Introduction to sustainability governance
September 19, 2024
Introduction to sustainability governance
1–2 pm ET (10–11 am PT)
Establishing good governance is critical for advancing sustainability. Good governance promotes clarity, accountability, and transparency and allows human, natural, economic, and financial resources to be managed efficiently. While governance does not guarantee a strong foundation, its absence severely limits a sustainability program’s success and can, at worst, impede it.
This session taught attendees the basics of sustainability governance, including core documents, structures, staffing, stakeholders, and resourcing. Facilitators also guided participants through discussions on key processes, such as using stakeholder mapping to inform sustainability program structures and strategies to build trust with stakeholders from a system-level perspective. Attendees were given time to share their experiences developing the elements of effective sustainability governance.
Key takeaways included:
- How to develop or refine the best sustainability structure for your organization.
- Ways to chart a path to gather buy-in for and perform a stakeholder assessment.
- Evaluation methods of which sustainability governance documents are most critical for your organization to prioritize in the near and short term.
- Generate new ideas or examples of sustainability resourcing and staffing for your decision-makers.
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This on-demand session is part of the Accelerating Health Care Sustainability series. Viewing it and taking a short quiz qualifies as one of four required sessions to receive the Sustainability Program Fundamentals Certificate of Completion.
Sarah Irwin
Job Title
Associate Director of Sustainability Solutions
Organization
Practice Greenhealth
Sarah brings over 10 years of experience in strategic sustainability programs and project management across diverse sectors, including health care. As a certified Change Management Practitioner, she played a pivotal role in engaging staff and leadership in sustainability initiatives across four British Columbia health organizations. With a Master of Science in Leadership for Sustainable Development, Sarah is deeply committed to integrating sustainability into organizational practices. Her expertise extends to coaching, where she holds a Coaching certification, strategically aligning teams with organizational goals and priorities. Additionally, Sarah excels in strategic engagement and communications planning, fostering meaningful connections and ensuring impactful outreach. With a dynamic background spanning sustainability, engagement, and program and project management, Sarah is dedicated to fostering positive change and sustainability in every role she undertakes.
Kristen Kaufman
Job Title
Sustainability Strategy Manager
Organization
Practice Greenhealth
Kristen is a Sustainability Strategy Manager at Practice Greenhealth, where she advises hospitals and health care systems on their sustainability programs and supports place-based initiatives. Prior to Practice Greenhealth, Kristen worked in urban and institutional sustainability, most recently at Tufts University's Office of Sustainability managing zero-waste, community engagement, and environmental justice efforts. She holds a Masters of Science in environmental governance from the University of Oxford and a BA in anthropology and sustainability from Emory University.
Join Practice Greenhealth
Practice Greenhealth is the health care sector’s go-to source for information, tools, data, resources, and expert technical support on sustainability initiatives that help hospitals and health systems meet their health, financial, and community goals.
Who We Are
Practice Greenhealth is the leading sustainable health care organization, delivering environmental solutions to more than 1,500 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada. Partnership opportunities include hospitals, health systems, community health organizations, NGOs, nonprofits, government, academic institutions, and the health care value chain.