ARTICLES

ARTICLES

Case Study: Fractional Environmental Leadership Resolves Strategy Conflicts and Aligns Enterprise Operations

ARTICLESARTICLESCase Study: Fractional Environmental Leadership Resolves Strategy Conflicts and Aligns Enterprise Operations Turning Conflict into Clarity: Unifying Strategy, Operations, and Stakeholder Trust By Jody Bickel Founder, Chief Coach & CEOThe...

Case Study: Fractional Environmental Leadership Resolves Strategy Conflicts and Aligns Enterprise Operations

ADVISORY

Silos Suffocate Sustainability: Here’s How to Do Better

ARTICLESARTICLESSilos Suffocate Sustainability: Here's How to Do Better Over the last 20 years of coaching sustainability leaders, I’ve noticed a trend. By mindset, these leaders generally fall into one of two categories: doer or ringmaster. The way they...

Case Study: How a Global Industrial Leader Unlocked Non-Traditional Returns from Real Estate for Environmental, Social, and Business Impact

ARTICLESARTICLESCASE STUDY: HOW A GLOBAL INDUSTRIAL LEADER UNLOCKED NON-TRADITIONAL RETURNS FROM REAL ESTATE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND BUSINESS IMPACTIn today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a strategic...

1,600 Species, 50 States: Looking Ahead for Mitigation Providers

ARTICLESARTICLES1,600 SPECIES, 50 STATES: LOOKING AHEAD FOR MITIGATION PROVIDERS Presented at the 2020 National Mitigation Banking & Ecosystem Banking Conference Registration of crop protection products, particularly challenges related to achieving...

COACHING

Part 2: How To Ensure Reporting Doesn’t Block Your Sustainability Progress

ARTICLESARTICLESPart 2: How To Ensure Reporting Doesn’t Block Your Sustainability Progress I often see enterprises get their cart and horse out of order when it comes to organizing their sustainability activities. If you want your sustainability reporting to...

Part 1: 5 Steps To Ensure Reporting Doesn’t Block Your Sustainability Progress

ARTICLESARTICLESPart 1: 5 Steps To Ensure Reporting Doesn’t Block Your Sustainability Progress As a coach for sustainability leaders, I often advise clients on how to generate sustainability reports while also making progress on their most important initiatives....

10 Ideas To Get The Most From Your Sustainability Team

ARTICLESARTICLES10 IDEAS TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR SUSTAINABILITY TEAM Produce Even Better Outcomes Through Existing Investments in Team, Technology and Time By Jody Bickel Founder, Chief Coach & CEOAs I talk with sustainability leaders around the globe, I...

My Top Three Sustainability Leadership Lessons

ARTICLESARTICLESMy Top Three Sustainability Leadership Lessons I’ve been fortunate to coach sustainability leaders for more than 20 years now. Over the last several years, as sustainability has become more prominent, I’ve found that leadership skills have become...

For Sustainability Leaders Enhancing Social License to Operate is the Mission

ARTICLESARTICLESFOR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS, ENHANCING SOCIAL LICENSE TO OPERATE IS THE mISSION Sustainability leaders today are under great pressure. Very few roles have as many taskmasters. From the board to the C-Suite to employees to regulators to...

5 Reasons Sustainability Leaders Need a Coach

ARTICLESARTICLES5 REASONS SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS NEED A COACH By Jody Bickel Founder, Chief Coach & CEOSustainability is a relatively new discipline and function within modern organizations. Most professionals can probably describe the responsibilities of...

Five Ideas for Sustainability Leaders to be Even More Effective in their Roles

ARTICLESARTICLESFIVE IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS TO BE EVEN MORE EFFECTIVE IN THEIR ROLES How To Optimize Your Performance as a Sustainability Executive By Jody Bickel Founder, Chief Coach & CEOSustainability roles are proliferating globally and the...

TECHNICAL

Conservation that Counts

ARTICLESARTICLESCONSERVATION THAT COUNTS ESA Compliance Provides Opportunities for Increasing Crop Use Markets, Benefitting Species Conservation, and Achieving Legal Defensibility Our focus is on presenting how to have conservation that counts for...

Modern Crop Protection Business Strategies Need to Integrate Regulatory and Conservation Outcomes

ARTICLESARTICLESMODERN CROP PROTECTION BUSINESS STRATEGIES NEED TO INTEGRATE REGULATORY AND CONSERVATION OUTCOMES A Short History of the FIFRA-ESA Regulatory Debacle and a Way Forward for Business, the Environment, Regulators, and Society Ease of compliance is...

