SustaiNext Summit - East, 2011

Global leaders in sustainability converged in Philadelphia, PA on March 22-23 for the SustaiNext Summit – East 2011. The 2-day event, held in the Drexel University's Bossone Research Center, focused on how businesses and educators can help re-define America’s education, the economy, and society through practices based in the sustainability paradigm. The goal of the summit was to give participants real world examples on how to help create sustainable communities and a global society, while exchanging important research information.

Representatives from organizations like Johnson & Johnson, TerraCycle, Cloud Institute, Deloitte, Becton Dickinson, NJ DEP, and the Obama Administration (GSA) were on hand to share examples of their work and experiences. A main theme of the summit centered on the collaboration of businesses and educators to engage all walks of life in the principles of the Triple Bottom Line. Topics discussed during keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and round table forums ranged from workforce development, building strategies, education initiatives, to energy choices.

In attendance from 2 Miles, was Claire McEachern. Claire supported staff from the Sustainability Collaborative (presenters of the SustaiNext Summit) during the event and helped lead a round- table discussion on the topic of “Engagement”.  Coming out of the event, she lists the following as resources to learn more about:

•  Millennium Development Goals (MDG) from the UN
• Ecological Footprint Quiz 
• AASHE’s Business Alliance Program 
• Campaign for Environmental Literacy 
• Green Ribbon Schools 
• The Life Cycle Initiative 
• “Here and Now: Education for Sustainable Consumption” published by the United Nations Environmental Programme, 2010 
• Key Performance Indicators (KPI)
•  Whole Building Design Guide 
• U.S. GSA “Sustainable Facilities Tool”
•  SA8000 – A Social Accountability Standard 
•  “Crossing the Chasm” by Geoffrey Moore
•  American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) 

The Sustainability Collaborative plans on holding additional summits in the California, Europe, and Washington DC over the next year. To find out more information, visit http://www.sustainext.org/ for details.