Sustainability Concepts and Tools for Responsible Decision-Making: An Introduction for the EHS Professional Webinar Recording
Earn 1.5 Contact Hours
More and more, EHS Professionals are taking on a direct or supporting role in developing or enhancing their organization’s Sustainability Program, whether limited to defining environmentally responsible practices or on a larger scale that includes social and governance components, supply chain assessment, and product end-of-life impacts. As the breadth and complexity of sustainability programs continue to expand, so have the concepts and available tools that help shape and guide associated strategies and decisions. This webinar is intended to introduce the audience to some of the key thought processes and mechanisms that will aid responsible individuals in making decisions that are supportive of their organization’s vision and goals around sustainability. The webinar will utilize the product life cycle approach to highlight key considerations and opportunities for practitioners to reference in the selection of materials, goods, and services pertinent to their business, including:
- A summary of the various environmental, social, and governance aspects to consider in developing and implementing sustainability programs
- Where these elements fall within the product life cycle
- An overview of concepts and tools for making sound business decisions within a Sustainability Program framework, such as materiality assessment, supply chain auditing/evaluation, carbon footprint calculations, and embodied water calculations.
The session will be interactive, inviting participants to provide input on their Program’s status, the key issues and challenges they face in progressing their Program, and polling on future topics that will help their organization achieve Sustainability Program goals and objectives.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- Describe the breadth of elements within comprehensive environmental, social, and governance (sustainability) programs
- Explain how the EHS practitioner can contribute to or initiate overall program development within his/her organization
- Identify value chain/life cycle stages (extraction, manufacturing, delivery, use, and end-of-life) associated with materials and services used by the organization and the relationship between these stages and the various aspects of ESG programs
- Utilize the tools and concepts to define the scope of an organization’s ESG Program.
Presenters
Mary O’Reilly has over 35 years of environmental and occupational health experience in academia, government and industry. She started her post-doctoral career evaluating viral chemical co-carcinogenicity, moved on to environmental toxicology at Syracuse Research Corporation, industrial hygiene at the New York State Department of Labor and Cranesville Block Company, and environmental stewardship at the New York State Department of Transportation. She currently is an ergonomics consultant at ARLS Consultants, Inc. and an adjunct professor where she teaches sustainability in the business program at SUNY Empire College and environmental health in the MPH Program at Upstate Medical Center. She also serves on the board of Workplace Health Without Borders and is the president of the US chapter. She is the 2016 recipient of the AIHA Alice Hamilton Award. Mary holds a doctorate in Human Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Michigan. She is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Professional Ergonomist.
Bob Deist has over 30 years of EHS program management experience across a variety of industrial applications. He started his career as an EHS consultant with ERM, Inc., providing technical and management system development services to a range of clients in the manufacturing, chemical and energy sectors. He has since directed EHS programs at QVC, Inc., ESAB Welding, and Cutting Products, and most recently at Lake Region Medical. Bob has held a leadership role in ESG program development and implementation since 2009. Bob holds a B.S. degree in Earth Science from Penn State University. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Environmental, Health and Safety Trainer.
Questions? Contact [email protected].