Sustainability Metrics and Management: The Path from Innovation to Routine - Hardcover

by Steven Cohen (Author), William B. Eimicke (Author), Dong Guo (Author)

In recent years, increasingly sophisticated metrics have been created to measure sustainability. First devised to address environmental concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions, they now also assess organizational governance, community benefits, and hiring practices, among others. The field of sustainability management uses these metrics to track and advance progress on environmental, social, and business goals. How can an organization incorporate sustainability metrics into performance measurement and decision making? Which metrics should different organizations adopt, and why? What should sustainability management do to adapt in the face of political hostility, economic volatility, and technological change?

This book is a comprehensive guide to sustainability metrics and management, introducing readers to key concepts and techniques. It details the measurement process needed to produce reliable and verifiable sustainability metrics and discusses the relationship to financial performance. The authors show how to integrate sustainability into the core of organizational management and make it a routine part of administration. They also emphasize the importance of metrics for measuring, assessing, and managing risk. Written for practitioners, students, and managers of organizations of all sizes, this book gives readers the tools and understanding they need to lead the journey toward sustainability.

Author Biography

Steven Cohen is senior vice dean of the School of Professional Studies, professor of practice in the School of International and Public Affairs, and director of the Earth Institute's Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management as well as two other masters' programs at Columbia University.