The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), as a part of its Contaminated Site Cleanup Information programmes, has produced a series of two page fact sheets which summarize clean up methods used at Superfund and other sites. The fact sheets answer six questions: – 1) What is it? 2) How does it work? 3) How

The Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) has produced the above mentioned guide downloadable here. The IAQM guidance document, the authors state, is not intended to be a primer on how to model air quality impacts but instead is intended to provide practical guidance for those air quality specialists who undertake air quality impact assessments

 The CERES Road MAP to Sustainability is described as a strategic vision and practical framework for sustainable corporations in the 21st Century. The Roadmap presents 20 expectations in the areas of governance, stakeholder engagement, disclosure, and performance that companies should seek to meet by 2020 in order to transform into truly sustainable enterprises. Moving on

This manual was produced in 2015 by the South Dakota Department of Transportation. It focuses upon US state and legal compliance but there are some very useful sections which can function as templates for developing or customising procedures. So often, people struggle with wording and content of procedures and this manual helps to give a

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define global priorities and aspirations for 2030. They represent an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate extreme poverty and put the world on a sustainable path. The objective of the Guide, developed by GRI, the UN Global Compact and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), is to support companies in aligning

The downloadable print version of this book is available here. However, should you wish to make use of the on-line toolkit, along with all of its various links, start here. The on-line kit and handbook includes information on energy efficiency, waste reduction, biodiversity protection, and sustainability beyond the office. The on-line facility also links to

The Environmental Resource Guidebook for SME Manufacturers was produced by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries in September 2008. Despite its age, it has a great deal of very useful information on key environmental issues in different industry sectors and discusses in basic terms, different environmental management tools that are available. The general checklist for

 The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) has released a Handbook of Drought Indicators and Indices which is freely downloadable The IDMP is co-sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and some 30 other partners. The handbook is aimed at those who want to generate indicators and indices themselves, as well as for

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has released a Briefing Paper,  Lifestyle Material Footprint: An explanation, which explains in plain language exactly what the material footprint is. The material footprint measures the resource use over the complete life-cycle of products, services and activities that shape lifestyles, e.g. food consumption and mobility patterns. It

The GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) has produced the first global standard for sustainability reporting, the so-called “G4” Guidelines. This set of documents has been re-structured, based upon experiences from the previous three sets of Guidelines. The standard is modular in format, making it easier to update various components without having to re-issue the complete standard.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) have developed a free, downloadable, sustainability Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (sSWOT) Guide which has been designed to help drive action on environmental challenges that are creating real business risk and opportunities. The Guide is not new (it was launched in 2012) but has been “road tested” by various companies ranging

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Small Business Division produced its Practical Guide To Environmental Management For Small Business in 2002.  The Guide, though dated and focussing upon US legislation, is still a useful introduction to the small businessperson who is new to environment and business and needs some guidance on practicalities. The process map on

The guide, produced in 2015, examines the context and drivers for responsible sourcing and provides practical guidance and examples on approaches that companies can take to demonstrate that they are producing materials responsibly. Examples of drivers include: climate change, increasing social responsibility expectations of business, and more stringent environmental, health and safety standards and regulations.

IPIECA (the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues), who supported the development of the IPIECA Global Water Tool for Oil and Gas (a customised version of the WBCSD Global Water Tool) (GWT) and the GEMI® Local Water Tool for Oil and Gas™ (LWT), have developed an online e-learning course for

This Guideline was published by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism as one of a series of guidelines to assist municipalities in the implementation of the South African National Waste Management Strategy. Having said that, the Guidelines have considerable value to other stakeholders in the management of waste. The 62 page, freely

THE WH2OLE STORY- WATER & BUSINESS: HOW TO AVOID THE COMING CRISIS This freely downloadable 53 page booklet was produced by Context, a consultancy specialising in corporate sustainability strategy and communications. The PDF version is downloadable here. The publication is light, easily readable and contains plenty of useful throwaway facts to get people’s attention. It

The Carbon Footprinting Guide is published by Nedbank, in collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s Sustainability Institute. The stated aim of the book is to demystify carbon footprint approaches and help readers grasp the main concepts and assist them in carrying out the actual carbon footprint calculations. The Guide is broadly broken up into four sections:- Background,

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has produced a four page, Water Stewardship Framework, an outline of its members approach to using a shared resource that is an essential part of all mining and metals operations. The framework is built around four key elements: 1. be transparent and accountable 2. engage proactively and inclusively

WBCSD BUSINESS GUIDE TO WATER VALUATION The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) publication, Water valuation: Building the Business case aims to demonstrate the business case for companies to engage in water valuation. It is supported by a review of 21 business case studies that illustrate why and how different companies have carried out

The UK-based International Council on Mining & Minerals (ICMM) has launched an on-line toolkit on materials stewardship, incorporating industry specific tools and case studies of materials stewardship in practice. The Toolkit complements the previously published ICMM Guidance document, Maximising Value: Guidance on implementing materials stewardship in the minerals and metals value chain. The Guidance document