Better Faster More Effective

ARTICLESARTICLESBETTER, FASTER, MORE EFFECTIVE Meaningful Stewardship Outcomes and Better Pesticide Consultations through the Use of Population Assessment and Conservation (PAC) Measures Creekbank Associates proposes a smarter methodology to improve...

Integrated Regulatory Processes are Crucial for Conservation Progress

ARTICLESARTICLESINTEGRATED REGULATORY PROCESSES ARE CRUCIAL FOR CONSERVATION PROGRESS Achieving Effective ESA Consultations in FIFRA Registrations Creekbank Associates reviews and critiques the current FIFRA registration ESA process through the lens of...

How to be FIFRA & ESA Compliant

ARTICLESARTICLESHOW TO BE FIFRA & ESA COMPLIANT Your Guide to Getting and Keeping Crop Protection Products on the Shelf Crop protection companies with markets in the United States are dependent on a regulatory framework mandating compliance with two federal...

Developing a Communication Platform that Meets the Needs of Both Fifra Labeling Instructions and Endangered Species Act Avoidance and Minimization Requirements

ARTICLESARTICLESDEVELOPING A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF BOTH FIFRA LABELING INSTRUCTIONS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AVOIDANCE AND MINIMIZATION REQUIREMENTS Ideas for Opportunities Toward Achieving Compliance and Species Protection As...

A Pilot Example of Maximizing Conservation Measures

ARTICLESARTICLESA PILOT EXAMPLE OF MAXIMIZING CONSERVATION MEASURES Using Avoidance, Minimization, and Offsetting in National Scale Pesticide Consultations Reasonable and prudent measures (RPMs) and reasonable and prudent alternatives (RPAs) have been the...

Three Recommendations for Crop Protection Industry Executives

ARTICLESARTICLES10 Ideas To Get The Most From Your Sustainability Team5 Reasons Sustainability Leaders Need A CoachFive Ideas For Sustainability Leaders To Be Even More Effective In Their RolesSilos Suffocate Sustainability: Here's How to Do BetterLeveraging Expert...

SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

6 Ideas for Sustainability Leaders to Impact their Organizations

ARTICLESARTICLES6 IDEAS FOR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS TO IMPACT THEIR ORGANIZATIONS How To Guide Meaningful Change Where You Work Most people working in the environmental field got into this line of work to make some kind of positive change for the environment....

6 Things Sustainability Leaders Should Know – But Often Miss

ARTICLESARTICLES6 THINGS SUSTAINABILITY LEADERS SHOULD KNOW - BUT OFTEN MISS How To Access The Expertise You Need To Succeed - Today, Not Tomorrow Sustainability leaders face an evolving landscape that demands agility, innovation, and the right knowledge at the...

Depolarizing Climate and Breaking Down Corporate Silos

ARTICLESARTICLESDepolarizing Climate and Breaking Down Corporate Silos Earlier this year, Jody Bickel from Creekbank Associates and Jenny Morgan, author of Cancel Culture in Climate, sat down for a critical and candid conversation on two of the most persistent...

Bridging Agriculture and Conservation: Strategies for Engaging in Environmental Markets

ARTICLESARTICLESBridging Agriculture and Conservation: Strategies for Engaging in Environmental MarketsAgricultural sustainability is increasingly tied to the health of natural resources, yet aligning conservation goals with production systems and environmental market...

4 Ways To Deploy Proven Environmental Expertise To Achieve Progress

ARTICLESARTICLES4 Ways To Deploy Proven Environmental Expertise To Achieve Progress How To Leverage Expert Partners To Strengthen Your Positioning And Improve Outcomes Sustainability leaders today are navigating high-stakes challenges at an accelerated...

Pioneering Change: Why Businesses Need to Rethink Their Environmental Strategies

As industries with significant environmental footprints navigate increasing public and regulatory scrutiny, the time to align sustainability goals with business outcomes has never been more critical. Companies that embrace this challenge are uniquely positioned to lead, innovate, and thrive in a marketplace that rewards measurable, impactful change.

At Creekbank Associates, we understand that sustainability leaders often face an overwhelming array of expectations, with pressure to deliver results across multiple fronts. Our mission is to help you cut through the complexity, align your strategies, and achieve outcomes that enhance your organization’s Social License to Operate while contributing to your bottom line.

Change Agents Wear White Hats

Leveraging Expert Partners to Improve Corporate Environmental Strategy

There has never been a better time for industries with a big environmental footprint to step up their integrated environmental and social actions and align those outcomes with the business bottom line, corporate commitments, and improved public relations. A growing percentage of the public now values a “sustainable economy,” and modern consumers are savvier than ever—hip to greenwashing and ready to vote with their dollars for companies investing in measurable, effective resource conservation.

