Beyond 2020 Sustainability Unconference

The following sessions were held at the inaugural Beyond 2020 on September 17th, 2009:

• The Good Life: Living Well, Doing Good and Using Less (Considerably Less!), by Beth Meredith
• Zen and the Art of Sustainability for Small Businesses, by Ami Martin
• Cooperative Marketing for Small Sustainable Businesses, by Elizabeth Johnston
• Working toward Zero Waste Events, by Lindsey Newkirk

Session votes are in

Browse session notes on the Beyond 2020 Wiki.

The following proposals had come in for seeded sessions (the 1st Beyond 2020 featured a proposal-vote process).

1) The Green Supply Chain as Competitive Leverage
by Dave Meyer

Organizational procurement has evolved tremendously over the last decade shifting from an administrative function to a strategic business support role. The changing dynamics of the global economy have altered the skills of procurement professionals amplifying the importance of conditions such as quality, cost, and delivery. Now, the next step in professional evolution is upon us and the functions of on-time delivery and the lowest price are no longer sufficient. Organizational purchasing is in a strategic position to influence the sustainability and carbon footprint of an organization through multiple channels. What are world class purchasing departments doing to help their organizations become more sustainable? Green Supply Chain efforts are taking hold throughout the domestic and global marketplace.

Presenting the regulation framework and using industry and public sector cases studies, this presentation will provide an overview of foundational life cycle analysis and preferable purchasing concepts. The presentation will review tools that help an organization align its supply chain systems, policies, and procedures in a manner that support organization sustainability and competitive advantage.

2) Bicycling – a community and personal transformer: practical steps to make bicycling the norm
by Brian Lacy

How we get there matters: environmentally, mentally, emotionally, economically, spiritually. BIKEmpowered is developing community-based programs to gently, continually develop skills and values toward a simpler, healthier lifestyle using that magical and much maligned/marginalized of tools – the bicycle.

Brian will describe BIKEmpowered’s vision and projects, including how businesses and institutions can be successfully encouraged to become more bicycle positive.

Bring your doubts, ideas and dreams to add another step in the cycling direction.

3) Implementing the Clean Energy Fund
by Phil Norman

This may be premature of hoping for broad involvement of contractors and only wishfully would involve a broad base of private investors. Someday, financing changes will release a flood of conservation.

4) Business to Business Networking
by Hannah Sandmeyer

How to harness the power of our firms and grow, truly, grow a local, sustainable, green, economy.

5) The Good Life: Living Well, Doing Good and Using Less (Considerably Less!)
by Beth Meredith

After 10 years of working with communities, businesses, local government and homeowners on sustainability issues with some moderate success, we are exploring a new framing. We realize that what really motivates us and what we have found at the heart of sustainability is a vision of the good life. This vision has been a powerful guide in our work and personal lives and it has resulted in our taking significant strides towards sustainability. During this session we would like to explore the concept of the good life and the parallels with sustainability. In addition, we want to look at how this framing may offer a more inspiring way of connecting with others and moving thought into action.

6) Working Towards Sustainable Events
by Lindsey Newkirk

What is a green event anyway: can you put out a few recycling bins, provide corn based forks, purchase carbon offsets and call it good? Let’s look at the steps to successfully work towards zero waste and start to consider a more holistic approach to lessening the environmental impact of our local events.

7) Zen and the Art of Sustainability for Small Businesses
by Ami Martin

Let’s explore how sustainable practices can ignite powerful change and profitability in a company by aligning employee’s core values with their work experience. Through one company’s account, we’ll look at the challenges, opportunities and pay offs.

8 ) Your Green Jobs Search Online
by Mazarine Treyz

This dynamic session will be all about how to use RSS, LinkedIn, and meta-job search engines to succeed in your jobsearch. Also including resource listings of green job counselors, and educational support.