CSRwire Events

How a Culture of Innovation Drives Sustainability at BASF (Free Livestream)

05.14.2013 - 09:42AM

A rare opportunity to hear directly from the VP of Innovation and Technology at a company that has successfully turned sustainability into a profit engine. Learn how the world’s leading chemical company focuses its innovation machine to solve some of society’s most pressing needs. Hear the story of a company that deeply understands how it’s not only the science of chemistry that it uses to solve problems, but perhaps even more so, it’s the chemistry among people.

DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 (registration closes June 9th)
TIME: 4:30-7:30 PM EST (snacks & networking from 6:30-7:30)
LOCATION: Bennett Jones, 1st Can. Place, 100 King St. W. (King & Bay), 34th Floor, Toronto
FREE LIVE WEBCAST & TWITTERCHAT #tssschat from 5:00-6:30 PM EST
(Tickets for both the live event and the webcast must be purchased in advance)

Aman Singh (Editorial Director, CSRwire) will be our Twitterchat facilitator.

Capitalism 2.0 Strategic Advisor Michael Townsend (Founder and CEO Earthshine Solutions) will co-host our Twitterchat from London, UK.

Sign up for our LIVE FREE WEBCAST today.

To learn more about this event, click here.

Our Guest Speaker
Dr. Volker Schaedler is Vice President of Innovation & Technology for BASF in North America. His responsibilities include multiple research groups in polymer and materials science, analytical chemistry, liason with universities, government labs and other external partners, and innovation management.

Since joining BASF in 1998 Volker Schaedler has been in charge of a variety of R&D programs within corporate research and product development in the area of functional polymers for coatings and paper. In 2003 Volker created BASF’s research laboratory at Strasbourg University in collaboration with Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn as head of the institute (ISIS), enabling long term innovation through a unique collaboration model between academia and industry. Volker came to the US in 2007 to set up BASF’s first corporate polymer research group in Wyandotte, Michigan. Volker is a chemist by training and holds a PhD in Polymer Science from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany.

About TSSS
The Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series (TSSS) is widely recognized as Canada’s premiere forum for dialogue and problem solving among sustainability professionals. Each year over 1000 sustainability change agents attend TSSS events to exchange ideas, to network and to be inspired by leading companies that have integrated sustainability into their business practices. To learn more, click here.

Innovating for Sustainability

05.13.2013 - 09:42AM

Challenged by mounting pressure to act with greater transparency, businesses across the globe are struggling to balance the demands of shareholders with the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns of society. To help companies align financial reporting and ESG performance, Harvard Business School Executive Education offers Innovating for Sustainability.

Learn more by visiting our website.

Contact Information:

Jim Aisner
Email: jaisner@hbs.edu
Phone: +1-617-495-6157
Twitter: @HBSExecEd

BBB Forum on Corporate Responsibility VI

05.06.2013 - 10:59AM

At the sixth BBB Forum, thought leaders will present insights about how corporate responsibility priorities and practices are changing in response to evolving business needs and public pressures. Register now to:

Hear the latest thinking about the evolving corporate responsibility scene
Learn how a corporate journey through changing expectations benefited the business
Get insights about trends and megatrends that are shaping business opportunities
Discover key features of shareholder-sponsored proposals on environmental and social issues
Explore new ideas about goal-setting and social impact assessment
And more...

Speakers will include:

Kim Jeffery, Chairman, Nestle Waters North America
Mike Lawrence, Chief Reputation Officer and Executive Vice President, Cone Communications
Diana Glassman, Head of Environmental Affairs, TD Bank, U.S.
Christopher T. Lloyd, Executive Director, Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility, Verizon Communications
Louise Raymond, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, The McGraw-Hill Companies
David Vidal, Senior Fellow, The Conference Board Initiative on Sustainability
Kellie Huennekens, Assistant Director, Corporate Governance Center, Ernst & Young, LLP
Laura Gitman, Managing Director, Advisory Services, BSR

Cost:

BBB Accredited Businesses and National Partners, Event Supporters, and Charities – $90 Early Bird Rate until May 10, $95 after that

Non BBB-Accredited, Others – $160, Early Bird Rate until May 10, $165 after that.

