Instructor

Laura Musikanski, Executive Director of Sustainable Seattle

Laura is a lawyer with an MBA and certificates in Environmental Management and Environmental Law and Regulations from the University of Washington. She has advised clients including Chevron, Cascade Designs, Long Boat Key Club, WSDOT and PCC Natural Markets. Ms. Musikanski is a third generation Seattleite and was an entrepreneur for over fifteen years, launching a product that supported her family and spurred the generation of other small businesses along the West Coast. Laura spearheaded a program to integrate sustainability into business school curricula in the Northwest, founded a club for second career students at her law school, and volunteers as a CASA, advocating for neglected and abused children, and at New Beginnings-Ending Domestic Violence.

Course description

There is a growing trend of governmental agencies and non-profit organizations issuing triple bottom line reports. Ports across the country and world are forming sustainability plans, and beginning to measure and manage sustainability performance as a means to demonstrate accountability. Accountability for environmental, social and economic impacts of a company is increasingly becoming a part of every manager or governmental official’s job. However, there is much uncertainty and inconsistency in the field.

Triple bottom line reporting is emerging as an important and necessary part of an organization’s disclosure. Two main issues addressed are 1) what a triple bottom line report is and 2) the areas addressed in a triple bottom line report. The first issue involves establishing an understanding of the triple bottom line, a structure for accountability and the fit of triple bottom line reporting with sustainability strategies, plans and actions. The second issue deals with identifying boundaries, a methodology for reporting and development of an understanding of the issues around subject areas in reporting.

This one day seminar will focus on defining triple bottom line (TBL) accounting: a brief discussion of the linkages between sustainability, regulatory compliance and TBL reporting, the frameworks, performance areas and indicators for a TBL report, and examples of TBL reports. Issues of boundaries, drivers, risks, liabilities, and stakeholder issues will be examined using examples from triple bottom line reports and exercises. The class will end by identifying factors for successful implementation of triple bottom line accounting and criteria for the quality of a triple bottom line report.

This course will equip you to:

• Understand the frameworks and performance areas of triple bottom line reports and sustainability strategies.
• Identify and access indicators appropriate to their organization for a TBL report
• Understand the drivers, risks and liabilities in issuing a TBL report and ways to manage for them
• Identify boundary issues and a rational for defining boundaries
• Understand stakeholder issues and how to identify and determine a methodology for determining which stakeholders to engage
• Understand factors for successful implementation of a TBL report
• Determine the quality of a TBL report

Topics covered:

• Defining Triple Bottom Line Reporting Linkage to sustainability, corporate social responsibility, regulatory compliance and TBL reporting
• Frameworks and subject areas for TBL reports
• Indicators for subject areas and for industries
• Boundaries within performance areas and for an organization
• Drivers, risks and liabilities
• Stakeholder issues: relevance, monitoring, verification
• Success tips for implementation of TBL accounting
• Criteria for quality in TBL reports

View slides from this class

Registration

This is a private class, but if we see interest we can offer it as a public class later. Contact us at STARs@sustainableseattle.org if you would be interested in attending this class in future.

Contact us with any questions: STARs@sustainableseattle.org and (206) 659-8077, or sign up for email updates. .

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