The 2017 Summit:
Water, Forestry, Energy
BEFORE THE GREEN IS GONE: 2017 Sustainability Summit and Dinner offered topic sessions in the following key areas:
Water Conservation Session
Guests learned about the economic value of water and how companies showed leadership in managing the world’s most pressing water-related issues. Panelists with backgrounds in corporate water management and water advocacy explored innovations and trends that addressed urgent needs related to sustaining freshwater resources.
- Moderator: Joseph Martens, Senior Fellow, Open Space Institute, Inc.
- Rachel Cook, Director of Operations, Waterkeeper Alliance
- Valerie Chort, VP of Corporate Citizenship, Royal Bank of Canada
- Ursula Dean Hoskins, RLA, VP for Capital Projects, NYBG
Sustainable Forestry Session
Leading figures from conservation and botany, as well as users of forest products, explored ways to manage and sustain diverse supply chains and protect living landscapes. They also provided insights in promoting sustainability at a time of uncertainty in public policy.
- Moderator: Daniel Katz, Senior Program Director, Overbrook Foundation
- Mark Buckley, VP of Environmental Affairs, Staples, Inc.
- Richard Donovan, VP of Sustainable Forestry, Rainforest Alliance
- David J. Refkin, Affiliate Senior Consultant, Resource Recycling Systems
VP of Sustainability Emeritus, Time Inc. - Charles M. Peters, Ph.D., Kate E. Tode Curator of Botany, NYBG
Energy Efficiency Session
Corporate leaders and veteran advocates for energy efficiency discussed contemporary approaches to conserving energy in buildings and cities, and explored the implications of corporate leadership and data in achieving meaningful savings. The panel also discussed the importance of efficiency in the broader context of reducing energy consumption and its environmental impacts.
- Moderator: Michael P. Washburn, Ph.D., Principal, Washburn Consulting
- Tim Fleming, Director of Enterprise Sustainability, AT&T
- Jill Jamieson, Managing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle
- Mark Cupkovic, VP for Security and Operations, NYBG