The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding breakdown in global supply chains showed that the food and agriculture sectors rely on a fragile system.  A breakdown in any one of the components or by any one of the ‘actors’ within the system can cause catastrophic impact across the supply chain for workers, customers, investors, communities and the environment. The crisis has amplified the need for transforming the global food system and asking the obvious question: How do we reliably and sustainably feed a planet predicted to soon reach 9 billion people? Join this session to learn how companies throughout the value chain are driving change towards a sustainable food system and what your company can do to be part of the solution.

How is a focus on ‘S’ contributing to increased corporate value? What does it take to develop an ‘S’ strategy? What are the challenges and pitfalls? Join this session to hear from S&P Global Market Intelligence along with corporate leaders on the business transformation towards addressing social issues, and how this is a material issue for investors.

We spend so much time thinking about corporate sustainability and planetary sustainability. But what about human sustainability? How do we maintain the energy we need to pursue what matters most to us—especially when our life’s work is something as challenging as protecting the earth’s climate and natural resources? This interactive workshop will help you develop strategies to connect into your purpose, maintain your energy, and develop focus to continue the work that really matters.

Climate action and social justice are inextricably linked, incredibly complex, and at a global scale and scope. While an individual organization can and must make progress on its own, cross-sector collaboration is essential for transformative change and momentum towards a world that is sustainable, just and equitable. How can companies and NGOs effectively partner to move the needle across industries and sectors? What are the primary levers and drivers of substantive change? What do sustainability professionals need to know to contribute to meaningful change at this intersection? How must companies support local organizations and communities, and how can the sustainability function drive maximum impact in these partnerships? Join this session to hear from corporate and NGO leaders on how to drive meaningful change towards an equitable and just society that benefits both planet and people.

Nature is the underpinning of our economy, but businesses still struggle to value and account for it in decisions. Building nature’s value into business decisions can lead to better outcomes for companies and the environment. Navigating this frontier has brought together economists, engineers, conservation scientists, and sustainability professionals from both organizations to advance the research, tools, and processes needed to integrate nature’s value into business operations. Hear from corporate and NGO sustainability leaders on how they have built the trust, skills and strategies to effectively integrate nature in business decisions at the enterprise-level. The session will also highlight a new toolkit for companies to use to operationalize valuing nature and discuss how this progress is motivating future action together to shift how industry values nature.

Too often, sustainability is thought of as environmental only, a plea to protect the planet. But we often forget about the social part of sustainability – the people, their safety and their livelihoods as they make and purchase the products we love. Join this discussion and spotlight on worker health and safety and labor rights in today’s world with a focus on the urgent changes needed since COVID-19.

How are organizations leveraging sustainability as a lens for business growth and consumer engagement? ​This session will discuss the evolution and future of sustainability leadership roles within environmentally and socially conscious companies from architects of mitigation strategy to advocates for consumer interest and stewards of responsible natural resource management. Participants will be invited to share their experiences distinguishing their ESG strategies, lessons on the role of marketing as a driver of change, expanding definitions of successful impact, as well as insights on the role of the private industry in responsibly tackling shared global challenges.

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The basis of good water stewardship is intuitive: responsible use today = equitable future availability. Companies can follow a number of paths to reach this ideal, but guideposts were established by the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) International Standard. This framework helps businesses move beyond their fence line to define the water-related context of their operations (from hydrologic balance to stakeholder sentimentality and beyond) and identify the appropriate areas for investment to address Shared Water Challenges and advance the Five Outcomes of AWS. It will help you avoid buying sunglasses when your stakeholders would have most valued a rain jacket. Join this conversation with two companies at the forefront of AWS certification in North America to discuss the benefits and lessons learned from applying the AWS Standard.

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Learn how a software platform can help you proactively manage ESG risk alongside frameworks like TCFD and SASB.

As part of creating an agricultural system that is fit for the future, regenerative agriculture practices have the potential to create more resilient supply chains, restore soil health and enable farmers and businesses to thrive. At its heart, regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that puts more back into the environment and society than it takes out. While activity and investment in regenerative agriculture in the US has accelerated over the last five years, there are significant barriers holding us back. The sector is now at a critical point where collectively, different actors can enable the urgently-needed and just transition of the agriculture system towards resilience and regeneration. This will require breaking down silos between seasoned regenerative practitioners with deep experience and ambition, and incumbent stakeholders with resources and expertise to drive transformation across the country. Join this session to hear from representatives from across the agriculture system who will share the key findings from the first phase of the Growing our Future project, which identified the key actions that players across the supply chain – including farmers, businesses with agricultural supply chains, agribusinesses, non-profits, investors and financial services, research institutions, philanthropists and policy makers – must take to drive change. Using the report findings as a foundation, attendees will explore their role in implementing concrete, coherent action to accelerate the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices.