Major Sponsors: Ernst & Young LLP Popular Community Bank

Benefactor Sponsor: NYSE Euronext

Friend Sponsor: Goodwill Industries of Greater New York, and Northern New Jersey

Media Supporter: Corporate Responsibility Magazine

Event Supporters: Advertising Self-Regulatory Council, American Sustainable Business Council, BSR, Council of Better Business Bureaus, CSRHub, CSRwire, Ethics and Compliance Officer Association, Forum for the Future, Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc., Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Net Impact NYC, NYCharities.org, New York Society of Association Executives, and Sustainability Practice Network, and The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity

Cancellation Policy: If you register, need to cancel, and wish to request a refund, please notify us in writing by email to hlayland@newyork.bbb.org no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

We regret that we will not be able to and likewise, cannot re-apply registration fees for this event to other purposes. You may send a substitute attendee in your place if necessary; we ask that you give us advance notice of the change if at all possible, to ensure a smooth event check-in process for your attendee. Thank you!

Leading for Sustainability Workshop with Peter Senge & Darcy Winslow

05.04.2013 - 06:00AM

Collaboration is the human face of systemic change. Join Peter Senge and Darcy Winslow for this 3-day leadership workshop and learn how to successfully and collaboratively make sustainability a core value in your organization, supply chain and community. The overall focus of this workshop is joint capacity building in service of developing new capabilities for generative partnerships and collaboration for systemic change.

Leading for Sustainability offers less lecture time, and more time for hands-on development of your leadership skills. You will strengthen your systems thinking skills so you can switch from reactive problem solving to initiating and creating new futures.

CSRwire subscribers get a special $300 discount. Use Promo Code 'CSRW300'.

Register for this event.

Peter Senge

Founding Chair of SoL, Senior Lecturer at MIT and author of The Fifth Discipline, the Art and Practices of the Learning Organization and The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organization Are Working Together To Create a Sustainable World.

Darcy Winslow
Managing Partner and founding member of the Academy for Systemic Change. Former Senior Executive at Nike, most notably starting the Sustainable Business Strategies in 1999.

A Conversation on Employee Engagement, Volunteerism & Shareholder Value: What's The Link?

05.01.2013 - 08:32AM

Chances are, if you have more than 100 employees, you either have a volunteerism program or have one in the works. Chances also are – especially if you already have a program in place – that you want to report on all the incredible work being done by your employees for recognition, competitive value and transparency.

But how do you do that in a way that isn’t interpreted as self-promotional or submerged into a sea of metrics without context? And how do you keep everything from social media and engagement to tracking and reporting requirements straight?

Join CSRwire's Editorial Director Aman Singh in conversation with Melanie Michaud, Philips' Senior Manager for Internal Communications – Corporate Responsibility, Daniel Korschun, Drexel University's Assistant Professor of Marketing and Fellow at the Center for Corporate Reputation Management at the LeBow College of Business, and Profits for Purpose's Jason Burns on the increasing – and important – role of measuring, tracking and connecting engagement data with business performance, bottom line results and brand value.

Among the topics we will discuss:

What does leading research say about the connection between employee engagement and shareholder value?
How does a CSR strategy led strategically across functions affect business performance?
How are companies like Phillips connecting the dots between volunteerism, engagement, retention and business growth?
How can companies collect, manage, measure and report on their employee engagement data from one platform to ensure they're communicating effectively and being transparent with their metrics?
What is the role of leadership buy in and engagement beyond pursuing their favorites causes?

Date: May 9, 2013
Time: 2:00pm EST
Venue: GoToWebinar
Twitter: #engageROI

I'll join @CSRwire & @Profits4Purpose 2discuss the link b/n #EmployeeEngagement & shareholder value 05/09 http://bit.ly/engageROI #engageROI

And remember to come armed with questions, perspective and insights!

Public Private Partnerships Forum: The ‘HOW’ behind cross-sector collaboration

04.29.2013 - 10:00AM

On Tuesday evening, May 7^th 2013 IMA International will host a forum for 30-50 public and private sector professionals in New York City, who will discuss how to establish and sustain cross – sector partnerships.

