EVENTS: Upcoming SSC Green Auditor Certification Training in May 2009
Posted by dbuhrau on February 13, 2009
Want to help organizations figure out how to “go green”? Have a passion for sustainability but no formal audit training? Join us for a 3-day training event and become a certified SSC Green Auditor! We’ll provide you with everything you need to successfully guide a client through a Green Audit.
Using SSC’s proprietary methodology and tools, you will learn how to:
- Determine employees’ attitudes and awareness about “going green”
- Calculate your client’s carbon footprint
- Assess your client’s environmental strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement
- Provide relevant, cost-effective, and impactful green recommendation
After you complete the certification, you will:
- Walk away with a host of tactical tools (surveys, spreadsheets, calculators, report templates) to make green audits a simple, consistent process
- Get access to SSC’s collection of green recommendations and results (for example, show your clients how their carbon footprint compares to other similar organizations)
- Be authorized to use the SSC Green Audit methodology and tools to conduct your own client engagements, with licensing fees paid to SSC on a per-client basis
- Receive free support from SSC staff, to help when questions come up
- Be listed on the SSC website as a certified SSC Green Auditor, and receive a “Certified SSC Green Auditor” logo to use on your own materials
- Receive preferential status when SSC contracts with local sustainability consultants
Program details:
- Date: May 27 – May 29, 2009
- Location: Washington, DC (specific details to follow)
- Cost: $2,500 per person (discounts available for groups)
- Length of certification: 1-year (annual recertification optional)
Are you right for this certification program?
This program is designed for people with a strong working knowledge of environmental issues, who are looking for a green audit methodology that will provide clear, concise, and compelling results for their clients. You should be comfortable with concepts like (but not limited to) climate change, waste/recycling, water management, ISO 14001, and sustainability reporting. Participants have probably read The Ecology of Commerce and Natural Capitalism, and can confidently answer simple questions about “green” workplaces. To ensure only the highest quality SSC Green Auditors, we reserve the right to limit access to the certification program.
To learn more about the certification program, send an email to info@sustainabilityconsulting.com and tell us more about yourself. To register, go to our website at http://www.sustainabilityconsulting.com and go to our events page–click forward to May and choose “register now”.
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Tea Silvestre said
would love to do this, but can’t afford flying to DC. Do you ever plan to do a west coast event? Or a web-based (the greenest!) event?
Jennifer Woofter said
That’s a great question – we will offer the certification anywhere in the world, as long as there is a group of 5 people signed up – but we rely on you to get that group together. And while we offer every other webinar and training session online, we believe that this course requires in-person interaction because of the small group work, the dialogue, and the networking that goes on. For now, we plan to keep it place-based.
Sangeeta Nandi said
Hi, this is something that would enhance my sustainability background considerably in a practical manner, and I’d love to do the course. Any chance of it being held in Austin, Tx, in the near future?
Jennifer Woofter said
As we noted in a previous comment, we’re open to hosting the training event anywhere in the world, as long as there are at least 5 people signed up – but that we don’t target cities outside of Washington, DC (at least, not yet). So right now, we don’t have any plans to do the course in Austin. Why not come to DC?
Tom said
This sounds like a great opportunity however as it states, it is for those with a strong environmental knowledge or background.
I have layman’s knowledge which I’ve gained by surfing the web, etc. Is there a 101 type program that could be put together to bring us without this strong background up to the prerequisite level needs before coming to one of these advanced sessions?
Maybe this could be a web based, self-paced program. If you don’t provide this as I know you’re probably quite busy as it is, do you know of any others resources for those like me to seek before stepping up to your required level?
Also when you say all you need is five people in a location to have a program, is that be a flat $2,500 each or $12,500 total?
Jennifer Woofter said
The pricing is per-person – so a separate group would be $12,500 (for five people) although we would consider a discount for everyone if there was a group of at least 10 people.
In terms of getting up to speed with the background needed to be an SSC Green Auditor, I think it’s important to note that we’re not looking for technical sustainability experts, but rather people who have a good working knowledge of environmental issues that organization’s face and common solutions. Reading “Green to Gold” and “Natural Capitalism” would be a great start. You definitely do NOT need formal training in sustainability – some of our best auditors are people who have just done their research and really know the issues. If you’d like to talk with us directly about your experience and whether you’re qualified (or not), feel free to give us a call at 202-470-3248.
Dawn Williams said
Following this May certification training, when will the next one be held?
Jennifer Woofter said
We offer the class during the last three business days of January, May, and August.
Nick said
How much does the annual recertification cost, and what does it take to get recertified for an additional year? Does a person have to attend the 3 day training again?
Thanks
Jennifer Woofter said
More good questions – for 2009 and 2010, the annual recertification will be online (a 2-hour conference call to go over any changes/updates to the methodology) and free. At some point in the future, we may charge a nominal fee for recertification and you may need to re-take the course if you haven’t been an active auditor in more than 2 years.