By Kyle Whitaker

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) hosted its third annual sustainability conference on Tuesday, June 16. Leaders from around the Nutmeg State—and beyond—convened in Hartford to discuss best-in-class sustainability initiatives and to assess how “green” practices are faring in these difficult economic times.

Here are two observations worth considering. First, interest in sustainability is alive and well in Connecticut, which I believe is good news for us all. Second, we still have a long way to go in terms of building dialogue around sustainability in our state.

Let me start with the good news first. Connecticut businesses—both small and large—seem to agree: despite the recession, sustainability remains a priority, if not a business imperative.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the CBIA’s 2009 Sustainability and Connecticut Business Survey, which features input from more than 380 local businesses—most of them small- and medium-sized. According to CBIA’s Pete Gioia and Jason Giulietti, who presented the results to a near-capacity crowd, business’ interest in sustainability has risen over the last three years. Of note, 73 percent of respondents engage in green/sustainable practices as of 2009, compared with 59 percent in 2008 and 47 percent in 2007. Furthermore, 70 percent responded that the recession has had no effect on their business or made green business practices a higher priority this year. Very encouraging, don’t you think?

Not to be outdone, several of Connecticut’s largest employers also demonstrated their commitments to sustainability. Among Tuesday’s presenters was Xerox’s Kevin Hamilton, Vice President of Tri-State Operations, who spoke with personal conviction about reducing the amount of waste associated with printing and related equipment. Mr. Hamilton encouraged attendees to “go digital” and print less whenever possible.  While this approach might seem counterintuitive to selling printers and copiers, it inspires trust and loyalty in the company that hopefully will keep customers returning time and again.

What I found most impressive about Mr. Hamilton’s presentation, however, was his willingness to engage with and relate to the audience. He simply went the extra mile—thanking the audience for their business, stressing Xerox’s commitment to help customers find the most efficient and sustainable solutions on an individual basis, and encouraging attendees to challenge the company to become even more sustainable. To my mind, this notion of dialogue and transparency is critical to sustainability. And it brings me to my second point.

We, as business leaders committed to sustainability, must continue to build the dialogue around sustainability within our state. This is not a “nice-to-have” but a critical responsibility, if Connecticut businesses are to flourish in the next 10 to 20 years.

With whom should we be engaging? Our younger employees and recent graduates would be a great place to start. Statistics already show that, since 2000, Connecticut is losing 25- to 34-year old residents faster than any other state in the union (source). Let me add that this demographic seemed conspicuously absent from Tuesday’s event.

This observation—if correct—does not bode well for Connecticut businesses, but we can reverse the trend. As many of you know, sustainability is a valuable recruiting and retention tool. A 2008 survey found that 49 percent of MBA students rated social responsibility as either “extremely important” or “very important” to choosing their job (source). So, please seize this opportunity and use sustainability to lure more young people back to the state.

How can we improve our level of engagement? Baby steps. For starters, I want to challenge those of you who attended Tuesday’s event to take that experience and knowledge back to your places of work. Find new ways to emulate successful “green” practices and incorporate sustainability further into your business. Second, send some of your junior employees to the next sustainability conference that CBIA hosts. You might be pleasantly surprised by what they take away from the experience. And third, get involved in sustainability conversations outside of your 9-5 jobs. Groups like the CT Emerging Green Builders and Net Impact, which recently launched a professional chapter in the New Haven area, are helping to bridge the divide between Connecticut businesses and young professionals who are interested in sustainability.

In sum, the possibilities to dialogue and engagement are endless. The question is: how can you do your part?
Kyle Whitaker is a Principal at Framework:CR, a sustainability strategy and communications consultancy based in Wilton, Connecticut. In addition to his core consulting work, Kyle oversees the firm’s strategic research and product development efforts and writes frequently for Ethical Corporation magazine. Prior to joining Framework:CR, Kyle worked for Innovest Strategic Value Advisors in New York City. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Wake Forest University.

Filed under: Corporate Responsibility, Energy, Green Business, Green Manufacturing, Green Technology