In a thousand different ways, businesses and governments are responding to the changing demands of more articulate and savvy consumers and other stakeholders seeking more transparency and sustainable business practices. By embracing the nature-inspired sustainable design principles of the circular economy, products and processes are being reinvented and new solutions using industrial symbiosis are creating new business models. The sessions in this theme explore various dimensions of the emerging circular economy, and will provide tools and frameworks that allow for scaling up from the product design level through to global implementation.

ConferenCe Theme and SeSSionS

Towards The CirCular eConomy

The circular economy is a concept for an industrial economy that is, by design or intention, restorative in nature. The founding principles rely on the idea that:

• Waste is a resource

• diversity brings strength

• energy comes from renewable sources

• “Systems” thinking

Common elements and tools include biomimicry, industrial ecology, and cradle-to-cradle. The key building blocks in making the transition to a circular economy include skills in circular design and production, new buasiness models, and cross-sector collaboration.

2 | GLOBE 2014: MARCH 26-28, 2014

EmErGinG DrivErs Of thE CirCuLar ECOnOmyThe traditional model of “take, make, dispose” is creating stress on the world’s finite reserves. Applying resource efficiency best practices in the marketplace is helping companies large and small seize new opportunities and is boosting productivity. Listen to those who are changing the world as we know it and learn about the emerging drivers of the circular economy.

BiOmimiCry anD CraDLE-tO-CraDLE: naturE’s EnGinEs fOr innOvatiOnAs in nature, with “biomimicry” and “cradle-to-cradle” design concepts there is no such thing as waste. Using the same nutrient cycle principles found in nature, the right materials are always in the right place at the right time. This session explores how these sustainable design concepts can be applied as engines for innovation to address complex issues and challenges across all industries and sectors.

WastE-tO-PrOfit stratEGiEs: nEW tOOLs anD BEst PraCtiCEsMany companies work hard to reduce their environmental footprints by implementing waste minimization or zero waste strategies. But new tools can turn waste streams into profit centers. This session will showcase leading edge practices and provide new insights on transforming wastes into profits.

COLLaBOratiOn: a POWErfuL nEW sustainaBLE BusinEss mODELThe “collaborative” or “sharing” economy is a disruptive new business model where information technology and social media is used to sell, share, trade, rent, or borrow unused assets. Collectively these activities earn extra income, save money, and use resources more efficiently. Learn from the early pioneers in the sharing economy on how you can capitalize on this powerful new business model.

Andrea GoertzsvP, strategic initiatives, Chief Communications & sustainability Officer,telus

> Canada

COnfirmED sPEaKErs inCLuDE

Michael BraungartChemist & founder,EPEa internationale umweltforschung Gmbh

> GermanY

Michael Braungart is a highly sought after expert on eco-effective products and production processes and is co-founder of the Cradle-to-Cradle concept for sustainable product design. With a background in chemistry and process engineering, he worked for Greenpeace before founding EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH, an international environmental research and consulting institute which embraces intelligent, aesthetic, and eco-effective design. Braungart will be delivering a thought-provoking keynote on using the Cradle-to-Cradle approach as an engine to innovation.

Dayna BaumeisterCo-founder,Bioimimicry 3.8

> USa

Dayna Baumeister’s fascination with the natural world began with daily forays into the woods and mountains of Colorado and eventually led to a BS in marine biology, an MS in resource conservation, and a PhD in organismic biology and ecology. She has helped more than 100 companies consult the natural world for sustainable design solutions, including Nike, Interface, General Mills, Boeing, Herman-Miller, Kohler, Seventh Generation, and Procter & Gamble. Her inspiring keynote presentation in our Towards the Circular Economy theme will be a don’t miss.

