The following is a guest post from our colleague, Graham Russell of SustainableOfficer.com, a new website that enables you to post questions and requests for information on sustainability issues and receive e-mail responses directly from your peers and experts in the industry.

Green and sustainable business is a hot topic. That’s good news: a rapidly growing number of business people are beginning to get the message that environmentally and socially responsible initiatives can reduce costs, drive technology and business process innovation, build brand equity and enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty.

That’s also bad news because when something becomes a hot topic, thousands of new websites, online newsletters and advisory services spontaneously develop, offering every possible variety of information (and misinformation) on the subject, much of it coming from folks who two years ago couldn’t spell sustainability and thought green business was what went on at golf clubs!

There is so much stuff out there on this subject that it’s possible to spend many tens of hours stumbling from one website to another or searching disorganized blogs and LinkedIn sites and still fail to get the answers you need. If you’re just starting down the path of thinking how best to initiate green or sustainability programs in your organization, you’re probably like a lot of others who are frustrated by this process and wondering how you can quickly find the specific information you need, get fast, relevant answers to your questions, and build a network of trusted peers and experts in the sustainability profession. Even seasoned practitioners of sustainability frequently encounter issues they haven’t seen before and have trouble finding a peer who’s been there, done that and who can help them avoid reinventing the wheel.

If you’re in this boat and it’s a big one, you might want to check out Sustainable Officer, an online information exchange and networking site created for those involved in developing and implementing green and sustainable initiatives in their organizations. Developed by a major Rocky Mountain business publication in collaboration with several local sustainability professionals, SustainableOfficer.com has built a large online community of sustainability experts and professionals who are engaged in a lively exchange of questions and answers on every aspect of green and sustainable business. Participation in SustainableOfficer.com is free and the site keeps the identity of all who participate private unless they choose to reveal it.

Once signed up as a member of the community, you can post an information request or question on any aspect of sustainability. A Site Moderator acts as gatekeeper to ensure that questions are relevant to sustainability, couched in terms that are concise and easy to understand, and not sales pitches disguised as questions. Questions are sent out daily to the entire community, members of which respond directly via e-mail to the requester with answers, advice, relevant information or other useful information. If responders like the information they receive, they can make direct contact with those who provided it and begin to expand their network of trusted colleagues in the profession.

SustainableOfficer.com is expanding its community nationally so that everyone in the sustainable business profession can quickly and easily reach out beyond their local community and tap into leading edge ideas and initiatives that have been developed in other parts of the country. You can learn more about how it works and see examples of questions being asked and answered, go to: www.sustainableofficer.com.

Check it out and let us know what you think right here at Green Marketing Blog.

Bookmark to:

If you are anywhere near Denver in early March (skiing, soaking in the hot springs, etc.), our friends at CORE Colorado are putting on a sustainability summit that can’t be missed. We’ll be there. Visit us at our booth. 

Here’s all the info from Graham Russell, CORE’s Executive Director.   

2010 SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES SUMMIT + EXPO

March 2 – 4, 2010 | Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO

Looking for new ways to turn your company’s sustainability challenges into business opportunities?

The Sustainable Opportunities Summit + Expo, held annually in Denver, Colorado, is consistently one of the most comprehensive, actionable conferences in the industry.

 Our 2010 program promises to be the best yet. Among the sessions you will enjoy are:

Sustainability in the Supply Chain – featuring a plenary panel discussion of the Sustainability Consortium initiated by major retailers and including speakers from Miller Coors, KPMG and Wal-Mart. 

Plenary presentations by Andrew Winston: co-author of the sustainability best-seller “Green to Gold” and Peter Fusaro: author of NY Times best-seller “What Went Wrong at Enron?” 

Sustainability in the World of Sports: a panel discussion of how the sports industry is addressing the demands for more environmentally responsible sporting events AND greener sporting venues. Speakers from the Pepsi Center, Dicks Sporting Goods Park and Icon Venues. 

MORE THAN 60 SPEAKERS, 100 EXHIBITORS + COUNTLESS BENEFITS 

   Gain a global perspective and apply it to constructive local action.

   Turn corporate responsibility into long-term competitive advantage.

   The latest technologies in water treatment & conservation, recycling, waste minimization, sustainable agriculture, responsible mining and more.

   Learn how innovative energy ideas will create a robust economic engine.

   Connect with the most powerful sustainability players, locally and nationwide.

   Get access to key decision-makers, including buyers and investors.

Join Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, our speakers, exhibitors and hundreds of your colleagues to learn how sustainability is fast becoming the key driver of innovation, improved financial performance and more robust economic development. 

To register or for more info: 2010 Sustainable Opportunties Summit & Expo.

Bookmark to: