Sustainability Business Network Detroit, One Year In
Sustainable Business Network Detroit was formed a year ago out of a study conducted by Erb Family Foundation and is helmed by Terry Barclay, chair, SBN Detroit, and CEO Inforum; Neil Hawkins, president of Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation; and Cindy Goodaker, VP, signature programs and communications, Inforum, along with a distinguished list of organizing members steeped in the sustainability community of Southeast Michigan. The group’s goal is to create a sustainable business ecosystem by convening a network serving as a hub for idea-sharing, programming, content, mentoring, and more – to accelerate the systemic adoption of sustainable business practices in Southeast Michigan. The primary belief is that business is a positive force for change and can and should be used as a force for good. For the past twelve months, the network has worked toward three core pillars; advancing and amplifying sustainable business practices in a centralized hub; creating urgency to activate; and articulating a sustainable way forward for the region. Here, Neil Hawkins shares his viewpoint and insights on the progress the network has made this year and the vision for the future. What is the impetus behind SBN Detroit? How did the idea arise and how was it developed? I’ve been involved with sustainability as it relates to businesses for some time and worked for Dow as their chief sustainability officer. Subsequently, Fred and Barbara Erb established the Erb Institute for Sustainable Global Enterprise more than 25 years ago at the University of Michigan. No program like this had existed in the world up until then, and it was very forward-thinking and visionary – the idea that business had a positive role to play in environmental sustainability. I came to the Erb Family Foundation as the president four years ago and at that time, we commissioned a study done by Sarah McCall – now working as SBN Detroit administrator – of what needed to be done to accelerate progress in sustainability within the region. That research was the impetus behind starting a network that would accelerate sustainability through business collaboration and progress – SBN Detroit. How do SBN Detroit’s three pillars work together to achieve its mission of mobilizing businesses and organizations to make Southeast Michigan a global leader in sustainability? Fundamentally the pillars are in place to help break down the barriers – silos. There are too many silos that exist in the region, and they prevent progress. These are silos between companies and across different-sized companies, and between companies and non-profits etc. All of those together are a barrier to making faster progress. These three areas of focus – urgency, centralization, and looking forward – are helping to tear down these silos and promote collaboration. The second statement was a fragment as written. I think it’s supposed to say: These three areas of focus – urgency, centralization, and looking forward – are helping to tear down these silos and promote collaboration. (I’m not sure my edits made that clear) A year in, what impact do you think SBN Detroit has made and is making? What is its greatest success so far? I think SBN Detroit has helped to completely change the level of dialogue within the region about sustainable business practices. I see it as a ‘before SBN Detroit and after SBN Detroit.’ We are seeing new collaboration and a lot more discussion about how we can work together to move forward, and we are seeing it on a completely different level. What specifically do you attribute this to? I think our biggest success in the last twelve months is the March 2022 event we had featuring Dr. Katharine Hayhoe on improving the dialogue about climate change. It was a remarkable event, and the timing was such that it was many people’s first foray into a public space since COVID had begun. The narrative of the event coupled with the interaction among people with like minds and like interests sparked renewed energy toward our collective goals. I also attribute our success to our steering team. I thank them for laying out a strategy and faithfully bringing people together. If the steering team works well together – and it has – we have a good shot at having continued success. What is the importance of collaboration when it comes to sustainability in this region? It is only going to be through collaboration that our region and ecosystem reach their full potential. SBN Detroit is focused on accelerating collaboration by creating opportunities for dialogue and action. We’ve accomplished this, and I see the fruits of it already. Excellent groundwork has been laid. What are your thoughts on SBN Detroit as a network? I think SBN Detroit represents many networks and is not a single network. This is still playing out a bit, and it’s a good thing. As long as we can keep companies and nonprofits and different universities and institutions involved and collaborating and working together that’s a great thing. What do you see as the primary obstacles to network formation, and how can they be overcome? The key obstacle is competition – competition between businesses, between businesses and nonprofits, between nonprofits and universities, between universities and other universities, and so on. The key thing we all have to focus on is that this is not a zero-sum game. By collaborating we make the pie bigger for everyone. There is growth here to be had and a lot of investment to come. We can all share in that growth if we are working together. This will position metro Detroit well. What do you see as the corporate-level impact of SBN Detroit? Having come from corporate, what I see through SBN Detroit is a renewed sense of group action and focus on the region, the Great Lakes, and the planet. Pre-COVID some silos existed, and then you throw in a pandemic that forces people to not even go into their workplace, and it is significantly exacerbated. We have started to create a sense of urgency and
Energy Savings Plus Workforce Development Aids Companies, Students
The Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) at Michigan State University, in collaboration with Michigan Technological University and Henry Ford College, offers the 6,200+ small and medium manufacturers (SMEs) in Michigan free technical assessments to help save energy, improve productivity, reduce waste, and reduce carbon emissions. As a result, the institutions are helping to build and expand a knowledgeable and diverse energy workforce pipeline. The scope of topics covered includes: – Energy and water savings – Smart manufacturing – Energy management – Cybersecurity – Resilience planning – Decarbonization – Electrification SBN Detroit spoke to Dr. Kristen Cetin, associate professor at MSU in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She also is the director of the MSU Industrial Assessment Center. Q: Tell me about the Industrial Assessment Center A: We are a U.S. Department of Energy-funded center focused on two things: First, we support small and medium-sized manufacturers and commercial building owners by providing one-day no-cost assessments to identify opportunities to improve and support their energy and sustainability goals. Our second focus is workforce development. Once students graduate they take manufacturing and sustainability and energy knowledge into the workforce. Some students will go on to jobs in manufacturing or energy, and others perhaps not, but will know to integrate what they’ve learned in whatever career they pursue. We are one of 37 IAC centers across the country, and ours is a collaboration between Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, and Henry Ford College. Q: How did the IAC come to be? A: The Department of Energy program has been in existence since the ‘70s to support energy efficiency, and every five years they do a funding call. That’s where it began. Michigan has not had an IAC for about six years. I moved here from Iowa and was surprised that this manufacturing-rich area did not have an IAC providing this service. So, when the funding call came out we applied for Topic 1, which is the manufacturing side, and Topic 2, which is the commercial building side, pilot program. We knew MSU alone couldn’t easily support all regions of Michigan given how big Michigan is. Michigan Tech is surrounded by important and different industries, so they were a natural collaboration to support the northern part of the state. Collaborating with Henry Ford College as a community college helps us to support the Detroit area, as well as to better reach more commercial buildings. This collaboration also enables broader diversity of students to participate in terms of training. So we partnered, and it’s been going very well to date. Q: What does the assessment process involve and how much support do you offer outside of the assessment? A: The assessment process begins with a thorough analysis of utility bills, followed by a one-day in-person assessment. Sometimes we leave datalogger equipment to continue to monitor the operation of energy-consuming systems after the assessment. Once the assessment and analysis are complete a full report is written up including detailed recommendations, estimates of energy efficiencies, and associated costs. We then follow up about a year after the assessment to see what was implemented, if there were efficiencies gained, and receive feedback on what was actionable and what was not. This helps us figure out what we can do better and what kind of impact each assessment has made. In terms of supporting the implementation of our recommendations, we do a few things. If appropriate we contact utility companies to see if there are rebates or incentives that fit well. We also connect interested companies to the Better Plants program, which can help facilitate larger-scope initiatives and provide ongoing support beyond our assessments. And finally, a new development that is just becoming available is a matching grant program to support any company that completes the assessment. Part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law implementation, this is a new grant that will match company funds to support implementation of the changes recommended in the post-assessment report. Q: Are all assessments the same or do they vary depending on the building? A: We typically have one day to do them, so to that end we follow a similar schedule and format. But our recommendations and areas of focus vary depending on what kind of manufacturing the company is doing, or what kind of commercial building it is. We do a walk-through in the morning and obtain information about all of their systems in place. At lunch, we brainstorm about areas of improvement, and then we split into groups to dive deeper into those areas throughout the afternoon. Q: How many assessments are done annually? A: We do 30 assessments per year, approximately 20 of which are manufacturers and ten commercial buildings. Q: What is the role of the students? A: This is very much a student-led program. Students are the main point of contact with each of the companies we work with, the lead in the discussions, the lead in data collection, and all aspects of the program. There is a student lead for each assessment, and that person is in charge of setting up the logistics and takes the lead during the assessment. They also present the report and recommendations to the companies we work with. They also lead the student group in creating the report draft review, which is then reviewed and approved before sharing with the company. The faculty and staff in the IAC help to support and generate ideas, provide technical expertise, as well as review recommendations and overall reports. Our student groups range from approximately three to eight per assessment. Approximately 90% of the students are undergraduates from a variety of engineering and non-engineering backgrounds. There is also a three-credit training course that students in the IAC take during their first semester in the program. All students are paid for the work they do, including training. Q: What does it mean to have this practical hands-on experience? A: I think this hands-on training is even more valuable than taking classes. It’s invaluable – this
