The International Society of Sustainability Professionals’ Credential Program Turns One On Heels of the Organization Joining Forces With Green Business Certification Inc.
HARTFORD, Conn. (PRWEB) December 14, 2017 -- --New credentials are helping holders make career and industry changes like MBAs have for years--
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), the world's leading professional association for sustainability professionals, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of launching its Sustainability Professional Credential Program. This milestone comes on the heels of the organization joining forces with Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) to advance green and sustainable business practices through professional credentialing. Among the program’s main findings is that the new credentials are helping holders make career and industry changes like MBAs have for years.
“It’s been a very exciting year here at ISSP,” said Executive Director Maureen Hart. “Between graduating our first cohorts of Sustainability Associates (ISSP-SA) and Certified Sustainability Professionals (ISSP-CSA), and entering a synergistic and capacity building relationship with GBCI, we feel quite grateful to be experiencing such momentum as we head into our tenth year in operation.”
To date, more than 500 professionals have earned or started working towards ISSP’s two credentials. These individuals have hailed from municipalities and universities all over the world, as well as from organizations as diverse as CarbonFund.org, CISCO Systems, Ernst & Young, General Electric, IBM, InterContinental Hotels Group, Proctor & Gamble, SolarCity, Sustainable Solutions Corporation, Walt Disney, and Xerox. The ISSP Sustainability Professional Credential Program’s objectives are threefold: to validate the knowledge and experience of seasoned practitioners; to give direction to newcomers to the field; and to establish rigorous guidelines so employers can hire with more confidence. According to Hart, initial feedback confirms that practitioners and employers alike are happy, and playing an active role in the initiative’s future offerings.
"I'm thrilled to be part of ISSP’s first cohort and contribute to the development of sustainability professional credentials. It's a critical step to moving the field forward, particularly in establishing a universal standard of practice across geographies and sectors, and also adding a much needed credential for skilled sustainability professionals," said Beth Knight, Ernst & Young’s former head of corporate sustainability.
"An ISSP credential has not only been valuable to me as a sustainability professional, but it has also benefited me as the president of my company, where I am involved in hiring, training, and working directly with employees. I would look at a candidate with an ISSP-SA or ISSP-CSP credential as being uniquely qualified in this space. I encourage all of my employees to complete the credential(s), as a differentiator for our team as well as for their own professional growth and development,” said Tad Radzinski, PE, LEED AP, SFP, ISSP-CSP, president of Sustainable Solutions Corporation.
To register for the ISSP-SA and/or ISSP-CSP exams, candidates should visit the “Apply for Exam” page on ISSP’s website. Tests can be scheduled at one of more than 900 centers in 120 countries, or taken via an online proctoring system. Study tools, including guides for both exams and flashcards designed to help candidates prepare for the ISSP-SA exam, are available for purchase from ISSP. In addition, several ISSP Education Partners offer test preparation courses for the ISSP-SA exam.
ISSP is following the internationally recognized ISO 17024 standard in development of the Sustainability Professional Credential program. ISO 17024 sets out globally recognized criteria for creating a credential program for individuals. Adhering to the ISO 17024 standard ensures that the ISSP credentials will provide a global benchmark for sustainability professionals and industry-recognized credentials that can be carried across national borders.
About ISSP
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world's leading professional association for sustainability professionals. ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward by leading the design and delivery of sustainability professional credentials, and by building strong networks and communities of practice. Webinars, online courses, a sustainability educational certificate, sustainability professional’s body of knowledge, special reports, resource directories and salary surveys are just a sampling of the rich content offered to members. Formed in 2007, ISSP boasts over 1,000 members from every region of the world. h [ttps://http://www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org/sustainability-professional-certification/application
Emily Walsh, International Society of Sustainability Professionals, http://www.sustainabilityprofessionals.org, 646-489-9471, [email protected]
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