Showing posts with label sustainable practices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable practices. Show all posts

CIWEM'S Water & Environment Conference 2011

CIWEM holds an annual conference addressing the multidisciplinary issues of the global water and environment sector. This year it is focused on the issue of the “Big Society” and the implications for the environment sector. The conference will be held at Olympia Conference Centre in London, England on the 6th-7th of April 2011

The current trend toward austerity is a major global challenge. Funding for projects will be more restricted, demanding novel and innovative solutions. We are facing a new financial reality which will focus our efforts towards achieving our aims for sustainability and environmental gains with decreasing funding.

The UK coalition government has launched a "Big Society" programme intended to "take power away from politicians and give it to the people," (see programme). The programme includes giving communities more power, transferring power from central to local government using 'third sector' resources to deliver government programmes and giving wider public access to government data. This programme will create opportunities and challenges for the environment sector and society as a whole.

In April 2011, CIWEM will hold a two-day Annual Conference that will address multidisciplinary issues across all areas of the global water and environment sector and will also focus on the issue of the "Big Society" and the implications for the environment sector.

The aim of the conference is to challenge and inspire the water and environmental community by sharing knowledge and best practice, which is at the heart of meeting key global challenges. There will be a mix of keynote speakers, offered papers, exhibitions and networking opportunities that will make this the key event for water and environment professionals.

Outputs from the conference freely available on the CIWEM website after the event.

Confirmed keynote speakers include:

  • Richard Benyon MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries
  • Tony Juniper, campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser, environmentalist and former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth
  • Dr Mike Clarke, Chief Executive of RSPB
  • John Edmonds, Aldersgate Group Lead on Environmental Skills, Non-Executive Director of Carbon Trust, Former General Secretary of the GMB Trade Union and Chair of the Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC)
  • Phil Rothwell, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Environment Agency

    For more information on conference speakers see the Speaker Programme.

    To see details on Water & Environment 2010, see the Conference Outputs page for the presentations and delegate notes.

    For more information go to Water and Environment 2011. For information on sponsorship contact Lauren Goozee.

    © 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
  • Social Action Driving Businesses to Adopt Sustainable Practices

    Some businesses have seen the wisdom of going green ahead of public pressure, others are being cajoled out of their complacency by an increasingly concerned public. The following account is a cautionary tale for businesses that ignore responsible practices.

    Greenpeace is one of the prominent groups that uses sustainability scorecards to assesses businesses. In one of these scorecards Greenpeace singled out seafood supermarket chain Trader Joe's. For months Greenpeace publicly pressured Trader Joe's to adopt sustainable seafood purchasing policies.

    Trader Joe's was subject to an online campaign including Greenpeace’s mock website. Pressure also took the form of phone calls, in-store demonstrations and questions to store managers from activists and shoppers across the country.

    As a consequence of relentless pressure from Greenpeace activists, Trader Joe's agreed to adopt sustainable practices. Trader Joe's removed red-listed seafood and the store committed itself to working with third-party, science-based organizations to establish responsible practices and strong, lasting guidelines for ocean protection throughout their entire seafood operation.

    One of the most significant aspects of this deal is Trader Joe's agreement to use their buying power to leverage change in their supply chains and throughout the seafood industry.

    The capitulation of Trader Joe's proves that social action is a powerful force that can push even national chains to adopt sustainable practices. It also demonstrates that the public is increasingly coalescing around well coordinated campaigns that target irresponsible businesses.
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