In Good Company: Vault's CSR Blog

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Green Initiatives in the Workplace: Vault's Guide to Green Programs Released!

Vault.com's Green Initiatives in the Workplace Survey was launched last year to begin discussing environmental initiatives in place at companies and to gauge the level of awareness. However, the downturn was beginning to dawn on everyone and companies were much busier keeping their profit margins high. While we had many companies discuss their strategies, for the most part, 2008 was the "We Don't Care Enough" year.

2009 changed all that though. Along with President Obama's Recovery Act that promised billions in stimulus dollars to the creation of green jobs, clean technologies and energy efficiency projects, the downturn has forced companies to reconstruct their responsibility stage and re-strategize on how to jump into the green game. Recognition of a necessary climate change bill is increasing and media is starting to do its bit to educate everyone. Some of the large corporations are taking their infant steps toward creating annual CSR reports and setting up employee teams to discuss how to make their operations more sustainable.

Amid all this, the ruckus of layoffs and a distinct recognition that if we are to save our environment, corporate America will have to lead, Vault.com presents its Green Initiatives in the Workplace Survey Results 2009. With over a 100 companies participating this year, it is clear that acknowledgment of work to be done is on the rise and the executive suite is starting to see greening their workplace as a necessity more than fulfilling a requirement.

Some of the interesting findings include:

• Since 1990, Walt Disney World Resort’s water conservation initiatives have enabled net aquifer withdrawals to remain at the same level as 22 years ago.
• 100% of Pepsi Bottling Company’s U.S. electricity needs are offset through the purchase of renewable energy credits.
• Intel Corporation tied a portion of each employee’s variable compensation to the achievement of corporate-wide sustainability goals.
• In 2008, General Electric invested more than $1.4 billion in cleaner technologies, up from $750 million in 2005.
• Seventh Generation employees can be reimbursed for up to $500 per year for home initiatives to reduce their personal carbon footprint and are eligible for up to three $5,000 loans for longer term carbon footprints reduction efforts.

The survey also shows some interesting trends with 94.5% of those questioned practice waste reduction programs while 92.7% take part in energy conservation endeavors. In addition, 61.8% of those surveyed have environmental teams comprised of employees that are accountable for meeting green-related goals, and 69.8% answered that they consciously prefer to do business with suppliers or third-party vendors that are eco-friendly.

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword. Copenhagen notwithstanding, it is these measures by corporate America and the need for new environmental careers that can ultimately lead change across the country. These 110 companies have taken the lead in their industries by taking the initiative to discuss their efforts in becoming sustainable and serve as inspirations for other companies to follow. To download the 2010 edition of the Vault's Guide to Green Programs, click here.

Today's Green Jobs in Your Area

Here is a sampling of today's green jobs in your area. Today, research director, director of marketing, web development and marketing specialist, and project development associate topped the lists, all roles that build on your collective professional skills. Proof once again that sustainability can fit every professional background! All you need is the willingness and an active interest the sustainability field. Click on the respective position to learn more about the job(s) and the employer(s).

Director, Research—Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Washington, DC
Maintain cutting-edge understanding of existing research on active transportation and identify leveraged opportunities to catalyze or conduct new research that will fill priority information gaps relative to RTC's mission; Support the National Transportation Enhancements Clearinghouse, a program sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and RTC, which tracks spending patterns under the nation's top source of funding for trail, bicycle and pedestrian projects. Candidates should have a Master’s degree and at least three years relevant experience.

Director of Marketing, Green—Zep Inc
Atlanta, GA
Manage the brand strategy for the Zep Inc green chemical and products portfolio; Develop and launch segment specific go-to-market strategies for the I&I customer segments of Industrial / Manufacturing, Food Processing, Vehicle Wash, Contract Services (BSC), Education, Government, Healthcare, Retail and Hospitality segments. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and at least eight years experience.

Web Development & Marketing Specialist—Carbonfund.org
Silver Spring, MD
Developing and implementing new site features, such as for transactions and site performance; Monitoring, recommending and making site improvements to meet visitor & conversion targets; Optimizing site and meta tags for search engines. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and experience in web design/web development and graphic design.

Project Development Associate—Fotowatio Renewable Ventures
Bakersfield, CA; San Francisco, CA
Project site screening, identification, and acquisition, including contacting and working with landowners and real estate brokers; Developing a strong understanding of relevant zoning and planning codes and ordinances and working with county and state permitting officials to obtain necessary land entitlements and permits to operate solar facilities. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and one to two years of experience in real estate development.

