In a world where we are quick to avoid information lest we drown in it, sustainability ratings are one way for consumers, businesses, and non-profits to gauge anything from the
sustainability metrics behind a kitchen gadget to a sprawling factory that is part of a
supply chain several continents away (
as in a place like Guangzhou, China, pictured). They can also raise awareness of corporate social responsibility (
CSR) throughout the marketplace.
The surge in sustainability ratings on one hand is welcome. We all have limited time and we want to make informed decisions. But the bevy of ratings also is confusing to all of us, and savvy companies can manipulate or twist the messages to appear to “do good” while actually in the least do worse or in extreme situations, do harm.
In my view, these sustainability ratings are too frequently less about making a difference or providing unbiased information. Unfortunately, they are often about promoting an organization’s agenda, brand, or paying folks to attend conferences where they backslap and congratulate each other, but do little of substance.
To that end,
Marcy Murninghan discusses the launch of the Global Initiative For Sustainability Ratings (
GISR), a joint effort of the Tellus Institute and Ceres. As the wise professor
points out:
Like the proliferation of Hollywood award shows, market saturation of sustainability ratings fosters confusion, contradiction, and concealment—even burnout over “too much information”, both for reporting companies and those expected to absorb the information generated.
GISR should bring some
sanity to a movement that is well intentioned but currently too chaotic.
As always, you should peruse through the rest of the
Murninghan Post.
About The Author
Leon Kaye
Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division,
GGP Media.
Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event.
His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
He writes for San Francisco-based
Triple Pundit,
Inhabitat and now
The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's
Architect Magazine.
Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.
In a world where we are quick to avoid information lest we drown in it, sustainability ratings are one way for consumers, businesses, and non-profits to gauge anything from the sustainability metrics behind a kitchen gadget to a sprawling factory that is part of a supply chain several continents away (as in a place like Guangzhou, China, pictured). They can also raise awareness of corporate social responsibility (CSR) throughout the marketplace.
The surge in sustainability ratings on one hand is welcome. We all have limited time and we want to make informed decisions. But the bevy of ratings also is confusing to all of us, and savvy companies can manipulate or twist the messages to appear to “do good” while actually in the least do worse or in extreme situations, do harm.
In my view, these sustainability ratings are too frequently less about making a difference or providing unbiased information. Unfortunately, they are often about promoting an organization’s agenda, brand, or paying folks to attend conferences where they backslap and congratulate each other, but do little of substance.
To that end, Marcy Murninghan discusses the launch of the Global Initiative For Sustainability Ratings (GISR), a joint effort of the Tellus Institute and Ceres. As the wise professor points out:
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