Panel Speakers Include:

Tom Sessions – Care International
Paula Pagniez – Swiss Re
William Kennedy – UN Office for Partnerships
Camilla Nestor – Grameen Foundation

Speakers will share cases to highlight the main challenges they faced at each stage of the partnership cycle, and the practical actions they took to progress through.

Places are limited and there is high demand.

For an invite: Email Linzi.moore@imainternational.com with details of your organization, role, and why you are interested. Venue to be revealed on registration.

Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education offers Corporate Social Responsibility Program

04.22.2013 - 10:15AM

Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategies to Create Business and Social Value will take place from September 25-28, 2013 on the HBS Campus.

Participants will learn to align CSR with business strategy by defining priorities, integrating social responsibility into business structure and managing risk.

To learn more and apply, visit here.

Clean Energy Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference

04.19.2013 - 12:36PM

CEPEC is an international clean energy and cleantech conference for private equity and venture capital partners. Its agenda is to have proven industry leaders, explain the financial aspects and business cases, surrounding the most interesting investments which they have been involved with and committed capital to. Panelists follow a unique case study format, akin to a 2-day MBA Master class. While the conference offers business critical information, genuine co-investment opportunities and decision level networking to existing 'green' investors, CEPEC is equally suited to new and would be professional investors considering entering the sector.

The overriding purpose of CEPEC is to help professionals make better investment decisions based on the experiences of others and issues of the day. Panelist on the agenda reflect the type of delegates coming to CEPEC.

Sharing a Vision and Zeroing in on Waste: Live Chat with P&G and The Guardian

04.19.2013 - 08:00AM

Join P&G's global sustainability leaders and Jo Confino of The Guardian for a unique exchange with the world’s largest consumer packaged goods company.

The conversation will dive into P&G’s work, partnerships, and commitments and challenges to responsibly meet the needs of its customers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions in a live forum during the chat. From aiming to save a life every hour with safe drinking water packets to accomplishing zero-waste and 45 manufacturing sites and inspiring families to switch to cold water washing for every load of laundry, the people at P&G are focused on finding ways to improve its environmental profile while leveraging its global scale to make a tangible difference for people everywhere.

Please register online to join the Live Chat on Monday, April 22, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST.

The Conference Board Summit on Sustainability

04.18.2013 - 08:11AM

The Conference Board Summit on Sustainability brings together sustainability experts, practitioners, and institutional investors share the latest perspectives on how corporations are transforming their global operations by integrating sustainability into a long term return-on-investment strategy.

Businesses, foundations, universities, governments and consumers are actively seeking solutions for an increasing number sustainability concerns, creating a new “sustainability market.” In this environment, corporations benefit by promoting innovative technologies, resource-efficient business processes, and new methods and partnerships for research and development.

The Conference Board Sustainability Summit examines four critical themes. The first two focus on the people who drive sustainability: Investors and Stakeholders. The second two themes focus on tools used for sustainability: Technology and R&D. All comes together with targeted discussion on the new touch points of sustainability, including innovation, technology, eliminating waste, dramatic energy efficiency, water supply, and a reinvented workforce.

Why Attend?

Learn how investors view non-financial factors as value drivers
Hear experts in energy, water supply, human capital and other sustainability practices discuss the environmental and social impact of their operations on local/regional stakeholders
Understand technological advances that solve sustainability problems and reshape how companies organize and create value
Apply innovations from R&D strategic partnerships between companies, universities, governments and foundations

The 2013 Conference Features Two Pre-Conference Seminars – bring home some specific tools on how you can benefit from the new sustainability mindset

Plenary Sessions – hear from renowned keynote speakers and panelists as well comments and questions from the full audience

Four Tracks – tailor your conference to your own expertise or interests. Choose from tracks on:

Shareholder/Corporate Governance
Stakeholders
Techhnology
Research & Development

A Pre-Conference Survey – determine what your peers view as the main touch points of the new Sustainability Regime. These will be revisited throughout the conference to see how they fit in with the discussion as it unfolds

Interactive Sessions – Creatively collaborate with fellow attendees during the Design your Own Smart City group exercise designed for executives in charge of corporate sustainability, environmental health & safety, supply chain, purchasing and procurement, resource management, investment and financial firms, sustainability consulting firms, and government entities/agencies.