Did you know? Studies show that 88% of global consumers are more loyal to brands that demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability.

If you’ve considered re-tooling your company’s approach to environmental asset management, now is the perfect time to lead. This shift isn’t just about compliance—it’s about leveraging a rapidly expanding market for sustainability-focused solutions. Tools like performance-based environmental outcomes and private environmental markets can turn conservation efforts into value drivers for your business.

At Creekbank Associates, we specialize in helping companies navigate this evolving landscape. Our team of regulatory experts, market developers, scientists, and strategists works alongside you to identify opportunities, craft tailored strategies, and deliver measurable results.

KEY TAKE AWAY

With the advent of private environmental markets and performance-based outcome funds, robust new ways are opening up to not just comply with regulations but actually make conservation initiatives a contributor to the bottom line. These tools enable companies to create measurable, impactful change while driving profitability.

Artwork by Daniel Perkins

Daniel Perkins, Associate at Creekbank Associates.

View Daniel’s LinkedIn Profile

Wonks, Eggheads, and Suits

Compliance conservation activities are driven by environmental regulations but rarely connected to broader corporate stewardship objectives. Most companies aim to meet regulatory requirements with minimal disruption to profit margins, yet this approach leaves untapped opportunities on the table.

Forward-thinking companies are reframing these obligations as opportunities to innovate, enhance profitability, and build public trust. By integrating policy, science, and market-based solutions, they are unlocking measurable and meaningful outcomes.

Deep ecosystem services expertise in these areas is difficult to achieve in-house, but the right advisory partner can provide the necessary alignment between strategy and execution. At Creekbank Associates, we build bespoke teams that combine technical, regulatory, and market expertise to achieve your unique goals.

Forget Kumbayah – Think Methods, Metrics, and Markets

Industries with a significant physical environmental footprint—mining, agriculture, energy, and development, to name a few—often view environmental costs as “the price of doing business.” This perspective ignores the potential of resource assets and the long-term value of an enduring Social License to Operate.

By combining cutting-edge environmental science with market insights, Creekbank Associates helps companies transform these challenges into actionable strategies. We enable clients to unlock new revenue streams, enhance resilience, and secure long-term success.

People, Place, and Profit: A New Era for Business Sustainability

This is an unbelievably dynamic and positive time for companies seeking to be at the forefront of environmental and social progress. When people, place, and profit are integrated into business strategies, the results are enduring, impactful, and measurable.

At Creekbank Associates, we believe in aligning purpose with outcomes. Whether you’re aiming to comply with regulations, drive innovation, or lead the way in sustainability, we’re here to help. Let’s build a roadmap that positions your company to thrive.

Contact Us Today or Schedule a Consultation.

Contact information:

Jody L. Bickel, Creekbank Associates, Chief Executive Officer

Email: service@creekbankassociates.com.

Sources:

John Elkington, Harvard Business Review, June 25, 2018
Cone Communications/Ebiquity Global CSR Study, 2015 (Source Link)

JODY BICKEL

Founder, Chief Coach & CEO

For more than 25 years, Coach Jody Bickel, Founder and CEO of Creekbank Associates, has coached sustainability leaders to achieve their most important goals. Jody is deeply passionate about empowering sustainability leaders to break-through the circumstances that hold them back from achieving their full potential. Her goal is to build strong 1-1 connections with sustainability leaders she coaches so they become even more successful than they’ve been in the past.

Silos Suffocate Sustainability: Here’s How to Do Better

Case Study: How a Global Industrial Leader Unlocked Non-Traditional Returns from Real Estate for Environmental, Social, and Business Impact

1,600 Species, 50 States: Looking Ahead for Mitigation Providers

Case Study: Fractional Environmental Leadership Resolves Strategy Conflicts and Aligns Enterprise Operations

FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP

Case Study: Fractional Environmental Leadership Resolves Strategy Conflicts and Aligns Enterprise Operations

ADVISORY

Silos Suffocate Sustainability: Here’s How to Do Better

Case Study: How a Global Industrial Leader Unlocked Non-Traditional Returns from Real Estate for Environmental, Social, and Business Impact

1,600 Species, 50 States: Looking Ahead for Mitigation Providers

Developing a Communication Platform that Meets the Needs of Both Fifra Labeling Instructions and Endangered Species Act Avoidance and Minimization Requirements