Program on the Environment

Studies indicate that 100 organizations are linked to 71% of global industrial GHG emissions since 1998. One of the ways in which organization address these issues is through sustainability reporitng and participating in green award programs. Green award programs collect information from organization and give out awards to organizations that stand out in their industry. It is unclear if the structure of sustainability reporting and green award programs has a profound impact on changing companies operations to address their negative environmental impacts. This study aims to see whether sustainability reporting and green award programs positively impact organizations, and which of the two has a more profound impact. To answer my research questions I will draw from personal experiences helping UW Harborview Medical Center (UWHMC) complete a third party green program application for Practice Greenhealth. Evidence will be supported by interviews with members of various departments of the UWHMC to gather their thoughts and experiences with Practice GreenHealth. Additionally, I conducted a synthesis of various scholarly resources to analyze the pros and cons of sustainability reporting frameworks. I’ve concluded that Third-Party Green Programs are the best sustainability reporting framework for their combination of feasibility, organizational benefit, accuracy, risk of bias, and standardization. Organization commit the majority of environmental pollution and GHG emissions; their actions impact everyone around the globe. It is crucial to ensure that these Organizations are aware of their actions and to motivate them to make changes.