Materiality, Sustainability Disclosure & ESG Performance: A Live Conversation With SASB

04.12.2013 - 05:30PM

Today, sustainability reporting lacks comparability, rigor, and implications for inclusion in financial valuation and therefore, can’t be tied to performance in a way that is actionable by management or investors.

Despite GRI's continued popularity -- and high expectations from the upcoming G4 guidelines -- and the International Integrated Reporting Committee's [IIRC] work on shifting reporting toward an integrated format, there remains a critical need for standards that help companies address, and investors analyze, the most material environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their industry.

But what is materiality? And how do you deduce fair share of resources in a way that neither of the environment, social or governance metrics are getting siloed? Further, can any one organization lead us toward a sector-specific standardized approach that allows analysts, investors, consumers, employees and all other stakeholders understand and credibly compare corporate apples to apples?

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) was publicly launched in October 2012 to "advance the concepts of industry-specific performance indicators and integrated reporting for the benefit of U.S. publicly listed corporations, their investors, and the general public."

The organization was borne out of the idea that "integrated reporting and industry performance indicators are concepts that are mutually reinforcing and the essential next step in responsible, complete, and comparable disclosure."

Now, six months in, what is the SASB upto? How did it codify the Materiality Map and how are the Industry Groups it set up working?

And what are the key differences between SASB's mandate and that of the GRI and the IIRC? Can we expect SASB to make sustainability standards as clear and enforcable as accounting standards by the Fair Accounting Standards Board [FASB]?

Join CSRwire's Editorial Director Aman Singh in conversation with SASB's Associate Director of Education Marisa Mackey and Associate Director of Stakeholder Engagement Katie Schmitz Eulitt for a webinar to discuss all these questions and more.

Learn about SASB’s work to develop industry-specific sustainability accounting standards and how these standards will affect your industry and organization. Consider this a great opportunity to have your questions answered about the future of ESG disclosure and learn how to become involved in the standards-setting process.

Date: April 18, 2013

Time: 12:00pm EST

Registration: Register here and send out the following tweet:

I will join @sasb_org + @CSRwire on 04/18 to discuss #ESG #disclosure, #materiality & #sustainability standards! http://bit.ly/sasbcsrwire

Hashtag: #SASBCSRwire

About SASB

Sustainability Accounting Standards Board™ (SASB)™ is an independent 501(c)3 organization that establishes and maintains industry-tailored key performance indicators for use in disclosing material sustainability issues for the benefit of investors, corporations and the public. For more information about SASB, visit www.sasb.org, or follow us on YouTube, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About CSRwire

CSRwire is a digital media platform and the leading global source of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability news. Founded in 1999 to advance the movement towards a more economically just and environmentally sustainable society and away from single bottom line capitalism, CSRwire has paved the way for new standards of corporate citizenship, earning the international respect of thought leaders, business leaders, academics, philanthropists, activists and the media community. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

LOHAS Conference

04.12.2013 - 05:07PM

The LOHAS Business Conference provides a cross section of executives like no other, and is known for fantastic networking with decision makers who are interested in LOHAS business. Countless deals and successful relationships have manifested as a direct result of participating in the LOHAS Business Conference.

Sustainability Base Camp for Media Executives

04.11.2013 - 01:41PM

The Essential Sustainability Program for the Media Industry: What you need to know next.

The daylong program addresses the unique need for media industry executives to understand the fundamentals of sustainability and the business case for integrating CSR principles and practices into business operations.

Participants will benefit from a confidential, peer learning experience guided by seasoned sustainability experts and media executives. They will leave with practical knowledge of how best to leverage competitive advantage within the rapidly evolving sustainability marketplace. Key topics include global trends; standards and protocols; financial market drivers; risks and opportunities; and sustainable supply chains including a featured Case Study presented by Lyn Brown, VP Marketing and Corporate Responsibility for Catalyst Paper Corporation, one of the largest global paper supply companies.

