The Human Footprint and the Human Handprint

The Human Footprint and the Human Handprint
Gregory A. Norris
Co-Director,
Sustainability and Health Initiative for Net-Positive Enterprise
Center for Health and the Global Environment
Harvard School of Public Health
Outline

The Footprint Reality

The Reality of Handprints

Psychological Realities

Handprint Methodology 101

Social / Human Handprints

Case Studies in Progress
Footprinting


Direct Requirements are
the inputs to a process
from other processes
Direct requirements
define the “ripple effects”
of an actor's activity
(consumer, producer, etc.)
in a footprint calculation.
Footprinting

Multiple Dimensions to a Footprint
–
Environmental
•
•
•
–
Social
•
•
•

Acid rain
Global warming
Etc.
Human rights
Livable wages
Etc.
A Perspective of Shared Responsibility
The Production of Every product has a footprint.
We buy and use products daily
The planet would be better off without me?
How do we make this not the case?
Handprints

Handprints are the
positive impacts we
cause / enable to happen,
relative to “business as usual.”
– i.e., wouldn't have happened
without our effort/influence.
Your Direct Handprint:
Reductions to Your Own Footprint
Your Indirect Handprint:
Inform, Enable, Inspire
Handprinting Is Social
Net-Positive: Handprint > Footprint
Outline

The Footprint Reality

The Reality of Handprints

Psychological Realities

Handprint Methodology 101

Social / Human Handprints

Case Studies in Progress
The Inconvenient Truth about...
Human Response to a Threat is to Seek Safety, Relief
(e.g., Weber 2011)
Some Wonderful Corollaries

Human Psychological Needs
– Autonomy / Self-direction
– Community / Relatedness
– Efficacy / Mastery
– Meaning / Transcendance

We Thrive when
meeting these needs
(Deci 1992; Deci & Ryan 2012,
Kasser 2003; Self Determination Theory)
Progress on Meaningful Work
Business success vs. failure
← Motivated, Committed, Creative,
Collaborative workforce
← Strong “inner work life”
Positive emotions
Strong internal (intrinsic) motivation
Favorable towards colleagues and work
← Empowered to succeed at meaningful work
Outline

The Footprint Reality

The Reality of Handprints

Psychological Realities

Handprint Methodology 101

Social / Human Handprints

Case Studies in Progress
Handprinting

Multiple Dimensions to a Handprint
–
Environmental
•
•
–
Global warming
Etc.
Social
•
•
Human rights
Etc.

Includes impacts outside your footprint

A Perspective of Shared Credit
Similarities with LCA

Same impact scope

Full supply chain and life cycle scope

Can draw on databases, tools, standards
for Footprinting (LCA)
Differences vis-a-vis LCA


Handprinting is all about changes to
Business as Usual
Handprinting includes changes which occur outside
the scope of the Handprinter's Footprint
– Buyer requires supplier to reduce GHGs by 10%
– Supplier footprint reduced by 100 tons of CO2
– (Buyer purchases 50% of supplier output)
→ Buyer footprint reduced by 50 tons of CO2
– Buyer handprint includes full 100 ton reduction

Causal connections include purchases;
but also information, influence, enablement
Defining Business As Usual


Individual:
Last Year's Footprint
Corporate:
Supplying This Year's Demand
as you supplied Last Year's Demand
Sustainability As Now Framed
+
Use
Supply Chain
Operations
-
Environmental
Footprints
Social
Footprints
Post-use
Adding Positive, and
Extending Human Impacts
+
Positive
Opportunities
-
Responsibility
Opportunities
Extended
Human
Opportunities
Extended
Human
Responsibility
Opportunities
Adding Positive, and
Extending Human Impacts
+
Creating Handprints
Extended Human
Handprints
Promoting
Flourishing
Biological
-
Reducing Footprints
Psycho/Social
Reducing Footprints
Human Handprints

Reduce Social Risks
– Certify
– Address Root Causes

Reduce Human Health Footprints
– Health and safety (own, and supply chain)
– Wellness (own, and supply chain)

Create Human Health Handprints
– Promote / improve public health
– Promote flourishing, well-being
Concluding

The Footprint Reality

The Reality of Handprints

Psychological Realities

Handprint Methodology 101

Social / Human Handprints

Case Studies in Progress
Case 1: Corporate Foot- & Handprinting

Assessing Total Corporate Footprint
–


Multiple environmental & human dimensions
Assessing Handprint of changes to
Business-as-usual
–
Footprint reductions
–
Employee wellness programs
–
Stimulating more insulation use by others
Exploring how to further grow its handprint,
with ultimate goal of Net-Positive
on as many impact dimensions as possible
Case 2: Store-Level Handprinting
Merci Gracias 감사합니다