There are a lot of amazing resources out there. Click one of the links below to jump to the section that you’re most interested in.
Consulting and For-Profit Businesses in Sustainability
Frameworks & Organizations to Know
Business, Building, or Product Certification
Major Agreements, Goals, Policies, and Partnerships
News Websites & Blogs
Below is a list of the news websites, newsletters, twitter feeds, and blogs that are popular among my guests. Most networks and nonprofits in the space also have their own newsletters, twitter handles, and blogs, so if you’re looking for something new to subscribe to, be sure to check those out too.
Have I missed one of your favorites? Let me know through the Contact Us page and I’ll add it, thanks!
General Sustainability, CSR, and Business
Energy – Utilities/Generation/Renewables/Efficiency/Tech
Waste, Recycling, and Circular Economy
Retail and Textile
Business of Fashion’s Social Goods column
Specialty
IHS Markit chemical and plastics section
Podcasts
Co-hosts Jay Siegel and Scott Breen at Sustainability Defined believe that Sustainability is too ambiguous and their podcast aims to fix that. Each episode focuses on a single topic that pushes sustainability forward. They explain each topic with the help of an experienced pro, place it within their organizational tree, and help their listeners define what exactly sustainability is, episode by episode. Be sure to listen to the episode with SCP founder Trish Kenlon, the most downloaded episode of 2020!
Part club, part roadmap, part therapy session, Degrees features in-depth, up-close conversations with changemakers using their careers to make a meaningful impact. Host Yesh Pavlik Slenk talks with everyone from storytellers to songwriters, city leaders to sustainability gurus and former White House staffers about their paths to solving the world’s biggest problems. Be sure not to miss the episode with SCP founder Trish Kenlon, it’s a fan favorite!
GreenBiz 350, co-hosted by Joel Makower and Heather Clancy, is the weekly podcast about the people and companies behind the headlines in sustainable business and clean technology. It’s a joy to listen to two people who know so much about this space explain what is going on in the sustainability world and why it’s important.
The Energy Gang
A tremendously popular favorite among my guests, The Energy Gang is a business podcast on energy, cleantech, and the environment. It was produced by Greentech Media, which is sadly no longer with us, but the podcast lives on at Wood Mackenzie.
- New Energy Gang episodes on Wood Mackenzie’s site here
- Energy Gang episodes prior to November 2021 here
The Energy Transition Show with Chris Nelder
Described as “One of the most interesting, nerdiest, into-the-weeds podcasts on the energy transition I’ve found,” this podcast covers everything from carbon budgets to regional transmission of electricity to electric vehicles. They have a nine-part series on climate science that’s not to be missed.
The Sustainable Nation Podcast delivers interviews with global leaders in sustainability and regenerative development three times a week. Their goal is to provide sustainability professionals, business leaders, and anyone interested in joining the sustainability revolution, with information and insights from the world’s most inspiring change-makers.
Climate One is a thriving leadership dialogue on energy, the environment and the economy. It brings together top thinkers and doers from business, government, academia and advocacy groups to advance the discussion about a clean energy future. Guests have include Al Gore, Yvon Chouinard, Jane Goodall and many others. You can subscribe to their weekly podcast via their website, they also have videos and events.
Experts Only is a regular podcast hosted by Jon Powers, the founder of CleanCapital. The podcast explores the intersection of energy, innovation and finance. Each episode features interviews with industry leaders who profile their personal journeys and discuss some of the most interesting, pressing, and promising developments in this space.
Climate Solved is a podcast celebrating the ideas and collaborations that make use of market forces to take climate action. Each week, Carbon Lighthouse Co-founder and CEO Brenden Millstein sits down with a new guest to discuss the solutions that will stop climate change in our lifetime. Created for entrepreneurs and leaders in commercial real estate & hospitality investment, asset management, solar, and energy services, Volume 1 of this series will introduce you to key members of the Carbon Lighthouse team and how they’re uniting commercial interests with a mission to stop climate change.
The Water Values has been described as “the Energy Gang of water” which is high praise indeed. It’s a great resource covering everything from water utility issues to water rights and contamination.
The Impact Report is produced by students in the Bard MBA program and comes out every other Friday. They feature interviews with sustainability leaders and practitioners on a wide variety of topics.
How I Built This on NPR is a podcast that features stories of startup founders and how they built some of the major brands we know. This series includes several companies that are leaders in the sustainability space.
