Sustainability is increasingly important for professional service jobs as clients and stakeholders prioritize environmental and social responsibility, leading to increased opportunities and a growing demand for sustainable practices and expertise. NSF 39.1-2019: General Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Professional Services sets general sustainability assessment criteria for those working in professional services.
What Is the Professional Services Industry?
Professional services refers to any business, department, or individual whose core output is a service or expertise rather than a manufactured product. This industry sector focuses on expertise and solving problems, and it encompasses businesses that provide specialized, knowledge-based services to clients, such as:
- Consulting: Providing advice and guidance to businesses on various issues.
- Legal Services: Offering legal advice and representation.
- Accounting and Bookkeeping: Managing financial records and providing accounting services.
- IT Services: Providing technical support and solutions for businesses.
- Marketing: Developing and implementing marketing strategies.
- Architecture and Engineering: Designing and overseeing construction projects.
How Does Sustainability Impact Professional Services?
Some subsectors of the professional service industry rely heavily on the use, consumption, or conversion of raw materials, hazardous materials, manufactured goods, and/or energy to deliver the marketed service. As such, implementing relevant, sustainable policies is important to not only achieve environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals but also to gain a competitive advantage in terms of positioning and attractiveness. Professional service firms should address sustainability because taking a clear position regarding ESG issues can boost a firm’s positioning and generate financial benefits.
NSF 39.1-2019 serves as a helpful tool for professional service providers to utilize to pursue sustainability in their day-to-day operations.
What Is NSF 39.1?
NSF 39.1-2019 is one of the first standards to focus on the service industry subsectors described as “professional services.” Professional service firms are often characterized as those that have low capital intensity, high knowledge intensity, and a professionalized workforce.
The criteria in NSF 39.1-2019 assures that professional service providers pursuing sustainability in their operations are able to understand the expectations of customers and personnel responsible for procurement of sustainable professional services. The NSF 39.1-2019 standard incorporates a broader approach to sustainability, building on the concept of the “triple bottom line,” i.e., environmental, social, and economic (ESE) sustainability, and then going one step further, to factor in sustainability within the supply chain as a fourth category.
This standard is intended to establish a minimum threshold in determining conformity, while providing supplemental criteria that, when achieved, can lead to “leadership” recognition within the industry.
Who Is the NSF 39.1 Standard Intended for?
Intended users of the NSF 39.1-2019 standard include professional service providers that deliver a service with a limited reliance on products, consumers or entities, and independent third-party certifiers.
- Service providers can use this standard as a model to guide the organization’s overall operations, including its management structure, procurement policies, employee policies, and community and customer interactions, toward increased sustainability via continual improvement.
- Consumers or entities that purchase services can reference conformity to NSF 39.1-2019 in identifying sustainable professional service providers during the procurement process.
- Independent third-party certifiers can use this standard in conducting audits during the conformity assessment process leading to certification.
NSF 39.1-2019: General Sustainability Assessment Criteria for Professional Services is available on the ANSI Webstore.