Our Approach

Riverstone Sustainability was founded on the idea that leading organizations need a practical approach to move toward a more sustainable and innovative future.

We partner with clients to promote sustainable change, balancing all three elements of the triple bottom line: environmental, social, and economic performance.  

Our goal is to work with you to align sustainability with your organization’s mission and core business objectives. We use a mix of technical and soft skills to develop sustainability solutions that fit each client’s unique mission, operational constraints, and culture. 

Our process will help you to:
  • Identify the most important and relevant aspects of sustainability to manage
  • Measure impacts using industry standards and best practices
  • Develop a management plan for consistency and continuous improvement
  • Communicate results on sustainability impacts, goals, and strategies
Debra Shepard, Principal / Owner

​Debra is the Principal and Owner of Riverstone Sustainability.  After 10+ years working at world-class academic institutions including Harvard University and MIT, and building sustainability services at larger consulting firms, Debra Shepard launched Riverstone in 2014 so she could work directly with select clients who are positioned to launch and successfully grow their sustainability program 
 
Her expertise ranges from sustainability strategy and organizational development, to LEED project management, climate action planning, waste minimization programs, and community engagement. Debra has mentored more than twenty undergraduate and graduate student interns, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in the clean energy sector. 
 
She also co-developed and taught a course on carbon accounting and greenhouse gas reduction planning at Harvard Extension School from 2010 to 2013.  Debra is a LEED AP, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology from Boston University, and a Masters in Environmental Management from Harvard Extension School.