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Unplugged
EPRI Unplugged is a podcast hosted by the actual researchers of EPRI who are working on all facets of the power industry. EPRI Unplugged takes a closer look at the transforming power system and tackles topics ranging from renewable energy to long-term operation of the nuclear fleet.
Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)
The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) has just started a podcast staring Nic Frederick and Laura Thorne. EPR will cover topics such as NAEP Working Group items, career advice and insights, NEPA and other Policy Updates, women in STEM, board member spotlights, updates from the NAEP President, and more!
Green & Grind is a podcast that discusses careers and entrepreneurship in sustainability. Host Shane Gerkin brings on a new guest each week to explore their career journey and hear advice. Don’t miss episode 19 with SCP founder Trish Kenlon!
Books
Good books in the sustainability space are hard to come by – the publishing cycle is so slow that books are usually irrelevant by the time they come out; however, my guests have found several that they’ve loved.
Auden Schendler is the sustainability manager for Aspen Skiing Company. His book discusses the details of what the actual work of sustainability in a corporate setting entails. It’s a fantastic read if you’re looking for a detailed understanding of what it means to work in a corporate sustainability role.
The Grid: Electrical Infrastructure for a New Era by Gretchen Bakke
This book is written by a journalist, not an energy expert. She does a great job of explaining how the grid works, it’s challenges, and what’s planned for the future, and she does it all in a way that makes sense to people new to this industry. There’s a lot of great history in the book too.
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken
This book reviews the top 100 solutions with the greatest potential to reduce carbon in the atmosphere across the globe. It’s very approachable but also very detailed. Interestingly, many of the solutions are related to land management.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart and William McDonough
This is considered by many to be the book that marks the beginning of the Circular Economy movement. The book introduces the re-framing of recycling as actually “downcycling,” creating hybrids of biological and technical “nutrients” which are then unrecoverable and unusable. The book includes several compelling examples of corporations that are not just doing less harm – they’re actually doing some good for the environment and making more money in the process.
Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
Ms. Raworth discusses the need to change our economic models and to change how we measure progress. A growing GDP doesn’t mean that things are equitable or that the earth is being treated well. Topics covered include finding value beyond growth, and different business and financial models such as social entrepreneurship, microlending, and shared value concepts.
This book is a great primer on the Smart Grid, the electricity markets, and the future of electric utilities.
Profession and Purpose by Katie Kross
This is a fantastic resource for starting a career in sustainability. Make sure to pick up the second edition with the blue cover, it’s the most recent.
Good Work: How to Build a Career that Makes a Difference in the World By Shannon Houde
Another amazing resource for impact job seekers. Shannon is a talented coach and writer and provides some great actionable tips on how to get started with an impact career.
Beyond Growth: The Economics of Sustainable Development by Herman Daly
In his book Beyond Growth, Herman Daly argues that if sustainable development means anything at this historical moment, it demands that we conceive of the economy as part of the ecosystem and, as a result, give up on the ideal of economic growth. We need a global understanding of developing welfare that does not entail expansion.
Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered by E.F. Schumacher
EF Schumacher worked for the British government focusing on the coal industry in India. This book is his treatise on how to reestablish human level relationships and how those inform organizational design, the climate crisis, overpopulation, and resource management. It delves into how human relationships are vital to solving global challenges.
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine Benyus
Janine Benyus is the co-founder of the Biomimicry Institute. Her book on nature inspired design is truly inspirational.
Doctor Vandana Shiva is a feminist and food activist from India who has been writing on global food issues for decades. She has a number of inspiring books available on Amazon.
Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change by George Marshall and What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action by Per Espen Stoknes and Jorgen Randers
These books are a great introduction to the field of Environmental Psychology. They’re both written in a very accessible way to general public about the psychology of how people think about climate change.
Nonprofits
These are some of the most prominent nonprofits working in the sustainability space. There are many more wonderful nonprofit organizations listed on the Networks page.
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
EDF comprises a substantial network of professionals engaged in high-profile and effective bipartisan, science-based advocacy work at all levels of business and government. The main EDF website features a large collection of reports and publications, as well as a number of expert blogs to which you can subscribe for free.
The EDF+Business team is known for their visionary leadership in finding solutions that work for both business and the environment. The EDF+Business website provides in-depth resources for green investing, energy efficiency, water efficiency, sustainable supply chains, and green freight. They also run the Climate Corps fellowship program, which is described in detail on the Job Resources page.
