The Chamber...a well made piece of furniture

Recently, I have been tasked with creating a comprehensive and measurable sustainability plan for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. At first, the task seemed rather daunting and intimidating because the concept of sustainability is so complex…how can it fit into one single plan? I realized it needed to be broken down. Sustainability (as we often forget) is really a three legged stool…right?


Right.

My problem is that when I think of sustainability my brain automatically thinks GREEN. But that is not the whole picture. Sustainability is three parts; Economic, Social, and Environmental.

Too many times the two other legs of the stool are overlooked (the economic and social).

Before I embark on writing the Chambers sustainability plan I thought I would give you a sneak peak outline of where I think the Chamber’s goals will fit into these three categories.

Economic

The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce is committed to being the leading business membership organization in West Michigan by providing outstanding membership, advocacy, diversity and community programming that promotes inclusion, prosperity and growth.

The Chamber works to attract and retain members by providing top notch customer service and fostering the growth of our local and regional businesses. We hope to grow our Chamber by providing benefits to our members such as business networking opportunities, facilitating events that will foster business growth, vendor discounts and marketing our Chamber opportunities to actively engage the community.

Social Responsibility

Through collaboration, volunteering, professional development the chamber will become great stewards of the community. The Chamber encourages staff members to attend events from other local organizations, engage in Chamber networking events, and actively contribute to their professional development. The Chamber will maximize the power of cultural competency to drive

superior business results and competitive advantage. We believe in utilizing the awareness, knowledge and understanding of all people as an asset for our region. It implies an ability to work within and among diverse citizens, embracing talents, experiences, and perspectives from various cultures.

Environment

The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has dedicated its resources to implement the Partnership for a Sustainable Community (PSC). The Partnership includes but is not limited to the Carbon Footprint Calculator, sustainability resource blog, sustainability member resource guide, and PSC meetings. Along with the Partnership, the Chamber has made efforts to implement sustainable practices into our day-to-day operations. The Chamber completed the Carbon Footprint and is now working to reduce their Carbon footprint by reducing paper usage, switching to 30% recycled content, using compact florescent lighting, etc. The Chamber is continuing to find ways to reduce reuse and recycle.

In conclusion, this is not all of efforts but it’s a start. How is your company implanting all three areas of sustainability? SHARE

And remember sustainability is a three legged stool…imagine how hard it would be to balance with just one? You’d fall over!