During lunch, Lou Nowikas, director of real estate and facilities planning, Hearst Corporation will provide a special presentation on the LEED Platinum Hearst Tower.

Cocktail reception and GRI Findings Report presentation to follow.

Register Now!
CSRwire members receive a special discount – enter CSRWIRE for a 20% discount.

VERGE Boston

04.10.2013 - 01:34PM

GreenBiz is bringing their international VERGE conference series to Boston, May 13-14, and is offering CSRwire members a special discount.

VERGE conferences have traveled the globe with events in Shanghai, London, Washington DC, and San Francisco. VERGE Boston will bring together the emerging ecosystem of companies, products, and services at the convergence of energy, information, building and transportation technologies. It’s a great opportunity to get out of your silo and see what happens when people, technologies, and ideas converge.

VERGE conferences feature thought leaders from a wide variety of sectors, and include fresh perspectives on the innovative ideas, business opportunities and enabling technologies shaping our future. It's a big picture focus, targeting executives and senior management with opportunities to learn and discuss real world challenges and what the future holds within the VERGE domains: M2M/Internet of Things, Data: Big; Open and Shared; Smarter Supply Chains; Next-Gen Buildings; Future Cities; Intelligent Transportation; New Energy Systems.

The fantastic lineup of speakers includes: Kathrin Winkler, Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, EMC Corporation; Mary Fisher, Carbon Master, Stonyfield; Douglas Gensler, Principal and Managing Director, Gensler; Heather Henriksen, Director of the Office for Sustainability, Harvard University; Cheryl Martin, Deputy Director for Commercialization, ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy; Jason Jay, Director, Sustainable Business and Society, MIT; Brian Swett, Chief of Environment and Energy, City of Boston; Victoria Mills, Managing Director, Corporate Partnerships Program, EDF.

Visit the event program for even more speakers.

CSRwire members recieve a special discount! Use our 10% off priority discount code (VBOSCSRwire) when you register here: www.greenbiz.com/events/verge/2013/05/boston.

Growing the Impact Economy Summit, Harvard University, May 23-24

04.09.2013 - 05:30PM

A special leadership gathering of impact investors, government officials, social entrepreneurs, scholars, and economic developers to explore the role of for-benefit enterprise in accelerating job creation, promoting economic and community development, and enhancing regional competitiveness.

"I am pleased to see that such a diverse group of our nation's brightest minds will be meeting at Harvard to discuss innovative approaches to revitalizing our economy. It will take leadership from many sectors to continue to grow an economy that creates quality jobs, promotes shared prosperity, and builds strong, sustainable communities. These are issues I have worked on for years, and I look forward to the valuable ideas and recommendations that will be generated at the summit."

Larry H. Summers, Summit Advisory Council
President Emeritus, Harvard University; Director, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government, Harvard Kennedy School; 71st U.S. Secretary of the Treasury

About the Summit

During this time of mounting fiscal challenges and a sluggish and fragile economic recovery, there is a growing sector of “hybrid” or “for-benefit” enterprises that can create quality jobs and promote economic growth, contribute to the tax base, drive new resources to the nonprofit sector, and tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues that would otherwise fall on the shoulders of government and nonprofits. These enterprises are drivers of an “impact economy”—one that promotes social, environmental, and economic value creation.

To grow the impact economy and effectively harness its potential, there is a need for a more coherent and comprehensive national approach to developing the for-benefit sector. Economic development policies and programs, which are currently focused primarily on growing for-profit firms, need to be expanded to also support for-benefit enterprise development.

This invitation-only summit will bring together a mix of perspectives and participants involved in developing and supporting for-benefit economic models. Delegates will engage in thoughtful, off-the-record discussions about advancing regional and national economic development strategies for accelerating the growth of the impact economy. This will be a participant-driven, outcome-oriented gathering intended to serve as a springboard for action. Informed by advance research, and supported by innovative session design and a team of expert facilitators and reporters, delegates will have the opportunity to develop roadmaps for action and find new possibilities for collaboration and partnership. $25,000 in seed grants will be awarded to the most promising initiatives that emerge from the gathering.

Visit the summit website for the most up-to-date agenda and list of speakers.

