Sustainable Development &
Life Cycle Programs

Sustainability

Designing an Independent Global Reporting Initiative

We assisted in designing the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which is convened by CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) and UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), with the mission of establishing globally applicable guidelines for preparing enterprise-level sustainability reports. We developed options for designing and establishing a permanent GRI. The study identified various possibilities for the GRI's activities, structure, governance, and funding, which will ensure that it operates effectively and has credibility with the range of stakeholders, while remaining true to its original principles and the values of its proponents.

Sustainable Development Diagnostic Tool

We have developed a business-focused sustainable development diagnostic tool, which we use to evaluate a given company against four major categories:

The diagnostic compares the company to current prevailing and exemplary practices to identify areas of strength, as well as key opportunities to improve performance, create business value, and further the company's goals toward sustainable development.

Review of Emerging Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) and Social Issues for an International Upstream Energy Company

For an international upstream energy company, we reviewed key emerging EHS and social issues, with specific reference to the upstream sector, the countries in which the company operates, and the needs of its key stakeholders. The tool used to conduct the analysis and the knowledge that was gained during the work are now being used to help the company improve the way that it makes strategic decisions, to minimize risk, and to identify potential opportunities for creating business advantage. This tool also will form an integral part of the company's management system.

Benchmarking Environmental and Social Issues for an Electric Power Generator

We benchmarked environmental and corporate social responsibility practices and performance for a leading electric power generator, identifying good practice characteristics using company examples from many sectors and countries. The company then used this information to develop its ongoing sustainable development strategy.

Sustainable Development for a Financial Services Company

We worked with a major financial services company to build and implement a sustainable development pathway, which integrated environmental activities in its core business processes and specifically highlighted the product ecology and indirect environmental effects of reinsurance and capital investment. After analyzing the company's existing business processes and needs, we identified and prioritized starting points for environmental activities within the core processes. We designed the architecture for the environmental management system following the pathway of sustainable development, and then supported the implementation process and the development of performance indicators. Within our intensive benchmarking study—using own research capacities and external rating institutions (e.g., Oekom, SAM)—we were able to build a detailed view on the financial services sector, including its players and its activities concerning sustainable development.

Sustainable Development Audit for a Chemical Company

For a major chemical company, we recently conducted a sustainable develop audit to assess:

Benchmarking Sustainable Development Leadership

As part of a consumer products company's strategic planning process, we conducted a benchmarking on sustainability-related strategic planning activities of competitors, customers, and leaders. As part of this assignment, we specifically identified how competitors, customers, and leaders are positioning themselves, setting goals, and establishing objectives around sustainable development. In addition, we shared insights of the implementation programs currently under way at those companies and provided a framework for linking benchmarking results to business value. As a result of our analysis, our client could become a sustainability leader by setting goals around which its organization could align.

Implications of Environmental Trends for Current and Potential Customers

As part of the strategic planning process of a global chemical and gases company, we conducted an independent review of global environmental trends over the next two to seven years. Our research included analysis of the maturity and impact of more than 70 trends in key regions and industries. We compared trends in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, highlighting specific countries of interest to our client. We then analyzed environmental trends in six key market sectors and potential new markets. Our client then selected 17 key trends that were considered to be potential drivers for a next generation of business opportunities, for which we reviewed the current state of the trend, the societal perceptions, and the actions of governments, nongovernmental organizations, and industry. This information is now being used to select trends around which to develop new business strategies for the company.

Social Auditing

We advised a leading international apparel company on processes for managing suppliers in developing countries, auditing their compliance with required standards of social and ethical performance. We also advised an international consumer goods group on how to maximize the value obtainable from its community relations and local employment policies, which were of a high standard, across its international operations.

Sustainable Development Diagnostic for a Major Chemical Company

Using our sustainable development diagnostic tool, we worked jointly with a chemical company to employ sustainable development to achieve the company's business objectives. As part of this assignment, we evaluated the extent to which sustainable development adds value to the business, how the environmental footprint of the company can be reduced, and how the company's activities can maximize societal equity and well being.

Life Cycle Assessment

LCA of Reformulated Gasoline for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

For the EPA, we are currently conducting a comparative Life Cycle Impact Assessment of reformulated gasoline utilizing the agency’s Tool for the Reduction of Chemical and other Environmental Impacts (TRACI) impact assessment methodology. The scope of the assessment includes three scenarios: reformulated gasoline with MTBE, with ethanol, and a “no oxygenate” fuel. For this project, a value of information analysis will be performed to identify future life cycle inventory collection activities that have the greatest potential to improve the accuracy with least amount of effort.