What Does a Green Job Really Involve? Find Out With Vault's Guide to Environmental Careers

In conjunction with our Green Initiatives in the Workplace Survey Results, Vault also released the Vault Guide to Environmental Careers today. Why? Because if you are constantly surrounded by news about green jobs, their increasing potential and the promise of a stable career for a long time to come, you might want to know what these jobs exactly involve. We figured, if its all in place, it makes a better reading, a quicker grasp and a comprehensive understanding of whether it is right for you and what aspect of environmental and green initiatives you might want to pursue.

Some of the highlights of this e-book include:

• Information on the $4.3 billion set aside for smart grid technology, as part of the Economic Stimulus Package and the $7.22 billion in projects and programs managed by the Environmental Protection Agency that makes up a fraction of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
• An in-depth examination of the different environmental organizations, from government to the non-profit and private sectors, and the roles they play in the environment. The section includes information on what companies do within each industry, websites that might be helpful in a job search and the types of jobs that have been available.
• A breakdown of what environmentalists do on a daily basis, offering a brief glimpse of the varying fields job seekers have to choose from.
• An extensive list of environmental jobs to choose from, including information on each position, websites that offer these environmental jobs and in some cases an informative look into what the future might hold for a particular environmental jobs (i.e., the need for hydrologists is that is expected to grow in the next decade, in response to the environmental goals of the Recovery Act of 2009).
• A rare glimpse into the day in the life of various environmental workers including the schedules of a policy analyst at the EPA, an ecology professor, a national park ranger and a regional planner at a nonprofit.
• The guide also offers tips on laying the groundwork for a future job in the environment and succeeding in the hiring process, complete with examples of resumes and cover letters.

Click here to download it in PDF.

Do We Really Need Another Study? Ceres Certainly Thinks So!

Another study, this time attempted by the research teams at the University of California-Berkeley, Yale and Illinois, predicts that a "robust climate change bill" can mean boosting our GDP by $111 billion by 2020. And if action to roll out emission cap-and-trade schemes and adopting green technologies is accelerated, this could lead to as many as between 918,000 to 1.9 million U.S. jobs.

Also angling for the consumer, the study also reveals that average household income stands to grow by between $488 and $1,176 annually as a direct result of the bill. The study was commissioned by Ceres, which is a group of green investors.

Tellingly, though, the predictions rest on some conditions that are a while from being met including requiring all US utility companies to generate at least 20 percent of electricity through renewable resources by 2020. Let's also not forget the accelerated rate of investment this will require in clean technologies. While GE has taken the lead in this, the goal is far from realization.

Of course if investors were willing, our unemployment rate would be much lower today, wouldn't it? Oh well, here's to more research studies and positive predictions. If only ...

Today's Green Jobs in Your Area

Here is a sampling of today's green jobs in your area. Today, program associate, communications associate, sustainability initiatives manager, and logistics coordinator topped the lists, all roles that build on your collective professional skills. Proof once again that sustainability can fit every professional background! All you need is the willingness and an active interest the sustainability field. Click on the respective position to learn more about the job(s) and the employer(s).

Program Associate—Second Nature
Boston, MA
The Program Associate will serve as the primary point of contact for colleges and universities that have signed the ACUPCC and provide administrative and technical assistance to these schools related to reporting requirements, greenhouse gas inventories, and climate action planning. Candidates should have a Master’s degree and at least three years experience.

Communications Associate—Greenbelt Alliance
San Francisco, CA
Edit and design content for Greenbelt Alliance’s email newsletters and targeted email campaigns; Help write for the Grow Smart Bay Area blog, and post on Facebook, twitter, and other social media; Work with field staff to send targeted email messages about campaigns and outings. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree and one to two years experience in online communications.

Manager, Sustainability Initiatives—Port Authority of New York & NJ
New York, NY
Manage Current Sustainability Initiatives, including ongoing project evaluation to identify quality projects; Credits and launch public website and calculator; Evaluate new EPA carbon regulations -  impacts on PA and reporting requirements. Candidate should have a Bachelor’s degree and at least four years experience in sustainable operations and green building.

Logistics Coordinator—Southwest Conservation Corp
Tucson, AZ
Primary responsibility is to manage logistics between the crews and the office and ensuring that tools, vehicles, and gear are in good working order so that the quality of fee-for-service programs is not compromised. Candidates should have experience with a conservation/youth corps or trail program  and experience working with young adults.

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