"This gathering is timely. Especially in the past few years, leaders of the millennial generation have been passing up more traditional careers to pursue socially responsible work. If we can combine this younger generation's propensity for service with our nation’s inherent entrepreneurial spirit, the results could be game changing. We need the brightest leaders across multiple sectors to come together to rethink our model for prosperity."

David Gergen, Summit Advisory Council
Professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Senior Political Analyst, CNN

Registration

To optimize its impact, this Summit is designed to be an intimate, action-oriented leadership gathering of practitioners and thought leaders in the field. Participation is by invitation only. We have set aside a block of delegate slots for individuals who should be in the room but have not been identified by our process. Please share your wisdom with us by nominating sector leaders you believe would bring an important perspective to—and would benefit from—this gathering. Please feel free to self-nominate. Click here to nominate a delegate.

New Webinar Series on the Future of Integrated Reporting: The Way Forward for ESG Voluntary Reporting and ESG Regulatory Reporting

04.05.2013 - 05:40PM

Our most exciting Webinar Series ever will provide keen insights and practical guidance on the latest developments in ESG voluntary and regulatory reporting, and will address, for the first time, how to harmonize and integrate these two distinct ESG reporting worlds, which have disparities that are undermining global capital markets. Registration fee discounts of 40% are available for a limited time.

Speakers include:

Pietro Bertazzi, Senior Manager for Policy and Government Affairs, GRI
Hank Boerner, Chairman, Governance & Accountability Institute
Brian Rice, Portfolio Manager, Sustainability Risk Management Team Leader, CalSTRS
Sanford Lewis, Counsel, Investor Environmental Health Network
Christine Rhodes, Climate Change and Sustainability Services, Ernst & Young LLP
Linda Lowson, Esq., CEO, Global ESG Regulatory Academy™

3 Reasons Why You Should Attend:

Exclusive, Authoritative Source and Venue for this Global ESG Regulatory and Reporting Education: This must-have knowledge and practical guidance is not available anywhere else. CSR Insight™ is the only organization worldwide that has conducted a five-year Research Program which included comprehensive, drill-down legal, accounting, and technical analyses of all major global ESG voluntary and regulatory reporting regimes. This is the future of financial reporting, affecting every global capital market participant.
Gain Essential Knowledge to Avoid Serious Liabilities: Whether you are a C-Suite, Board, Finance, Legal, Audit, Risk, Compliance, Strategy, Sustainability, Analyst, Researcher, Asset Manager, or Asset Owner executive, you need this knowledge and you need it now, to fulfill your job responsibilities and avoid serious liabilities and risks of which you may be unaware. ESG reporting is now a strategic imperative. Be proactive, not reactive, and you will reap the professional and financial rewards.
Receive Important Guidance at a Nominal Cost to Fulfill Internal and External Stakeholder Expectations: You will reap the benefits of a five-year, $5.5 million Global ESG Regulatory and Reporting Research Program, quickly, conveniently, and at a nominal cost, including sophisticated technical analyses of both voluntary and regulatory ESG reporting frameworks, translated into simple laymen guidance on understanding, managing, and streamlining these two reporting worlds for maximum benefit and at lowest cost.

Webinars have limited capacity. Early registration is recommended.

Webinars will feature a live Q&A session. All Registrants will receive the archived Webinar recordings and the Webinar presentation handout materials, even if you cannot attend the live Webinars. Don't miss this unique, exciting, and important education!

Also, if you missed our Fall 2012 Webinar Series, it is now available for a limited time at a 40% discount: SEC ESG Compliance: Where the Rubber Meets the Road

This Series provides an in-depth explanation and the first-ever analysis of SEC ESG Requirements, Liabilities, and Risks for the C-Suite, the Board, the External Auditor, and the Asset Manager.

For Speaker, Sponsor, and Registration Queries: Contact Linda Lowson, Esq. at inquiry@globalregulatoryacademy.com.

4th Zermatt Summit - Business & NGOs: Building partnerships of winners

04.04.2013 - 09:36AM

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to invite you to join a select group of economic, business and political decision makers and participate in the fourth edition of the Zermatt Summit, 20-21 June 2013.

