Assessing Your Business’ Sustainability Efforts

2:30 pm – Concurrent Session 3b

Dennis Sasseville, Maryalice Fischer, Susanne Miller of PRIZM Inc., Matt Deluca of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

Corporate environmental, sustainability, and Social Responsibility programs can only be strengthened and improved when their current status can be objectively assessed. Well planned internal audits help determine present status and identify gaps in program implementation. Objective audit results aid in communicating with management, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. This presentation will cover foundational requirements for internal sustainability audits and assessment initiatives, for businesses with established programs and those just developing their own program concepts and frameworks. Take-aways: Five Principles for any audit program; Choosing audit team members; Auditing management systems; Appropriate report contents; Communicating with management and stakeholders; Improving sustainability and CSR program. Matt Deluca of GMCR will discuss their company’s experiences.

Dennis Sasseville is a Senior Principal with PRIZIM Inc. and has 30 years of experience as a management consultant. Previously, Mr. Sasseville was a Senior Manager in the Environmental Advisory Practice of KPMG, LLP in Boston. While at KPMG he served as a member of the firm’s 26-country International Sustainability Network (ISN) and as an advisor to the firm’s Integrity Management Practice. He is the author or coauthor of several John Wiley books, including: Sustaining Environmental Management Success: Best Business Practices from Industry Leaders. Mr. Sasseville teaches a business course on Sustainable Development at UNH Manchester.

Susanne Miller has ten years of experience as an environmental professional and two years as a Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA). During her six years at PRIZIM Ms. Miller has supported a wide variety of clients including several Federal Civilian Agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the US Geological Survey, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the General Services Administration. She has developed and delivered environmental compliance and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) training courses, directed and participated in environmental compliance, indoor air quality, and EMS audits, and developed environmental compliance assistance guidance documents on behalf of clients. Ms. Miller has a Juris Doctor and Master of Studies in Environmental Law, from Vermont Law School, May 2000, and is a member of the New York and Vermont State Bar.

Matt DeLuca is the Manager of Environmental Affairs for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. He coordinates the company’s efforts to identify and reduce its environmental impacts across its facilities nation-wide.

Prior to joining the company in 2006, he worked as an attorney in St. Albans, Vermont. Before that, he was Manager of Environmental Programs at Green Mountain Energy Company – then the nation’s leading provider of cleaner electricity generated from renewable sources. In that position he was responsible for claims substantiation, environmental reporting, and environmental management.

Matt holds a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School and Bachelor of Science in environmental science from St. Michael’s College.