• 2011: INitiation: Engaging key leaders, consultants and communicators for:
    • CSA Group Z783 Deconstruction of Buildings and their Related Parts Standard co-author
    • Creation of the Construction Resource Initiatives Council, non-profit organization, 
    • Official launch in Toronto, April 2011   
    • United Nations Environment Programme – Sustainable Building Climate Initiative (UNEP-SBCI):
      • Meeting Paris Head Office;   
      • Symposium on Sustainable Buildings, Philadelphia 

Validation received from Dr. Arab Hoballah, Sustainable Consumption and Production Branch in the Division of Technology Chief, Industry and Economics; UNEP post-symposium: “Such an initiative is necessary to provide leadership and guidance to meet ambitious goals for overall sustainability in the building sector. The CRI Council has built an impressive structure for outreach, advocacy and institutional change in the building sector to achieve its target of zero waste to landfill from the sector by 2030… It is our belief that the work of CRI Council can contribute to a comprehensive approach to advancing sustainable buildings…”   

  • 2012: INspiration: Enabling the opening of influencing minds through presentations  
    • AGM Toronto, Brickworks
    • MISSION 2030 flagship initiative creation, pledge, and launch. 
    • Canadian Construction Association Annual Conference, Savannah,  
    • INspiration Leaders Workshop, Wakefield, QC
    • International Interior Designers Exhibition, Toronto, ON 
    • International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) Congress, Florence, Italy
    • First Canadian organization listed under the UNEP-SCP (Sustainable Consumption and Production) 10 Year Framework of Programs
    • REALpac (Real Estate Association of Canada), Toronto, ON   
    • Recycle Alberta Conference
  • 2014: Call-to-INteraction: Empowering education and other emerging initiatives 
    • AGM, Ottawa City Hall; National Research Council, St-Brigids 
    • International scap2ART Contest Initiation, St-Brigid’s Art Centre 
    • National Zero Waste Council – Construction Work Group
    • Canada’s Public-Private CleanTech Forum; Parliament House of Commons, Ottawa
    • Orillia Zero Waste Conference 
    • United Nations Environment Programme – Regional Office of North America) Civil Society 
    • International Solid Waste Association World Congress – Antwerp, Belgium
    • Consultation on the Global Sustainable Development Goals, Washington, DC
    • INteractor Pledge 
    • Articles
  • 2017 – By this time, the group’s work market value had reached nearly one million dollars in professional volunteer work, with less than one hundred thousand dollars between 2009-2017 However, while interest grew, it became clear that the financial viability of another non-profit organization competing for sponsorship dollars would become increasingly challenging for a number of reasons. As such, the organization was put on hold.      
  • Today – After a much needed hold period to re-evaluate, an interesting resurgence of interest in the CRI Council; namely MISSION 2030 and the CRI Council and the WASTE SAVER MOBILE Beta Application. As such, although the non-profit organization was untenable, the lessons learned have been applied to the creation of the VITAE Cooperative and MISSION 2030 is being regenerated as a net-zero waste living lab program platform.

The following is a small sampling of factors contributing to success in change management adapted from APG International’s Change Manager’s Handbook, to be considered, entirely relevant to MISSION 2030

  1. The relationship between key change management factors and value captured at various levels:
    • Sponsorship and Senior Management Levels
    1. Commitment: Put carbon neutral and waste-free initiative at top of the agenda;
    2. Communication: Relate single, clear, compelling story-no mixed messages;
    3. Financial Incentives: Reward managers and staff if an initiative is successful; 
    4. Nonfinancial Incentives: Provide recognition for strong clean cycles and safe sink performances; 
    5. Leadership: Identify the owner/champion continuously working to increase resource productivity;      
    6. Stretch Targets: Uphold goals with mantralike consistency; team ‘lives or dies’ by their numbers; 
    • Middle Management:
      • Decision Authority: Exercise consistent control over a defined set of iteration tasks; 
      • Skills in Managing People: Provide critical feedback to employees and stakeholders on the initiative status; 
      • Skills in Managing Project: Achieve measurable milestones in a timely manner.
    • Frontline staff:
      • Skills: Integrative education and training are critical;
      • Tools and Techniques: Making technology and techniques available to employees is essential;
      • Motivation: Reward excellent performance to improve morale, and provide inclusive opportunities;
  2. The change initiative design choices to be considered include:
    • Change path as a journey over a period of time (from the commitment or pledge time to 2030)
    • Change start-point to grow from local/regional ‘pockets’
    • Change style to be introduced collaboratively
    • Change target to focus on performance; whereas VITAE change initiatives focus on people and/or culture
    • Change roles to sponsor and support the change, as well as how.
  3. Factors shaping the change initiative design choices:
    • Power: concentration, empowerment, distribution
    • Time: urgency and importance 
    • Scope: spread and impacts 
    • Preservation: history vs legacy
    • Diversity: challenges and opportunities
    • Capability: to start, during and after
    • Capacity: financial, time, and human resources required
    • Readiness: critical mass commitment