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization with the mission to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices, and consumer behavior. They are perhaps best known for their product certifications. The Rainforest Alliance Certified little green frog is recognized around the world as the symbol of environmental, social and economic sustainability. They were also one of the founders of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the most respected forestry standard-setter in the world. They deliver a multitude of services for companies under their Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Pathways program which helps businesses with opportunities related to agriculture, forestry, tourism, and climate change.
They have a great brochure online that clearly outlines the myriad services available to help businesses become more sustainable.
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a non-profit international environmental advocacy group seeking sustainable policies from federal, state and local government and industrial corporations. Their focus is on reducing global warming, limiting pollution, and generally conserving energy and increasing sustainability of commerce and manufacturing. They participate in litigation to influence implementation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other federal and state laws protecting the environment. They also support an environmental science program focused on the transformation of manufacturing industries to more sustainable production.
US Green Building Council (USGBC)
The USGBC is the administrator of LEED, the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Their mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. Their website has extensive training and education, as well as information about joining the network.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)
ACEEE is a nonprofit organization which specializes in energy efficiency. They work on projects in collaboration with government, private sector, research institutions, and other nonprofits. Their projects are focused on energy policy, research (buildings and equipment, utilities, industry, agriculture, transportation, behavior, economic analysis, and international) and outreach through conferences, publications, and their Ally membership program.
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
EPRI is a nonprofit with expertise in the electricity sector. EPRI conducts research, development, and demonstration projects focused on electricity generation, delivery, and use in collaboration with the electricity sector and its stakeholders. Their website includes a few free in-depth research papers as well as information about purchasing membership or access to additional research. Most of their members are electric utilities from around the world.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is the premier organization focused on the transition to a circular economy. Trusted by leading companies, governments, and schools around the world, they have an exceptional resources section including their in-depth reports and programs.
The Aspen Institute is a nonpartisan forum for values-based leadership and the exchange of ideas. The Institute promotes the pursuit of common ground and deeper understanding through regular seminars, policy programs, conferences, and leadership development initiatives. The Institute’s work covers a wide range of issues, their program on Energy and Environment has a lot of resources sustainability professionals are most likely to be interested in.
Climate Central is an independent organization of leading scientists and journalists researching and reporting the facts about our changing climate and its impact on the public. They survey and conduct scientific research on climate change and inform the public of key findings. Their scientists publish and their journalists report on climate science, energy, sea level rise. They have some great interactive maps that are easy to use and understand and their reports provide great information about climate risks.
United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The UN IPCC is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change. The IPCC was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to provide policymakers with regular assessments of the scientific basis of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation. Lia Cairone, my guest from the New York City Mayor’s Office, said that the IPCC’s assessment reports are a really fantastic way to understand the current state of the science of climate change.
Consulting and For-Profit Businesses in Sustainability
Business for Social Responsibility (BSR)
BSR is a global nonprofit organization that works with its network of more than 250 member companies and other partners to build a just and sustainable world. BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration. They have a huge annual conference that is open to non-members.
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. Through powerful networks and advocacy, Ceres tackles the world’s biggest sustainability challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and human rights abuses. They offer their members access to corporate sustainability consulting services, programs on corporate disclosure, and resources for sustainable investment leadership. One of Ceres’ most well-known achievements is that they founded the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
ICF is a global consulting and technology services provider with more than 5,000 professionals focused on making big things possible for their clients. The have extensive service offerings in both energy and the environment.
Engie Insight (formerly Ecova) partners with multi-site businesses to help them become more sustainable through the effective management of their energy, water, waste, and telecom data.
Reconsidered is a boutique consultancy that helps companies and organizations build meaningful social impact strategies, communications and community around their work. They understand the business case for corporate social responsibility, while using insights from the science of behavior change to make their projects pack a more powerful punch.
Traditional Consulting Firms
All of the leading management consulting firms have sustainability groups now. Check out their websites for publications and blogs related to incorporating sustainability into strategy and other management best practices.
Frameworks & Organizations to Know
Procedural & Reporting
World Resources Institute (WRI) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol
WRI is a global research organization focused on issues at the intersection of environment and development. They do a lot of amazing work in several different areas; however, they are perhaps most famous for their role as the administrator of the worldwide standard for measuring and managing GHG emissions. Many of my guests have said that carbon accounting is one of the few sustainability specific skills that almost any corporate sustainability position will require. They have excellent tools, online training, events, and webinars.
Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions (GPC)
The GPC is a global reporting standard that enables cities and communities to measure and report GHG emissions and develop climate action plans and low-emission urban development strategies. The GPC is a joint project by WRI, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) and others to tailor WRI’s GHG protocol for specific use by large cities.
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)
CDP is an organization that runs a global disclosure system that enables companies, cities, states, and regions to measure and manage their environmental impacts. CDP reporting focuses exclusively on climate change, water, and forests and is meant to provide investors with insight on how a company is performing from an environmental perspective. Their database is considered the most comprehensive collection of self-reported environmental data in the world. All of this data has enabled them to publish some really interesting research on sustainability trends based on the responses they’ve received. You can also create an account and view the responses and scores that are publicly available. It’s a great way to get to know a company before you interview.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
GRI helps businesses and governments worldwide understand and communicate their impact on critical sustainability issues such as climate change, human rights, governance and social well-being. In contrast to CDP, GRI covers a wide range of environmental, sustainability, and governance (ESG) issues that go beyond environmental impact. GRI reports are intended for use by a global audience, not simply investors (for whom the CDP reports are intended). GRI and CDP have done a lot of work in the past few years to align their environmental and climate questions to make it easier for organizations responding to both.
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB)
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is another investor focused sustainability reporting framework. The SASB was developed with a specific goal of making environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings easier to compare across companies. The SASB has standards for 79 different industries across 11 sectors.
Confused about all the sustainability and ESG reporting out there? You’re not alone. Check out the sustainability reporting section of my article about professional sustainability certifications which might help you sort it out.
AASHE’s STARS is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. It’s somewhat similar to CDP but is tailored to the unique needs of higher education. STARS reports are intended for use by higher education institutions to help themselves keep track of their progress and develop plans for the future. Each school that submits a report is assigned a score ranging from bronze to platinum.
Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI)
The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) are a family of best-in-class index funds composed of companies with top-ranked sustainability scores. RobecoSAM creates the lists of companies included in the fund which is reviewed every September. They start with the entire list of companies on the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) which is approximately 10,000 companies that make up S&P’s index intended to measure global stock performance. They then invite approximately 4,500 of those companies to respond to the RobescoSAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). Some companies respond to the CSA, others do not. The companies that score in the top 10% of each industry of the companies that responded are included in the DJSI. There are eight different funds in the DJSI group including DJSI World and DJSI North America. They also offer the option of investing in DJSI funds that exclude companies that sell firearms, tobacco, alcohol, and other exclusion criteria.
Business, Building, or Product Certification
B Lab is a nonprofit that certifies for-profit companies that meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Companies that have been certified are called B Corporations or simply “B Corps”.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified
The FSC is the largest sustainable forestry standard setter in the world. Products that bear the FSC mark and the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal are sourced from forests that protect endangered species and forest areas of high conservation value, set aside a portion of land as forest reserve, provide workers with decent wages and protect their ability to organize, follow FSC guidelines that determine how, when, and where timber and non-timber forest products are harvested, and respect the rights of local communities and indigenous people.
The Rainforest Alliance Certified little green frog is a symbol of environmental, social, and economic sustainability and can be found on farm and forest products around the world. Farms, forests, or tourism enterprises that achieve the Rainforest Alliance green frog certification seal have been audited to meet standards that require environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
C2C is the leading certification of products designed to the “cradle to cradle product standard” a framework for product quality assessment and innovation. The certification is administered by the C2C Products Institute.
ENERGY STAR is a program run by the EPA. They have energy efficient certification programs for products, residential homes, and buildings. The process for getting your building ENERGY STAR certified is fairly straightforward, you enter your energy bills and other information about your building into a program called Portfolio Manager. Portfolio Manager then scores your building from 1-100, buildings with a score of 75 or higher perform better than at least 75% or more of similar buildings nationwide. Certification for buildings is renewed annually so a building must maintain a high performance to be certified year to year. Even if your building isn’t high performing, putting your building in portfolio manager is still a worthwhile exercise as it helps you benchmark your performance against other buildings. They have excellent training and other resources available on their website.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
LEED is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. LEED buildings save energy, water, resources, generate less waste and support human health. LEED works for all buildings anywhere, regardless of where they are in their life cycle. From hospitals to data centers, from historical buildings to those still in the design phase, there’s a LEED for every type of building project. Projects pursuing LEED certification earn points across several categories, including energy use and air quality. Based on the number of points achieved, a project then earns one of four LEED rating levels: Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Financing Options
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing
PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) is a simple and effective way to finance energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation upgrades to buildings. PACE can pay for new heating and cooling systems, lighting improvements, solar panels, water pumps, insulation, and more for almost any property – homes, commercial, industrial, non-profit, and agricultural.