Development of Taxonomic Framework for LCA Categories

For the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and in conjunction with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Division of Technology, Industry and Economics’ Life Cycle Initiative, we are currently developing a taxonomic framework for Life Cycle Impact Assessment categories. This project involves seminal work to create a framework for existing categories with subsequent peer review in an international forum.

LCA of an Innovative Bio-Based Material Product

For a major commercial product manufacturer, we recently completed a comparative life cycle assessment of two mineral-based product technologies to a bio-based product technology. Insights garnered from the perspective of "functional equivalency" revealed distinct environmental and health performance superiority of the bio-based product technology. The services performed will provide the client assurance to move forward in their investment of this new product development initiative.

Third-Party Critical Review of LCA Study

We performed a critical review of a LCA study conducted by a major building materials manufacturer, Interface, Inc. The critical review services performed were in compliance with the ISO 14000 Environmental Management Standards requirements for third-party attestation. Interface will utilize our analysis as part of an external promotional effort to claim superior comparative environmental performance for one of its landmark products.

Dynamic Economic Input/Output LCA Model

We have developed a dynamic LCA methodology to assess the direct and indirect effects associated with the introduction of fuel cell electric vehicles into the U.S. economy. The scenarios developed in the study illuminated the interactive effects of key factors. Publicly available data sources from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Department of Energy Energy Information Administration were used to complete the study.

LCA of GHG Emissions in Municipal Solid Waste

For the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ICF International authored the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Management of Selected Materials in the Municipal Solid Wastestream report. This report presents a detailed life cycle assessment of GHG emissions and sinks associated with raw material acquisition, manufacturing, and fabrication and analyzes source reduction, recycling, landfilling (with or without methane recovery), municipal waste combustion (MWC), and composting.

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI)/Risk Assessment for Pollution Control Project

For a manufacturer of chemical products, we conducted an integrated environmental assessment of two alternative approaches to a remediation/pollution control project. The work involved the use of three environmental analytical tools: LCI, risk assessment methodology, and formal decision analysis. The result was a rigorous, comprehensive approach to EHS, and business decision-making. The LCI/Risk Assessment provided the client with a holistic and objective view of resource use and waste production and the associated risks in quantitative as well as qualitative terms.

LCA of Automotive Parts

For a major trade association, we undertook a life cycle assessment of automotive parts made from steel, aluminum, and plastic. In addition to the environmental inputs and outputs for each portion of the life cycle—from raw material extraction through fabrication of automobile products to disposal of the junk auto—the study also considered the comparative economics of using each material. The study helped our client to respond strategically to new environmental and cost trends.

LCI of Baking Soda
For Church & Dwight, we undertook a product life cycle inventory of Arm & Hammer® baking soda. The intent of the study was to enhance Church & Dwight's understanding of baking soda's environmental strengths and vulnerabilities, as well as provide the basis for potential improvements. This study covered nine household uses for baking soda and included an analysis of the environmental fate of baking soda when disposed of in water and in landfills. The results of this study have been publicly presented and published.

LCA of Incineration vs. Recycling of Materials

For a major firm in the waste management business, we used a LCA-based approach to compare the environmental, energy, and economic profiles of resource recovery (incineration) versus recycling for seven materials: newspapers, glass, aluminum, ferrous metals, lead acid batteries, and two plastics, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and HDPE (high density polyethylene plastic).

LCA of Disposable vs. Cloth Diapers

For Procter and Gamble we conducted a life cycle assessment comparing the environmental, health, and economic implications of disposable versus cloth diapers. At our client's initiative, the report presenting the study results has received wide public distribution and has served to enhance the public debate about product life cycle studies in general, and the debate concerning disposable versus cloth diapers in particular.

EHS Management Through Total Cost Assessment

Under the auspices of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Center for Waste Reduction Technologies, we coordinated ten transnational corporations in the development of a Total Cost Assessment. Total Cost Assessment is an emerging concept that seeks to quantify all environmental and health impacts and costs associated with a business decision. It is a comprehensive process, incorporating life cycle inventory data to identify potentially hidden environmental and health costs and to mitigate future risks and liabilities for industrial processes, products, or sites. The methodology developed provides the framework for that decision process, as well as the framework for estimating baseline costs that have a much broader and potentially longer time frame.