Blog
2018 Sustainability Goals and Trends
In the wake of the US federal government pulling out of the Paris Treaty on Climate Change, cutting the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and reducing national park land, some might wonder what 2018 sustainability trends might look like. However, new entities have emerged to lead the fight to reduce climate change and champion sustainability. We saw more than 2,500 businesses, local governments, colleges and universities, tribal leaders, and faith-based organizations step forward and sign the We Are Still In pledge, committing to tackle climate change, ensure a clean energy future, and uphold the Paris Agreement with or without the help of the federal government. Efforts like We’re Still In demonstrate the power of leadership at all levels.
Calculating the ROI of Employee Engagement
If you ask a savvy sustainability manager to calculate the return on investment (ROI) from an efficiency project, they are likely to ask a few follow up questions—because they know that a solid ROI compares all costs to all benefits, and it can take a little digging to get the requisite data.
Sustainable Resolutions for the New Year
Here at Cool Choices, we stand by the idea that sustainable actions – no matter how small – add up to make a positive, meaningful impact. Since the new year is the perfect opportunity to start practicing new, more positive habits, here is a list of ten small actions you can take to expand upon your sustainability journey in 2018.
Talk Sustainability, Not Emissions, to Get Climate Action
Many environmental advocates assume that in order to motivate action on climate mitigation goals, they have to educate the public on why climate change is so important. These advocates seek widespread agreement as a precondition to action. In reality, though, that agreement might not be necessary. In fact, by focusing on climate change instead of sustainability, campaigns may be unintentionally excluding the population with the most potential for reducing emissions.
Alumni Sustainability: Innovative Recycling to Reduce Waste
Check out this story by Cool Choices sustainability program alum Kevin, who found a creative way to repurpose waste in his community by recycling old Styrofoam. We are always impressed and inspired by how our program alumni continue to take daily sustainable actions even after the program ends.
WSBC 2017: The Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolution
Last week Cool Choices co-hosted the 10th Annual Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council (WSBC) conference at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin.
The event – which draws hundreds of attendees from a variety of Wisconsin businesses each year – aims to create a forum where business leaders who are actively working on sustainability issues can share ideas and insights. The event is unique in that all of the conference presenters are people leading sustainability efforts within a company, rather than consultants selling particular approaches. That means there’s plenty of frank talk about lessons learned, enabling the attendees to avoid repeating costly mistakes while accelerating ideas that have a proven record of success.
Inspiring Behavior Change Generates Real Results
“I was skeptical…but it really works!”
It’s ok, we get that a lot – even some our clients admit that they were surprised by how well our employee engagement programs worked to motivate behavior change around sustainability, and to deliver immediate savings results – all while influencing hearts and minds over the longer term.
Waukesha County Sustainability Program Results
Congratulations to Waukesha County on completing their Cool Choices community-wide sustainability program! Check out the energy and resource savings results of their program!
Waukesha County Sustainability Program Participants Reflect
Our Cool Choices community-scale Waukesha County sustainability program recently ended, which means we’ve been reading through end-of-program participant comments submitted after we asked for them to reflect on how the Cool Choices program has influenced them.
Some of the responses we received were exactly what you’d expect – a new appreciation for energy-saving ideas people can use, coupled with assertions that their households were already on the right track.
Upcycling: Unique Ways to Eliminate Waste
Are you looking for a few unique ways to upcycle otherwise old or unwanted items in an effort to eliminate waste in landfills? Check out this story by Cool Choices sustainability program alum Jeanne from the Kenosha County UW-Extension sent us this awesome story of how she and other Cool Choices program alum (who are also members of Sustainable Kenosha) found a creative way to eliminate waste in their community by upcycling an old satellite dish from the Kenosha County Center and transforming it into a beautiful garden display. We are always impressed and inspired by how our program participants feel Cool Choices impacts them and their decision to continue increasing their daily sustainable actions even after the program ends.
