West Palm Beach, FL: (May 10, 2020) — The Spinnaker Group, one of the most respected leaders in the green-building movement, announced today recognition by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) via receipt of the company’s third JUST Label. ILFI’s JUST platform acts as a “nutrition label” for socially just and equitable organizations. It signifies a commitment to transparency and social justice based on six measurable categories: Diversity, Equity, Safety, Worker Benefit, Local Benefit, and Stewardship.
In 2016, Spinnaker Group was the first organization in the State of Florida to receive this prestigious label.
“Our ongoing participation in JUST is an extension of our commitment to taking responsibility when it comes to sustainability — not just in our built work, but also in how we operate as a firm,” said Jonathan Burgess, President of Spinnaker Group. “This third JUST endorsement again shines a bright light on our company’s transparency, on our sense of obligation to our community, on our allegiance to our valuable team, and on our ongoing commitment to improving who we are and how we operate through a social justice and equity lens.”
“The JUST Program has garnered worldwide interest and is helping organizations develop better employee engagement policies and community stewardship practices. We are very pleased to see the Spinnaker Group again join the ranks of JUST labeled organizations,” stated Shawn Fisher Hesse, Director of Engagement for ILFI.
ILFI’s Living Building Challenge (LBC) requires at least two JUST organizations to be an “integral team member” for projects targeting LBC certification. LBC was the first green-building program to incorporate equity criteria, and the new LBC 4.0 version of the standard further highlights impacts on communities with the addition of new imperatives. The Spinnaker Group has been at the forefront of bringing the LBC to South Florida, including co-founding the Living Future Florida Collaborative, and remains extremely active in educating the local AEC Industry on the Living Building Challenge. JUST Label companies report on 22 social and equity indicators along six categories — Diversity, Equity, Safety, Worker Benefit, Local Benefit, and Stewardship. ILFI crunches submitted data and other documentation in the detailed application, and issues a scorecard that ranks a company’s performance against each indicator. Label earners are required to update their data once every two years.
Company highlights of Spinnaker Group’s new JUST Label include:
- Diversity — Spinnaker’s Ethnic Diversity and Non-Discrimination garnered Level 3 recognition – the highest ranking in the JUST program.
- Equity — Important categories here such as Pay-Scale Equity and Gender Pay Equity scored Level 3 recognition, while others in this category pulled Level 2.
- Safety — Threes across the board.
- Worker Happiness — The Spinnaker Group is a unique company. Reducing the company’s carbon footprint and maintaining happy employees is integral to its corporate culture. Spinnaker Group has won the South Florida Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work Award”, and also scored the highest level of Worker Happiness in the JUST program.
- Local Benefit — Threes across the board
- Stewardship — The Spinnaker Group supports the betterment of the environment through sustainable products, practices, and services. Moreover, the company promotes the use of renewable energy, water purification, affordable housing, public transportation, pollution and waste management, health care and safety, improvements in nutritional foods, animal welfare, conservation and reclamation of the natural environment, advancements in education, promotion of the arts and sciences, and the elimination of discrimination, poverty and other social and economic inequalities and injustices, all of which helped the company secure solid grades in this broad category.
“Spinnaker Group participates in the JUST program in support of elevating the equity conversation in all organizations that shape our community, not just those that manufacture products and construct buildings,” said Jesse Rittenhouse, Sustainable Building Consultant for Spinnaker Group who, along with Jonathan Burgess, was the co-founder of the Living Future Florida Collaborative. “The Spinnaker family looks forward to continuing to work with clients and community and elected officials to promote equity discussions in every aspect of our built environment.”
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Spinnaker Group’s Mission … To provide best-in-class sustainable consulting services to design, construction and operations teams, and municipalities in order to foster improved human health, wellness and resilience for buildings and communities across the globe. Learn more: www.SpinnakerGroup.com.
What else is new at Spinnaker Group? Check out our recent rebranding efforts here.