Property owners across the US are using PACE because it lowers utility bills and may make their buildings more valuable. PACE pays for 100% of a project’s costs and is repaid for up to 20 years with an assessment added to the property’s tax bill. PACE financing may stay with the building upon sale and is easy to share with tenants. State and local governments sponsor PACE financing to create jobs, promote economic development, and protect the environment.
PACE financing is only available in states that have passed legislation enabling PACE to be available. Check the PACENation website to see if it’s available in your state.
PACENation also has a really great video and one pager on what PACE financing is.
A green bond is a debt security that is issued to raise capital specifically to support climate related or environmental projects. The World Bank was among the first to issue green bonds, and they have excellent materials describing what green bonds are in great detail.
Major Agreements, Goals, Policies, and Partnerships
80 x 50, 80 x 30, Under2 MOU, The Paris Agreement, COP 21
The Under2 Coalition was created in May of 2015 with the aim of bringing together ambitious states, cities, and regions willing to make key commitments toward emissions reduction and to help galvanize action at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015. Subnational governments in the coalition have committed to the “Under2 MOU” (Memorandum of Understanding) which commits to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050 (80 x 50).
The Paris Agreement or “Paris climate agreement”, was adopted on December 2015 when 195 nations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at COP 21 agreed to limit global temperature increase to no more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement also urges nations to do their best to go above and beyond their commitment and try to limit the increase to no more than 1.5 degrees. To reach these ambitious but necessary targets, developed countries will have to reduce GHG emissions by at least 80% by 2050 (80 x 50).
New York State, New York City, California State, and many other states, provinces, and cities around the world have committed to 80 x 50 with an interim target to reduce emissions 40% by 2030 (40 x 30). Achieving this goal requires significant reductions in emissions produced by energy generation, buildings, transportation, and solid waste. Key initiatives that will help achieve this goal include:
- Make buildings significantly more energy efficient
- Replace many fossil fuel-based heating and hot water systems in buildings with renewable or high efficiency electric systems
- Transition towards a renewables-based electric grid
- Reduce the number of miles driven while replacing remaining vehicles to zero-emissions vehicles
- Achieve the goal of Zero Waste to landfills
United Nations (UN) Global Compact
The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative for businesses. There are Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact that companies who join are expected to incorporate into their strategies, policies, and procedures. The principles are designed to help companies meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals composed of 169 associated targets set by the United Nations for all nations to achieve by 2030. The SDGs cover a broad range of social and economic development issues. These include poverty, hunger, health, education, climate change, gender equality, water, sanitation, energy, urbanization, environment and social justice.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
RGGI is the first mandatory market-based program in the US to reduce GHG emissions. RGGI is a cooperative effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont to cap and reduce carbon emissions from the power sector. A cap was established in 2015 and will decline 2.5% each year until 2020. States sell emission allowances through auctions and invest the proceeds in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other consumer benefit programs.
The 2030 Districts Network is composed of a global web of cities that have voluntarily committed to energy, water, and transportation-related reductions in the commercial building sector. The Network currently includes 19 cities, over 394 million square feet of commercial real estate space via more than 990 organizations and 1600 buildings committed.
The Clean Power Plan
The Clean Power Plan is an Obama administration policy aimed at combatting climate change that was first proposed by the EPA in June 2014. The plan is designed to lower the carbon dioxide emitted by power generators by 32% by 2030, relative to 2005 levels. The plan is focused on reducing emissions from coal-burning power plants, as well as increasing the use of renewable energy and energy conservation. The plan will require individual states to meet specific reductions standards and submit emissions reductions plans to the EPA. In October of 2017 it was revealed that the EPA under the Trump Administration is planning to repeal the Clean Power Plan. The standard federal regulatory procedures of change to a regulation and potential legal challenges may delay the repeal for two years or more.
The documentation on the EPA’s website is now predominantly about the repeal of the plan; however, the Environmental Defense Fund and other organizations have detailed resources available about the original goals for the plan and its benefits.
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