the produce for meals or to share with the community. 3. Implement waste reduction strategies 👉Reducing food waste not only helps the environment but also creates a more sustainable and efficient dining operation. 👉Use portion control, plan meals carefully, and compost food scraps. Consider donating excess food to local organizations. 4. Offer organic and plant-based options 👉Organic and plant-based meals are better for the environment and help reduce health risks associated with pesticides and processed foods. 👉Add organic and plant-based choices to your daily menu. Start with one or two options and expand based on residents' feedback. 5. Empower residents through educational programs 👉Knowledge is power. By teaching residents and staff about sustainable food, you’re fostering a culture of responsibility and mindfulness. 👉Offer workshops on topics like gardening, composting, or the benefits of eating local and organic food. Encourage residents to get involved in food-related activities. When you embrace sustainable food practices, you're not just serving meals, you’re serving a purpose. You’re creating a community that nurtures the body, mind, and environment. And most importantly, you’re empowering seniors to live healthier, more engaged lives. What sustainable food practice would you start first in your community?