An interesting blog about incorporating sustainability into cycling was recently posted on the GranFondo Canada's Women in Cycling Blog. To help the GranFondo Canada team create their sustainability plan, the team used The Natural Step's four principles of sustainability.

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As a pretty new road cyclist, but a long-time sustainability advocate, my contributions to this blog will be centred more on the topic of making our cycling footprints smaller, before, during and after our rides.

The University of Guelph is once again showing leadership in sustainability as they've recently launched the University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project. Leaders of the project Professor Bruce McAdams (right), Instructor Simon Day (middle), and Hotel and Food Administration Major Lauren Zimbalatti (left) recently attended the Sustainability for Leaders Course - Level 1: Foundations in Toronto. Lauren recently wrote a blog "Passion for the Project" sharing her experience at the course and her thoughts on sustainability in the hospitality industry. When we look at shifting the hospitality industry towards sustainability, what better place to start than with education within a leading hospitality program.

We are often asked to provide our thoughts and reflections on the growing connection between sustainability and an organization’s reputation and brand. In a recent survey of CEOs (the largest of its kind) entitled “A New Era of Sustainability” and released by the United Nations Global Compact on sustainability, CEOs ranked “brand trust and reputation” as the top reason to take action on sustainability. However, while many organizations realize the reputational and brand differentiation potential of taking meaningful steps towards sustainability, they are also increasingly (and justifiably) wary of public scrutiny and the accusation of “greenwashing.

The question is:

How can sustainability help you create a brand that differentiates and avoids greenwashing?

Luke Miller Callahan, founder of TheSocioCapitalist.com (showcasing real change throughout the world) interviews the Founder of The Natural Step, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert about what his experience has been like helping different companies implement sustainability plans. The two discuss why businesses are moving towards sustainability as a growing number of companies are recognizing the strong business case for sustainability. They also talk about the strategy of implementing sustainability plans within organizations, for example, it's not just about explaining the how but instead conveying an understanding of why we are shifting towards sustainability to all employees throughout the organization. Special thanks to Luke and  The Socio Capitlalist for the interview and for creating the video.