Opening Panel: Is Capitalism Sustainable?
This panel will explore the broad question of whether capitalism is sustainable, with a specific look at the regulation policies and economics of climate change. As a looming global concern, climate change has risen in prominence, but much of corporate America remains unconvinced of its status as a crisis. What role can and should American businesses play? How should companies weigh the risks of action against the risks of inaction? Our panelists will discuss their findings and their visions for the future role of capitalism.
Scarce Resources: Can Agribusiness Solve the International Food Crisis?
This panel will explore the global food crisis and the role of agribusiness in addressing it. The main aspects of the food crisis to be examined include nutrition, environmental sustainability, and equitable distribution of food resources. We will pose such questions as Are our current methods of food production sustainable in the long term? and Can food production be made more sustainable while meeting the food demands of a growing world population?
Socially Responsible Investing: Exploring Impact and Returns
In the uncertainty of the current financial crisis, socially responsible investing may be a direction in which to turn. This panel will look at different approaches to socially and environmentally responsible investing. Experts espousing a full spectrum of methodologies and philosophies will discuss the potential for making an impact while generating competitive returns.
Clean Tech: Overcoming Barriers to Economically Sustainable Renewable Energy
Expected exhaustion times for almost all forms of nonrenewable energy capital are in the 40-to-150 year range, making “non-sustainable” economics for renewable energy simply not an option. Yet, in the face of economic, technical, and legal barriers, this question remains: what must happen in the next 10 years to ensure the success of renewable energy? This panel will present the perspectives of business, engineering, and regulatory experts on short-term barriers to renewable energy proliferation and the market forces affecting the industry.
Product Innovation and Supply Chains: Creating Value for the Next Generation
What drives innovation and growth? In the 1980s, the concept of total quality management exploded the myth that products had to be either high quality or cheap. Today, the trade-off between cost and sustainability is disappearing. Soaring energy and commodities prices drive up the cost of resource inefficiency while science brings into focus the health risks from toxic chemicals released into the built and natural environments. This panel will examine how green products and processes drive innovation and long-term value. Panelists include a strategist devoted to reducing waste, a sustainable-design advocate and expert, and a socially responsible supply-chain aficionado.
Carbon Offsets: Is the Current System Enough?
The voluntary carbon offset market is a big industry in the United States. This panel will look at the current state of carbon offsets from both a public policy and a business perspective. Is the current voluntary system enough, or is a tax or compulsory cap and trade system better for business and society? How do the various offset programs affect businesses and what is the role of business in the formation in these new markets—regionally, nationally, and internationally?
Green Real Estate: Is it a Trade Up or a Trade Off?
The U.S. Green Building Council LEED program has generated substantial attention and action toward developing and redeveloping green real estate. However, economic challenges remain in making LEED-certified and other green buildings economically advantageous compared to legacy building techniques, technologies, and operations. This panel will take a 360-degree view toward the economic costs and benefits of constructing and implementing green building property programs from the perspective of a range of industry participants, including real estate investors, developers, and end users/owners.
Closing Panel: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
This panel will look at the job market at the intersection of business and society: how to get a job in the corporate social responsibility and sustainability fields, as well as how to incorporate CSR and sustainability into otherwise “normal” jobs. Attendees will have the chance to interact with panelists across a wide variety of industries, each bringing their unique experiences and advice, especially in light of the current economic climate.