Published By: Communications and Public Outreach
What is sustainability?
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is pleased to announce that it has completed and is implementing its Sustainability Plan and Program 2008. To begin the explanation of what this is and why it matters, we’ll explain first what SFPUC means with its use of the term “sustainability”.
Most of us know that the common meaning of sustainability is the capability to maintain. In the more specific context of sustainable development, however, sustainability is defined a little differently, as follows: the goal of meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. [Taken from: Our Common Future, U.N. General Assembly Brundtland Commission Report 1987]
This “Brundtland” definition has been adopted internationally as it intends to address inequities in development. It posits a shared international goal that challenges governments and private and public sector organizations, such as the SFPUC, to plan for the longer term, while taking into account their natural, community and economic resources.
For a utility like the SFPUC that provides essential water, wastewater, and power services, the additional challenge is to translate this development goal into an effective organizational management tool. How does this tool add value? It provides SFPUC with a strategic framework by which to consider cross-boundary issues and make decisions. It frames our departmental issues and decisions around our service sources and systems, our current and future customers and their service needs, and the integration of the effects of those needs on our longterm environment, economy, and communities (often called “the triple bottom line”).
Local governments and public and private organizations have begun developing sustainability plans and programs across the country using international and industry sector guidelines. The utility of this planning is in the tools it provides for integrated and strategic decisionmaking, assessments, and reporting of long term sustainability performance.
In this way, these organizations are benchmarking their sustainability performance over time with others in and across their industries. SFPUC’s approach in undertaking this challenge draws on this work of others, and takes a step ahead as the first triple-enterprise utility in the country to develop a sustainability framework against all three components of the triple bottom line.
How does sustainability planning benefit the SFPUC and the services we provide?
It’s important to note that SFPUC’s Plan is not an end in itself, but rather is a “living” document. It provides a base and sets the stage for its Program to implement the reporting protocol and strategies for improving performance laid out in the Sustainability Plan and Program 2008. Already, the concept of sustainability is embedded in our mission, and the SFPUC is engaged in numerous and ongoing activities related to our overall sustainability.
Until we assessed our Fiscal Year 2005-06 sustainability performance, SFPUC had no baseline and no strategic system by which to assess whether a specific action was in fact sustainable Department-wide, i.e. whether an action in one enterprise or division of SFPUC complemented or cost an action or outcome in another enterprise or division. Now the Plan and Program will help us identify these intersections, determine and track their integration and our sustainability performance over the long term, and provide better information for decisionmaking.
The performance indicators, standards, and guidelines that we use will continue to be consistent with industry standards and best practices, and national and local rules and regulations. We also use AWWA guidelines for triple bottom line reporting, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines - the international standard for reporting on economic, social and environmental performance.
To stay current, we will reassess our sustainability performance on a biennial basis, and with our forthcoming fiscal year 2008-9 update to SFPUC’s Sustainability Baseline Assessment FY05/06, intend to become a GRI reporter. We will also track a subset of our performance indicators on a quarterly and annualized basis.
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Sustainability Strategy Group Office of the General Manager Deputy General Manager Business Services External Affairs Infrastructure Water Enterprise Wastewater Enterprise Power Enterprise |
What issues and interim reports have contributed to development of SFPUC’s Sustainability Plan and Program 2008?
To develop our sustainability framework, we reviewed with stakeholders a wide variety of issues, including those of and related to the SFPUC’s three enterprises and our support divisions, and relations with our communities and stakeholders.
As a result, fifty eight issues are now embedded in our sustainability framework under six major categories: 1) Environment and Natural Resources, 2) Customers, 3) Community, 4) Workplace, 5) Governance and Management, and 6) Infrastructure and Assets. To view our framework, click here. In addition, over 150 performance indicators are associated with these issues. We expect that over time, the major categories will remain constant, and that the issues and indicators will evolve and change; we have structured the assessments and reporting protocol accordingly.
The Plan’s first major deliverables included: 1) Sustainability Indicators and Best Practices, 2) Sustainability Baseline Assessment FY05/06, and 3) Proposed Strategies and Initiatives for Improving Performance. These interim reports remain a good source of information for those curious about the basis for and details of the process and methods used in developing our current Sustainability Plan and Program 2008.
How have our stakeholders contributed to SFPUC’s Sustainability Plan and Program?
Stakeholder contributions have been essential, and we will continue to engage with our internal and external stakeholders throughout implementation. Internal stakeholders include SFPUC staff led by a Sustainability Strategy Group (SSG) of nineteen senior managers. See the list of members in the sidebar. This group provides leadership of the plan and program, has committed to implementing the strategies for improving performance, and contributes to and reviews program components and deliverables.
SFPUC staff are core to sustainability activities and implementation; they have met and commented on key deliverables and we will continue to rely on staff for strategy implementation, feedback, and information.
SFPUC’s external stakeholders include our customers, the general public, and our regular forums, such as the Citizens Advisory Committee. We also created an external stakeholder group (ESG) of invited representatives to inform and guide us in developing our interim planning deliverables. This group included members of interest groups, agencies, and experts on sustainability who committed to review and comment on key deliverables throughout our planning. We are grateful that their participation added substance and rigour to both our process and our deliverables. Please click here for a more detailed description of our stakeholder outreach.
How can you remain informed?
Visit this web page often; we’ll continue to post information and deliverables and invite you to use the dedicated email for comments. Please email all sustainability planning comments and inquiries to sustainability@sfwater.org
Attachments: (Help)
Sustainability Plan Framework (640 KB) Sustainability Plan Glossary and Abbreviations (112 KB) 