Sustainable Business in Iowa: How Leading Companies Profit from Environmental and Social Responsibility - Paperback

by Adam Hammes (Author)

Companies around the world are combining environmental and social responsibility to achieve improved financial performance. Yet, with the many elements that go into a strategic sustainability plan, businesses and their employees often get mired in the details. The first part of this book shows step-by-step how to define a sustainability plan that fits your organization. The second part is a choose-your-own-adventure reference guide to environmental and social initiatives that will help improve your bottom line. Adam Hammes weaves together easy-to-understand models, business examples, and personal stories from his years of experience. Drawing from his time as the first manager of sustainability for Kum & Go, an independent sustainability consultant, and the executive director of the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum, the book explains what sustainable business means and documents the well-researched ways in which environmental and social responsibility programs unfold inside companies. Over thirty case studies from responsible Iowa businesses illustrate exactly what you can do to assess your organization and take the next successful step. Some of these examples you will recognize, and hopefully many will be new. Sustainable Business in Iowa provides a simple framework for any professional who is committed to environmental and social performance, but who feels stuck and unsure of where to go next. The 5 Stage Journey - Learn the five stages of corporate sustainability initiatives. Know where you stand, so you can prepare for a successful move to the next stage. Related Issues - Learn how environmental and social issues develop in their later stages. Discover how working on related issues separately can severely limit success. Moving Stages - Learn what moves a company from one stage of an initiative to the next. Grasp how to facilitate that transition, generate momentum fast, and save time. Envision an Iowa where every business professional understands how to lead financially, environmentally, and socially responsible change in the workplace. Envision an Iowa where more and more of our local companies are seen as national and global leaders in sustainable business. Sustainable Business in Iowa shows you how that future is possible. For every paperback sold, $1 is donated to Net Impact and ENACTUS (Entrepreneurship Action Us). Thank you for helping future generations lead environmentally and socially responsible businesses of tomorrow.

Author Biography

Adam Hammes is a sustainability consultant in Iowa who helps businesses tackle environmental and social performance. In 2010, he was the first corporate manager of sustainability for Kum & Go. They became the only convenience store chain in the world certified in the LEED Volume Program for green building (over 80 stores) and rolled out at-the-pump recycling for customers in multiple cities (over 100 stores). Adam received his Lean-Six Sigma Green Belt training and helped Kum & Go significantly reduce energy, waste, and water costs through tracking, retrofits, and continuous improvement programs. Adam left Kum & Go in 2014 to consult and launch the Iowa Sustainable Business Forum (ISBF). Today, he is the Executive Director of ISBF, helping connect Iowa businesses to continuously improve practices that positively impact people, planet, and profits. He authored the book Stress-Free Sustainability, teaches an MBA course on CSR & Sustainability for the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, and speaks at conferences to empower sustainable advocates. Adam grew up in southeast Iowa on a farm near Richland. In high school, he was an All-Conference basketball player and All-State football player and high jumper. In college, he earned his BA in Human Services with an emphasis in outdoor education, minors in business and environmental studies, and certificates in leadership and global health. He led outdoor adventure trips and taught rock climbing until graduation, then traveled the world as an environmental educator and leadership trainer living and working in seven countries on four continents. Adam returned to Iowa and earned his Green MBA along with many professional trainings and certifications, including: LEED-AP, LCA Manager Certificate, Global Reporting Initiative 4.0, The Natural Step USA: Level 1 & 2, and Wilderness Steward.