The Social Footprint is a measurement and reporting tool that quantifies the social sustainability of an organization. In this regard, the Social Footprint is similar to the Ecological Footprint, which is a method for measuring and reporting the ecological impact of societies and organizations on the environment.

Anthro capital impact

Unlike the Ecological Footprint, however, which measures a population's use of and impact on natural resources (i.e., natural capital), the Social Footprint deals with impacts on what we call anthro capital (including human and social capital). more

The Social Footprint:
Proof of Concept

Global Warming and
the Social Footprint

“Social Footprint introduces simple elegance...”

Bill Baue, socialfunds.com

For companies around the world interested in managing and improving sustainability.

The Center for Sustainable Innovation (CSI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created in 2004 by its founder, Mark W. McElroy. Its purpose is to conduct research, development, training, and consulting for, and with, companies around the world interested in managing and improving the sustainability of their operations.

Measures organizational sustainability performance

What differentiates CSI from other advocates of organizational sustainability is its adherence to an approach for corporate sustainability management, measurement, and reporting that is context-based (i.e., an approach that measures organizational sustainability performance against actual social and environmental conditions in the world).

Thus, we argue for measuring and reporting fresh water use by a company, for example, against knowledge of what such levels ought to be, based on actual supplies in the world and principles of equity for how they should be shared. This we do as opposed to simply measuring and reporting consumption in a context-free or trend-lining fashion, as if background conditions didn’t matter. Moreover, we take the same approach on the social sustainability side of things, using a tool we developed called the Social Footprint Method. There again, we look at a company’s actual versus normative impacts, and measure its sustainability performance, accordingly.

CSI Training & Consulting Services

In addition to doing funded research, CSI offers a range of services in the following areas:

Sustainability Assessments

CSI offers independent assessments of corporate sustainability performance using its Social Footprint method. Areas of analysis include global warming and climate change, UN Millennium Development goals, and many other internal and/or external areas of impact. Written reports for transparent disclosure to stakeholders are provided as well.

Sustainability Reporting

CSI can bring what the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) calls 'Sustainability Context' to corporate responsibility measurement and reporting. This can be done for virtually any area of social and/or environmental impact, including cases where GRI's new G3 reporting format is being used.

Training

CSI offers training in Corporate Sustainability Management and related topics on a scheduled public basis, as well as on a private in-house basis for specific organizations. Our two leading programs are as follows:

Social Footprint Masterclass: A 2 1/2 day workshop ($1095)
Sustainable Innovation: Basic Theory and Practice: A 2 1/2 day workshop ($1095)

For more information about CSI's services, feel free to contact Mark W. McElroy at: mmcelroy@vermontel.net