Introduction

SUSTAINABLE SAINT JOHN is a regional network being led by the City of Saint John Environment Committee with support from the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund.  The goal of SUSTAINABLE SAINT JOHN is to bring together government, businesses, residents and community groups to build capacity and momentum for sustainability in our region.

From tools and resources to learning sessions and networking events, SUSTAINABLE SAINT JOHN will help support and promote sustainability in our region.

Growing a sustainable business is not only about saving money and protecting the environment through the more efficient use of resources (energy, materials, water, etc); it’s also about being leaders and contributing to the community.
Recognizing that sustainability is a business issue gaining momentum across the country, the Saint John Board of Trade has become a key partner in SUSTAINABLE SAINT JOHN. 

What is Sustainability?

In today’s world, sustainability is quickly becoming a mainstream social and political issue, as well as an important component of business success.  Sustainability is about making choices today that – at a minimum – will not limit the ability of future generations to meet their needs.  

Sustainability is not about abandoning fiscal responsibility and profit making.  It is about making investments that will improve the long term environmental, economic and social performance of your business. 

Sustainable business practices and thinking provide immense value to businesses by improving resource management, boosting employee satisfaction and productivity, reducing waste, and enhancing corporate profiles.  As awareness of sustainability grows, sustainable businesses will benefit from increased market share as consumers increasingly demand green, socially responsible products. 

Business Toolkit

The Sustainable Saint John Business Toolkit outlines how businesses can develop a sustainable action plan that will save resources and money while promoting a positive workplace and contributing to the community.  This Toolkit will walk you through a simple four-step process to develop an action plan for your business:

STEP 1: Conduct a baseline assessment.
STEP 2: Set goals for the future.
STEP 3: Develop your action plan.
STEP 4: Monitor your progress. 

In addition to this four-step process, the Toolkit provides information on over 50 possible actions that may be appropriate for increasing the sustainability of your business.  The actions are organized within 6 themes of environmental sustainability: energy efficiency, waste management and waste reduction, products and purchasing, transportation, water and wastewater and sustainable business culture.

Click here to download a copy of the Toolkit.

ETF Report

In 2007, with the City of Saint John Environment Committee developed the concept of creating a sustainability network for Greater Saint John and submitted a successful funding proposal to the Province of New Brunswick’s Environmental Trust Fund (ETF) for 2008-2009. 

With this Phase I funding, the Committee coordinated a number of activities and events including: background research and development of a Business Toolkit; identification and recruitment of network members; and hosting of an initial network meeting.

A detailed summary of what has been accomplished in Phase I of developing SUSTAINABLE SAINT JOHN has been prepared and submitted to the ETF. 

Click here to download a copy of the ETF Report.

Appendices:
Sustainable Saint John Background PPT
Discussion Guide for One-on-One Meetings
March 18, 2009 Meeting Minutes
Sustainable Saint John Press Release

Upcoming Events

Charting the Path Forward Workshop: The next step for Sustainable Saint John is to formalize its structure and organization – how will the business community differ in 10 years time with the network in place? What will be the key success factors for the network? Is an organizational structure required? In order to answer these and other questions about the future of the network, Sustainable Saint John will be hosting a two]part workshop event. As a participant or potential participant in Sustainable Saint John, you are invited to attend both of these planning sessions. For more information on the workshop click here.

Contact Information

For more information about SUSTAINABLE SAINT JOHN or if you are interested in joining the network, please contact: 

Andrew Beckett
Deputy City Manager, City of Saint John
15 Market Square
P.O.Box 1971
Saint John, NB  E2L 4L1
Tel: (506) 658-2913  Fax: (506) 658-2802
E-mail: citymanager@saintjohn.ca