The Environmental Law Institute® is pleased to announce the publication of a new book that explains how corporations, government agencies, colleges, non-profits, and other organizations can achieve true sustainability in their operations. The Sustainability Handbook: The Complete Management Guide to Achieving Social, Economic and Environmental Responsibility by William R. Blackburn provides a blueprint for how organizations of all sizes can reach or exceed economic, social, and environmental excellence. The 800-page handbook offers a wide variety of practical approaches and tools for structuring, planning, and executing sustainability initiatives. It includes:
- A model sustainability policy for organizations
- Strategies for “selling” the value of sustainability to management
- Summaries of sustainability codes and tips on selecting them
- Suggestions for dealing with stakeholders
- Collections of sample metrics
William Blackburn has worked in the area of corporate sustainability for several decades and is a popular lecturer on the topic. He successfully led sustainability initiatives within a major global corporation and continues to provide guidance on the topic to companies, universities, governments, standards bodies and non-profit firms around the world.
A sample of advance praise from leading practitioners from all sectors:
“By far the best book on sustainability I have read in the last ten years. The book is unique in that it goes well beyond making the business case for sustainability. It is filled with practical techniques, tips and tools to ‘operationalize’ these concepts into the plans, programs, and performance of any organization. Great advice for both the seasoned veteran and energetic newcomer on action steps for driving continuous improvement in an organization’s economic, social, and environmental performance.”
George Nagel
Senior Director, Environment, Health & Safety Strategies and Outreach
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
“Blackburn has produced an impressive and comprehensive work on sustainability and business practice. The book is deep and wide, and contains numerous insights into how corporate environmental and social responsibility is being internalized by many companies and can be profitable for many others. A real first in the literature.”
Dennis J. Aigner
Professor of Economics
Paul Merage School of Business
University of California, Irvine
Former Dean, Donald Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Bill Blackburn has accomplished a rare feat: he has crafted the perfect reference for both the academic and the executive. Readers are made critically aware of the importance of considering the ramifications of decisions that are not made with sustainability in mind. The Sustainability Handbook should be required reading for MBA students and seasoned executives.”
Allen White
Senior Fellow, Tellus Institute
Co-Founder and former CEO, Global Reporting Initiative
Co-Founder & Director, Corporation 20/20
The Sustainability Handbook is available for purchase on the ELI Web site.