BrownFlynn (www.brownflynn.com), leaders in corporate responsibility and sustainability, announced today that they will soon release the results of a report on the importance of stakeholder engagement in developing an organization's sustainability strategy.

BrownFlynn partnered with the Institute for Sustainable Development (www.gogreenplus.org) -- a national, NC Research Triangle-based nonprofit that assists small- and medium-sized organizations with their sustainability efforts and partners with academic institutions UNC, Duke University, NC State, Elon University and chambers of commerce in their efforts -- to conduct a multi-level survey this past summer. Responses from almost 200 businesses, nonprofits and governmental agencies gave basis for the report that reveals how various organizations and companies value and practice stakeholder engagement, and how it impacts their sustainability efforts.

Sample Report Findings:

• Businesses engaging stakeholders more often have more sustainability practices in place -- a finding that indicates an inextricable linkage between stakeholder engagement and sustainability.


• Better understanding of the marketplace, fostering goodwill, building relationships and learning the priorities and needs of stakeholders were the most important reasons reported for both engaging stakeholders generally and engaging stakeholders specifically around sustainability.


• For both general engagement and engagement around sustainability, businesses considered customers, employees and communities to be the most important stakeholder groups.

BrownFlynn Principal and Co-Owner Barb Brown states, "We are excited about the report findings because they show the value of stakeholder engagement to sustainability. The more companies engage their stakeholders, the more sustainability strategies they have, which means the more those companies can leverage and measure their environmental, social and economic performance."

Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, Chris Carmody comments, "This report demonstrates that stakeholder engagement is not only a tool for good business but also helps employers improve their environmental impact and community engagement. Employees, customers, communities and investors give business a reality check on what's important as well as what's profitable."

In other news: Mark your calendar for January 26th and 27th. BrownFlynn Learning is offering its first open enrollment GRI-certified course of 2011. The GRI Process provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of the Global Reporting Initiative-G3 Process and how it can be used, not only to develop a report, but enhance a company's sustainability strategy. And that's just the beginning. Please visit www.brownflynnlearning.com and register for the certified training session. Seats are limited.

About BrownFlynn and BrownFlynn Learning
BrownFlynn is a corporate responsibility and sustainability consulting firm. We partner with clients to integrate environmentally and socially responsible practices into their business strategies and help them communicate those messages internally and externally, creating a cultural shift that results in bottom-line impact. Visit www.brownflynn.com for service offerings, case studies and our sustainability resource center.

In 2008, BrownFlynn was named the first U.S. certified trainer for GRI, the international "gold standard" for sustainability management and reporting. This resulted in the launch of BrownFlynn Learning -- the Firm's corporate sustainability education and training division. BrownFlynn Learning teaches companies how to triple their bottom line -- environmentally, socially and economically -- through workshops, webinars, on-site training, conferences and other venues.

Visit www.brownflynnlearning.com for more information.

About The Institute for Sustainable Development
The Institute for Sustainable Development is a non-profit partnership of academic and business leaders whose mission is to democratize sustainability, providing practical, affordable, high quality sustainability expertise to smaller enterprises and their communities. Through its Green Plus™ program, the Institute connects small businesses and non-profits with university expertise and a network of peers throughout North America. Organizations demonstrating exceptional triple bottom line sustainability may also earn Green Plus Certification™, a designation to distinguish themselves with their communities and customers.

To learn more, please visit www.gogreenplus.org.

BrownFlynn

BrownFlynn

About BrownFlynn

Founded in January 1996, BrownFlynn is a leading corporate sustainability and governance consulting firm. The Firm advises Fortune 500 and privately-held companies to drive value creation by focusing on and managing their greatest impacts by understanding their landscape, setting their direction, telling their story, and engaging their stakeholders. BrownFlynn is the first U.S.-certified training partner of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The Firm shares its expertise through speaking engagements, whitepapers, webinars, collaborative partnerships, and regular columns in leading publications. To learn more visit brownflynn.com.

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