STEPHANIE

GLAZER

Strategic Sustainability Advisor

PHILOSOPHY

Sustainability is at the core of driving business value and delivering mission, no matter the sector or industry. 

CASE STUDIES

  • Challenge
    Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), a global organization supporting families with children undergoing medical treatment, manages over 9 million square feet of facility space across 250+ chapters in 60+ countries. With a $3B property portfolio, RMHC faced the challenge of integrating sustainability into a complex, decentralized network. The need was twofold: reduce environmental impact and operational costs, while improving climate resilience and maintaining welcoming, adaptable spaces for families and staff. Achieving consistent sustainability standards across independently operated chapters added an additional layer of complexity.

    Solution
    I led the creation and rollout of RMHC’s global sustainability strategy, focusing on integrating climate resilience and sustainable practices across all properties. Initiatives included solar energy adoption, resource-efficient designs, and improved indoor air quality. I collaborated with individual chapters, offering tailored tools, clear guidance, and training to ensure local alignment and practical implementation. This influence-driven strategy not only facilitated consistent adoption but also empowered chapters to embrace sustainable practices that matched RMHC’s broader mission.

  • Challenge
    The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) manages a complex infrastructure spanning water, wastewater, and power services. However, its sustainability framework and metrics were entirely separate from its Strategic Plan. To adopt a structured, measurable approach to sustainability, SFPUC needed to integrate sustainability principles into its operations in alignment with its mission to deliver reliable, resilient, and sustainable utility services. Additionally, SFPUC aimed to enhance community resilience and environmental stewardship across San Francisco’s urban landscape, requiring a comprehensive and adaptable framework that could evolve with changing needs and priorities.

    Solution
    I led the integration of SFPUC’s sustainability framework with the agency’s General Manager’s Action Plan. This integrated plan institutionalized a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) approach across six core sustainability categories: Governance, Customers, Infrastructure, Environment, Community, and Workplace, all anchored in SFPUC’s five strategic goals. By setting strategic goals and sustainability metrics as “durable” commitments and defining individual action plans as “dynamic,” we established a flexible framework that could adapt over time while remaining aligned with SFPUC’s core values. Embedding sustainability within SFPUC’s strategic and operational priorities has created a resilient approach that continues to enhance San Francisco’s environmental and community well-being.

  • Challenge
    The Low2No project in Helsinki’s Jätkäsaari district aimed to redefine sustainable urban living in Finland by creating a replicable, carbon-neutral development model. Designed to address both environmental sustainability and social connectivity, the project focused on using low-carbon materials, shared spaces, and communal infrastructure. However, implementing these innovations at scale required influencing national building regulations, particularly to enable the construction of taller timber structures essential for reducing the district's embodied carbon footprint.

    Solution
    I led the development of a comprehensive carbon accounting protocol to guide both major retrofits and new construction under the Low2No framework. The protocol used a balance sheet methodology to assess embodied carbon, operational emissions, projected reductions, sequestration, and offsets. By establishing a verifiable GHG accounting framework, aligned with global standards, we facilitated both internal planning and external validation. This approach was instrumental in showcasing the viability of low-carbon urban development to policymakers and the construction industry, ultimately helping expand Finnish building regulations to permit taller timber structures, a move that supports carbon reduction goals nationwide.

  • Challenge
    In response to growing investor demand for reliable ESG data, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) was established to create a framework for industry-specific ESG disclosures. With a scope spanning the diverse industries across all sectors of the economy, the challenge was to develop standards that capture the unique, financially material ways sustainability and ESG factors impact—and are impacted by—each industry, providing transparency and comparability for companies and investors through a double materiality lens.

    Solution
    As a lead author, I developed standards for 40 of SASB’s 77 industries, identifying financially relevant ESG issues and crafting metrics through a rigorous process of research, stakeholder engagement, and board oversight. Our approach prioritized precision and relevance to meet investor expectations and enable companies to reliably disclose data linked to financial impact. This framework has become foundational in global capital markets, enhancing investor confidence by connecting operational sustainability with financial performance. The SASB Standards have set a global benchmark for sector-specific sustainability disclosures, influencing key regulations like the EU CSRD and driving transparent, financially material sustainability reporting worldwide.

  • Challenge
    The Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) supports policymakers in crafting effective climate policies that balance environmental, social, and economic priorities. With over 20 U.S. states and multiple international regions aiming to build data-driven climate action plans, CCS needed tools to engage stakeholders, assess policy impacts, and accurately track emissions reductions. This required models capable of delivering reliable emissions projections and a process that aligned stakeholders on feasible climate objectives.

    Solution
    I developed quantification models to evaluate the projected emissions impacts of proposed climate policies at the state level. These models provided critical insights into the effectiveness of both demand-side and supply-side initiatives, enabling CCS and its partners to pinpoint high-impact policies across residential, commercial, industrial, and energy sectors. By focusing on strategies that maximize emissions reductions, enhance economic resilience, and foster stakeholder consensus, these tools have enabled states and regions to shape realistic climate commitments, advancing the implementation of measurable, sustainable climate actions worldwide.

  • Challenge
    As cities experience growing populations and the escalating impacts of climate change, local governments increasingly recognize the need for climate action that balances urban growth with environmental sustainability. Cities must develop strategies that reduce emissions, conserve natural resources, and build resilience against climate impacts. Achieving this balance requires policies that meet community-specific needs and align with regulatory commitments, such as California's Renewable Portfolio Standards, AB 32, EO S-3-05, and Oregon’s HB 2001 & 2003.

    Solution
    In roles ranging from Technical Advisor and Lead Author to Advisory Board member, I supported cities in California and Oregon by advancing tailored climate action strategies that address each city’s unique needs and community priorities. These strategies focused on:

    • Sustainable Site Development

    • Sector-Based Emission Reductions

    • Resilience and Adaptation

    • Transition to Electric Equipment

    • Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure

    • Walkability and Connectivity

    • Community Education and Engagement

    By prioritizing community values and local character, these tailored climate policies integrate sustainable design, connectivity, and renewable energy into city infrastructure, enhancing quality of life and creating economic opportunities for local businesses and residents. Locally grounded climate action plans like these empower cities to activate engagement as they build resilient, thriving communities equipped to meet the ongoing challenges of climate change.

ABOUT STEPHANIE

Stephanie Glazer is a Sustainability Advisor with over 20 years experience, delivering impactful solutions across business functions that create value and enhance resilience—-maximizing resource efficiency, building effective protocols, policies & processes, and delivering positive environmental & social outcomes.