by Brianna Crandall — May 27, 2015—The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has expressed its support for the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) initiative to create a Sustainability Professional Certification.
AASHE supports the development of this program through the engagement of its Advisory Council, who will provide feedback on the certification’s development to represent the AASHE community at-large. AASHE will evaluate the potential impact of the certification for its members, as well as additional ways to collaborate with ISSP.
“We’re very pleased to have AASHE engaged as an active partner in developing the Sustainability Professional Certification Program,” said ISSP Executive Director Maureen Hart. “AASHE member colleges and universities are training tomorrow’s sustainability professionals, so AASHE’s involvement in developing the Sustainability Professional Certification helps ensure alignment of what is being taught with what will be tested for as part of the certification process. AASHE member institutions are themselves hiring sustainability employees and consultants and will directly benefit from the certification’s use as a way to evaluate potential talent.”
Since the beginning of 2015, more than 60 organizations and individuals have declared their support of efforts by ISSP to launch the Sustainability Professional Certification Program.
AASHE has joined other supporters of ISSP’s efforts in signing a Declaration of Support that states there is a need to:
- Provide cohesion and definition to the emerging profession of sustainability;
- Provide credibility for employers and assurance of a standard level of competency of the sustainability professional; and
- Provide practitioners in the field evidence of competency, furthering their credibility, influence and career advancement opportunities.
For more information about the ISSP Sustainability Professional Certification Program, visit the ISSP Web site.