Our theme for this year is Business & NGOs: Building partnerships of winners.

The Zermatt Summit was created in 2010 as a platform to promote a constructive, action-oriented dialogue between civil society and business. It is our conviction that it is through this kind of dialogue and through a better interaction between civil society, business and governments that we will be able to achieve a more inclusive globalization.

I am looking forward to the pleasure of welcoming you personally to the Zermatt Summit in June. In the meantime, should you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms Jacqui Manini (jacqui.manini@zermattsummit.org) or Mr Stephane Barbot-Maire (sbm@smadja.ch). Both will be pleased to assist you.

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Wasserman, President

For more information and early bird registration, visit www.zermattsummit.org.

View the program here, http://bit.ly/10cuf7i.

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit

04.02.2013 - 11:15AM

The fourth North American edition of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit will take place in New York City on 16-18 May 2013.

Focal themes of this new edition are novel green ingredients, marketing developments and consumer behavior. For the first time, a summit will look at ways of reducing the environmental footprint of cosmetic products by using green ingredients and encouraging sustainable consumption. With many cosmetic companies preoccupied with ecological impacts, the sustainability initiatives session discusses ways of improving the social footprint of personal care products. How can cosmetic and ingredient firms make a social difference by their products?The summit ends with an interactive workshop that tackles the technical issues associated with using green cosmetic ingredients.

Organized by Organic Monitor, the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is a series of international summits that focuses on the leading issues the beauty industry faces concerning sustainability and ecological products.

The aim of the summit is to encourage sustainability in the beauty industry by bringing together key stake-holders and debate these major issues in a high-level forum.

More info on: www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com
Email: info@sustainablecosmeticssummit.com
Tel: (44) 20 8567 0788 Fax: (44) 20 8567 7164

Green Festival 2013

04.02.2013 - 01:01AM

Green Festival begins an exciting 2013 season returning to Javits Center North for Earth Day Weekend, April 19-21!

New York Green Festival returns to celebrate community with the largest, most diverse and most trusted place for learning, shopping, networking and having fun.

The Festival will feature favorites, like the organic, vegetarian and vegan food court; the Sierra Club Green Cinema; eco-fashion exhibits; hands-on DIY workshops; live music; an organic beer and wine garden; inspiring keynote presentations and, a nationally renowned Green Marketplace featuring products and services from local, regional and national green and sustainable businesses and organizations.

Learn more here.

Ceres Conference 2013

04.01.2013 - 06:11PM

Leading investors are rapidly ramping up programs to engage with companies on ESG related risks and opportunities. Much of this important work goes unnoticed because it is conducted privately. How do investors decide to use private rather than public means of engagement? How do investors choose companies for these closed-door dialogues? Most importantly, how are these dialogues influencing investment decisions as well as company practices? Join the conversation that will address these critical questions at the Ceres Conference 2013, and ask your questions in real time via Twitter.

Check out the entire conference program and agenda here.

Why Should You Attend The Ceres Conference?

Hear from previous conference attendees about why they attend the Ceres Conference every year in the video below.

Join us at the Ceres Conference 2013 to connect with fellow leaders creating the innovative solutions that will build a more sustainable global economy.

Register Now

Spring of Sustainability

03.29.2013 - 05:43PM

The Spring of Sustainability brings 60 “stars” of sustainability to a global audience in a mix of free teleseminar, web and live events spanning the Spring of 2013: April 2 - June 14.

Join world-class leaders like Bill McKibben, Mike Brune, Vandana Shiva, Dennis Kucinich, Frances Moore-Lappe, Joanna Macy and dozens more – in the Spring of Sustainability 2013.

Learn more here.

Columbia University Earth Summit

03.27.2013 - 09:48PM

Registration for The Columbia University Earth Summit closes tomorrow!

Join us on March 29 in welcoming Jeffrey Sachs, Kathleen Marran, Jason Bordoff, Dan Esty, and His Excellency Stuart Beck, among our 30 inspiring speakers! Watch undergraduates compete in the Resolution Social Venture Challenge, be inspired by Columbia early-stage entrepreneurs at our Idea Lab, and network during our thematic working lunches and reception.

