Ithaca College

On Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 7:00pm, in Room 104 in the Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise at Ithaca College, Chris Carmody, executive director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, will present “Green Tsunami: How Businesses Can Save Themselves (& Might Save the Planet).”  This presentation in the Business Sustainability Speaker Series is co-sponsored by the Sustainability Initiative at Ithaca College, the School of Business at Ithaca College, the Ithaca College chapter of Net Impact, and the Sustainable Enterprise & Entrepreneur Network (SEEN).  This event is free and open to the public. This presentation is eligible for Student Leadership Institute (SLI) attendance credit.

Chris Carmody’s passion is helping communities utilize the intersection of high impact philanthropy, higher education, and sustainability as catalysts for economic growth. Chris serves as Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, a consortium of universities, foundations, and chambers of commerce that helps America's smaller employers and their communities become more competitive through sustainable business practices. The Institute partners with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) and the Business Civic Leadership Center to offer sustainability expertise throughout the United States.

Chris will talk about the ‘value proposition’ for a business or non-profit organization to undergo an objective, rigorous, third-party sustainability performance audit and certification program. What is the “return on investment” for achieving such a “green” certification? Do customers and clients really care how “green” a business is? What are the important organizational “key performance indicators” that that such sustainability certification systems seek to measure? Why is it good for an organization to scrutinize how well they are achieving a “triple bottom line”? How are 'private regulation' and 'green’ supply chain requirements by large companies transforming business and the environment, and putting pressure on small businesses to change or disappear.  

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Marian Brown at mbrown@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3787. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.

The following day, April 10th, at noon, the Sustainable Enterprise & Entrepreneur Network (SEEN) will host a luncheon discussion for interested local businesses and organizations titled “Become More Competitive by Becoming More Sustainable”.  Chris will go into more depth on these same questions and concerns; attendees will learn how the ISD’s Green Plus certification program may be able to assist their efforts to become more sustainable. Register for that event.

Learn more about the Institute for Sustainable Development
Learn more about the Green Plus Certification program