A single, coherent global set of reporting standards will ensure that all stakeholders can base decisions on consistent and comparable information while reducing reporting organizations' burden. Join this session to learn how collaboration can stimulate a global vision and process while acknowledging differing needs and practices across jurisdictions and stakeholder groups. Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), providers of the world's most widely used sustainability reporting standards, will moderate this panel. Attendees will also hear from a policymaker at the forefront of developing a disclosure regime for the EU, CDP, an international non-profit that helps companies and cities disclose their environmental impact through its data collection platform, and seasoned reporting organization Dow, on its impacts and how best to engage stakeholders in dialogue.

Trees are more than something pretty to look at or sit under. Much like schools, streets and sewer lines, trees are essential infrastructure. They are vital to the health and wealth of people, especially as climate change-induced heat waves are leading to more and more deaths and illnesses. But a map of tree cover is too often a map of income and race—especially in cities. That’s because, often in U.S. cities, trees are sparse in low-income neighborhoods and some neighborhoods of color. The inequitable distribution of trees exacerbates social inequities. Companies, governments and nonprofits throughout the U.S. are stepping up to address this challenge by creating Tree Equity—which, simply put, means trees in every part of every city. Many are doing so through the new (launched in August) U.S. Chapter of 1t.org, a community of people committed to conserving, restoring and growing 1 trillion trees globally by 2030. Join this session to learn why and how you and your company can join the global trillion trees movement.

How can cross-industry collaborations scale CE investments while advancing a more sustainable and profitable future? Across sectors and industries, stakeholders stand to benefit from the multi-billion dollar circular opportunity. By keeping valuable materials — packaging, apparel, electronics and organics — in manufacturing supply chains and out of landfills, companies can reduce costs and increase access to the recycled materials necessary for translating their sustainability goals into tangible realities. This provides a strategic business advantage, while also creating measurable impact and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Impact at scale, however, will require circular systems beyond organizational silos; companies, sectors and industries must collaborate in pursuit of collective impact and opportunity. In this session, we’ll hear how investors and corporations alike are leveraging capital on hand to scale circular supply chains while showing strong financial returns.

Gain clarity and focus on reaching your potential for impact with a one-on-one coaching session with ICF-certified coach, Shannon Houde.

Health and wellbeing in the workplace is typically associated with a wellness program or an occupational health and safety initiative. However, as COVID-19 has demonstrated, companies need to take a bold and holistic approach to health and wellbeing — one that recognizes that health and wellness are driven by social, economic, and environmental factors. Taking a holistic approach starts with understanding the social determinants of health i.e., the conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play and which affect a wide range of health and quality-of life-risks and outcomes. What role can companies play in impacting these conditions and advancing health equity, particularly in the workplace? This session will delve into a broad range of business practices that impact health outcomes, from pay practices and benefits to job security to the physical work environment, introduce the multi-stakeholder-developed Culture of Health for Business Framework for companies to use in developing forward-thinking strategies, and highlight critical issues for companies to manage as they prepare for a post-COVID-19 workplace.

Join this session for a discussion on scope 3 supplier engagement from the perspective of the suppliers, including effective engagement approaches, insights on the target-setting process, and recommendations on how to accelerate action. Speakers will share their perspectives from the ongoing journey of engagement and collaboration on carbon reductions, as there is no one formula for success and best practices are all a work in progress.

What is the current and future role of nature-based solutions in carbon drawdown and net zero pledges? Join SilviaTerra and Verra experts to talk about the market landscape of nature-based solutions. With demand for carbon offsets accelerating and more and more corporations pledging net zero, how can we ensure forest carbon credits are real, transparent and have high impact? What trends in forest carbon and nature-based solutions are we expecting to see in the short and long term?

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How can circular supply chains and sourcing be brought up to scale? The circular economy connects each step of the value chain from material extraction to material recovery. Every product reaches the end of its useful life. A discarded product becomes a potential source of raw materials able to cycle back into the economy, either immediately (recycling) or later through recovery from stockpiles or landfills. How can discarded products and secondary raw materials be captured and reintegrated into the economy? Join this discussion to learn about the challenges in developing circular supply chains, from local infrastructure to product development, and what trade-offs will need to be made to ensure a truly circular economy can be recognized. This discussion will start with insights from International Copper Association's latest research into the promises and limits of urban mining and how these learnings can be applied to circular sourcing strategies across materials.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

Stop by our booth for a session on how to embed the SDGs with resources and accelerators from the UN’s corporate sustainability initiative.

