A new seminar from UNC Executive Development is aimed at helping companies create green strategies and practices that will have a positive impact on the environment and their organizations’ bottom line.

In today’s market, thinking about the ways in which the environment and social impact play a role in an organization’s strategy can yield both a short- and long-term competitive advantage. "Becoming Green: Effective Strategies for You and Your Organization" shares ways that sustainable practices can make a positive social and environmental impact while fostering a wave of innovation to help companies grow revenue and profits.

The seminar will be offered for the first time May 18-20 at the Paul J. Rizzo Conference Center. UNC Kenan-Flagler professors Carol Seagle and Lisa Jones Christensen will lead the new course, along with award-winning staff from the Center for Sustainable Enterprise. Al Segars, RBC Centura distinguished professor and chair of strategy and entrepreneurship at Kenan-Flagler, will be discussing innovation and strategy as part of the seminar.

"While scientists and the government play an important role in addressing environmental issues, businesses are uniquely equipped with the resources and influences to affect positive change on a global scale within much shorter time frames," said Seagle, who is also the director of the UNC Kenan-Flagler Center for Sustainable Enterprise.

The seminar will provide an overview of how successful companies have used sustainability strategies to drive innovation and achieve results. For example, DuPont has seen its green strategies garner a $400 millionper-year decrease in waste treatment and pollution control expenses versus an estimated $2 billion per year expense without the program.

The course will emphasize much more than "eco-efficiency." The point is to help everyone within the company find creative and innovative ways to set the organization apart- while "doing good" at the same time.

"When done correctly, sustainability is not an add-on, and can lead to competitive advantage and long-term success," said Lisa Jones Christensen, assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at UNC Kenan-Flagler. "It doesn’t have to be about costs and sacrifice. It can be about creativity, connection, growth and renewal. In these trying times, firms and individuals are looking to reestablish genuine connections with customers and communities, and sustainability offers a lens that firms can use to decide how to do that and do it well- and they can re-establish trust along the way."

UNC Kenan-Flagler has made a strong commitment to sustainable d business for a decade. The Center for Sustainability was established in 2001 to help executives and future business leaders understand how social and environmental considerations are changing business. Seminar participants will use cases and small group activities to identify personal and corporate opportunities tailored to their situation. They will leave with a sustainability action plan that they can put into place right away.

Seminar participants also will learn:

• The connection between sustainability and strategic innovation
• How successful companies use innovation to drive social and environmental improvements
• The history and relevance of sustainability and how businesses are uniquely equipped to make a sustainable impact
• Best practices and potential pitfalls when designing a sustainability strategy
• How to design a framework for determining and prioritizing which environmental and social impacts are most relevant to the organization For more information on how to register and to view incentives offered for this seminar, visit www.execdev.unc.edu or call 1-800-UNC-EXEC.