This year’s Summit brings business and social leaders together with academics and students to find collaborative solutions that reach across traditional barriers. Throughout the morning, we will look at the effects of a changing environment on the economy, public health, security and justice, and education.

In each session, we will debate ways of engaging new stakeholders, discuss what still needs to be done, and identify the roadblocks. In the afternoon, we will look specifically at finance, policy, and technological solutions to these questions. We look forward to welcoming you to this inspiring event!

You can register here: www.columbiaearthsummit.com/#!register/cjg9.

2013 Peer Awards | Entry Deadline

03.27.2013 - 12:47PM

Just being shortlisted for a Peer Award for Excellence gets you exposure and recognition for your interesting CSR, Customer Engagement or HR initiatives. Two things then happen…

Your entry and company logo, and with a picture if you wish, will be featured in the special Peer Awards supplement in The Independent newspaper.
You will be invited to present your initiative at our conference, where you also listen to other finalists and help judge the Peer Awards.

We are open for entries from any country, profession or sector, until 1 May 2013.

Learn more at thepeerawards.com.

FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Conference and Awards 2013

03.23.2013 - 10:56AM

The Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, have launched the 2013 FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards, the world’s leading awards for financial institutions that are integrating environmental, social and corporate governance considerations into their business.

Now in their eighth year, the awards also highlight partnerships between financial and non-financial companies such as technology firms and infrastructure groups that are finding innovative and commercially viable solutions to some of the world’s most pressing sustainability challenges. The 2012 programme attracted 161 entries from 145 financial institutions and 36 non-financial groups in 67 countries.

The FT/IFC Sustainable Finance Awards this year will reward leadership and innovation on an institutional and transactional basis across five categories.

Sustainable Bank of the Year
Sustainable Investor of the Year
Sustainable Investment of the Year
Technology in Sustainable Finance
Achievement in Inclusive Business

The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference India Week

03.19.2013 - 08:18AM

“Smart Grid” has become a buzz word in the past few years at a time of human being facing serious climate challenges. Apparently, the pursuit of lower carbon emission is not the only driver for the world’s leading utilities’ “Going Green.” A self-healing, more reliable, less constrained, safer and more efficient grid is in the interest of all stakeholders. That is why in US, Euro and Australia utilities are constantly implementing smart technologies into their grids. For the developing economics, China is planning to increase the renewable energy proportion to 10 percent of the total energy use by 2010, and 15 percent by 2020. We also could see signs of active smart grid initiatives in Brazil, Africa and Middle East.

The main event agenda would include:

Strategy Forum – Smart grid pilots, investment, regulation and the next step
Technology Stream 1 – Smart grid business cases, latest development, smart metering, distribution automation
Technology Stream 2 – renewable integration, demand response, smart city outlook
India Talents Training Program – Cultivating young talents for the power sector of India and prepare for tomorrow’s smart grid

The expectation for the 3rd WSGC India Week event:

More exhibition space and more target visitors across the industry – the organizer is going to issues more visitor passes to the industry for the exhibitors from India transmission and distribution utilities, smart grid service companies, experts and consultants

More distribution utilities senior executive discussion on smart grid deployment and investment – 400 senior participants in 2013 across the industry

More senior international speakers to present on developing countries’ experiences in smart grid On behalf of the organizing committee, we would like to invite you and other senior executives to attend The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference India Week, which will be held in New Delhi, India from Sep 10th-12th, 2013. With your attendance in 3rd WSGC India, we believe it will enhance the profile of your firm in smart grid industry and potentially bring more profitable business to your company.

Relevant events:

The 2nd World Smart Grid Conference Middle East, April 22th - 23th, 2013 Abu Dhabi, UAE
The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference China, May 9th - 10th, 2013, Beijing, China

Conference Name：

The 3rd World Smart Grid Conference India Week Date: Sep. 10th- 12th, 2013 Location: New Delhi, India

Hosting Organization:

SZ&W Group

Event Website:

www.szwgroup.com/2013/sgindia/
Tel: +86 21 5830 0710
Fax: +86 21 5831 1668
E-mail: info@szwgroup.com