On the path to net zero, many have pledged, some have planned, but few have certainty. This kind of large-scale business transformation requires a faultless plan, with a ready flow of capital to support it. With the market acting as the ultimate arbiter, how can you make sure your pledge will turn into actions and eventual successes? We’ll be joined by panelists across industries to hear what steps they are taking in crafting transition plans, the trade-offs they have had to make, and the successes and challenges they’ve faced so far.

The need for urgent action is clear: while the lifespan of individual garments dwindles, the environmental footprint of the apparel industry continues to grow. But where there’s inefficiency, there’s often opportunity. From renewable and recycled inputs to new business models such as repair, rental and recommerce to end of life management and more — plus enabling technologies, policies and partnerships — the apparel industry is ripe for a makeover. Join this session as we explore how diverse companies are prioritizing these initiatives and remaking their organizational strategy to close the loop in fashion.

The need for companies to address and improve diversity, equity and inclusion has long been a priority, and the events of 2020 have intensified the urgency of this imperative. In addition to prioritizing diversity in hiring, companies must cultivate inclusive and equitable cultures. What role should the sustainability professional play in creating inclusive workplace cultures? How should sustainability leaders collaborate with their colleagues in diversity and inclusion? What is the relationship between sustainability and D&I, and how should these be integrated? What will it take to achieve meaningful progress? Join this session to learn why this must be part of your work and the approaches companies and organizations are taking to drive transformative change.

The business impacts of COVID-19 are teaching us all some hard lessons: First, the value of resilience for businesses and their value chains, and the importance of improving sustainable practices. Second, the need to help companies optimize capital and cash flow as payment terms get extended due to the crisis. Managing these processes are essential for building a robust and resilient business and value chain. What if one program could address both? Join this session to hear about the next wave of innovative programs where organizations are partnering with banking and finance leaders to take action on both fronts at the scale needed for global impact. We’ll explore:

• How combining global sustainability ratings with an innovative new breed of loan and financing programs can boost working capital and accelerate cash flow for suppliers, while providing incentives for suppliers to improve sustainability performance.

• The latest developments with sustainability ratings that enable suppliers — including SMEs and non-listed companies — to benchmark performance, improve management systems to tackle challenges like diversity and anti-discrimination, working conditions, health and safety, environmental and climate impacts such as scope 3 GHG emissions, waste, and resource use.

• Examples of sustainability-linked programs such as reverse factoring of invoices, supply chain finance, and commercial loans, that use these ratings as a mechanism for offering incentives in the form of reduced lending and discount rates, or investment due diligence at global scale.

Gain clarity and focus on reaching your potential for impact with a one-on-one coaching session with ICF-certified coach, Shannon Houde.

Successful leaders do not sit back and wait for new, completely formed leaders to arrive. They consciously recognize people with leadership potential and find ways to cultivate that promise. Through storytelling and interactive discussions in breakout sessions, the panel will foster an important dialog about the lifelong impact of mentoring. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of the values of leadership through mentoring and its lifelong impact and benefits, as well as tips on how to get started or deepen a mentorship practice you already have. Join this session to learn how to be a multiplier and amplifier, and leave a legacy beyond yourself.

Join this session to hear from mainstream companies with strong sustainability and CSR practices on lessons learned in bringing purpose into their businesses and the impacts they're seeing on their companies. Using a story-telling approach, three business leaders will share the drivers of their pivot to purpose, how they engaged employees, management and the board, and how they are now implementing their purpose. They will share how and why this is a quantum leap from CSR and sustainability, and why becoming a for-purpose company has become so important to their brand. Finally, panelists will provide a few tips on how a sustainability practitioner can start this conversation going at their organization.

What type of change management is required to integrate environmental sustainability in business operations? How can we best communicate the value of environmental sustainability in the workplace? And what are the performance indicators that show we have created a culture of environmental sustainability? Join this roundtable discussion to share ideas with fellow participants on what it takes to create long-term value and a culture for environmental sustainability at companies, including strategies for innovative thinking and engaging internal advocates throughout your company.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!

In the wake of a global pandemic, political and economic instability and calls for social justice, how are companies quantifying their impact in a way that is meaningful for employees and recruits, and useful for investors, raters and rankers? Join this roundtable for a discussion on how some companies are starting to turn the corner of intent vs. action and supporting that with new disclosures, programs and more. What does meaningful disclosure look like? Is including D&I metrics in your ESG report enough? And how do we balance data with narrative to show authenticity? This discussion will give you an opportunity to explore these questions and hear from your peers to help you determine what approach will be right for your company.

Join GreenBiz 21 roundtables to connect with like-minded participants for interactive virtual discussions around a big question or hot topic. Select your topic of interest to join a group discussion hosted by experts. Bring your own challenges, questions and ideas to these interactive discussions. Cameras on!