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Janez PotočnikEuropean Commissioner for the Environment,European Commission

> BeLGiUm

Increasing resource efficiency is key to securing growth and jobs. It brings major economic opportunities, improves productivity, drives down costs, and boosts competitiveness. The Resource-efficient Europe flagship initiative and related Roadmap is part of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the EU’s growth strategy for a smart, inclusive, and sustainable low-carbon economy. Potočnik will share his insights on this important initiative and others being brought forward through the EU’s Environment Commission as part of a special keynote address on the Emerging Drivers of the Circular Economy.

Peter LaybournChief Executive,international synergies

> UniTed KinGdom

Peter is the driving force behind International Synergies, and works tirelessly to advocate the benefits of industrial ecology and symbiosis around the world. The company’s flagship project in the UK, the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP), has received global recognition and is cited as being one of the world’s top 50 ‘Green Game Changing’ solutions by the World Wildlife Fund and best practice within the European Waste Framework Development. To date, Laybourn has assisted in the set up and implementation of industrial symbiosis projects on five continents. He will share insights from this work, as well as plans to launch a collaborative NISP-Canada program in 2014.

frOm thE insiDE Out: aPPLyinG a transfOrmatiOnaL COmPany framEWOrK tO taCKLE sustainaBiLity ChaLLEnGEsHow do we catalyze global business transformation? What are the necessary leadership attributes and how do businesses effectively collaborate to accelerate sustainability? Through the development and implementation of internal policies and programs, by establishing “buy-in” at all levels, and by engaging with the public and community, many inspired and motivated individuals are scaling transformation across their entire organizations. This session will explore how transformational companies are tackling sustainability challenges from the inside out.

usinG thE CLEanWEB tO sOLvE CritiCaL rEsOurCE ChaLLEnGEsRevolutionary technologies in mobile communications, big data analytics, and other information technologies are creating powerful new tools to address the world’s critical resource challenges. This session will explore the emerging “cleanweb” marketplace - the new frontier for advancing sustainability, tackling resource challenges, and facilitating a more circular economy.

thE ChanGinG rEGuLatOry LanDsCaPE: LEaDinG GOvErnmEnts arOunD thE WOrLDMore and more, governments are seeing the benefits of organizations reporting on their impacts and implementing sustainable business strategies. In June 2012 at the Rio+20 Conference, the importance of corporate sustainability reporting was agreed upon by all UN Member States in Paragraph 47 of the Conference Outcome Document. The governments of Brazil, Denmark, France, and South Africa formed a ‘Group of Paragraph 47’ to advance the agenda internationally. In addition, 18,000 companies in the EU may soon be required to disclose sustainability information. Better manage corporate risk and get ahead of the curve by finding out how governments and regulators are mandating corporate transparency.

Save $300 Register by March 4, 2014

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GLOBE Foundation World Trade Centre 578 – 999 Canada Place Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 3E1

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The emerging environmenTal leaders ForumOn Tuesday, March 25, 2014, Leading Change Canada, a partnership between the Delphi Group and Connecting Environmental Professionals (CEP), will deliver the Emerging Environmental Leaders Forum (EELF) in Vancouver, BC. Leading Change Canada is a national movement connecting the next generation of corporate leaders, policy thinkers, entrepreneurs and community members interested in sustainability who are working to catalyze action and influence positive change locally, regionally, and internationally. This year’s theme is, Meeting the Essential Needs of Tomorrow: Rethinking the Energy, Food and Water Nexus. In addition to the full day EELF program, EELF delegates will have opportunities to attend various GLOBE 2014 conference sessions and social functions March 26 – 29. Visit the Leading Change website at leadingchangecanada.com

thE thrEE PiLLars Of thE EmErGinG EnvirOnmEntaL LEaDErs fOrum:engage: Connect and convene young leaders across diverse professional, academic, social, and environmental networks to develop innovative connections, collaborations, and partnerships addressing existing and emerging problems related to sustainability and environmental protection.

empower: Inspire, motivate, and prepare young leaders by providing professional development workshops, mentoring sessions, and skill building opportunities that will enable them to realize their potential on an individual level, social innovation level, and in any business ventures they are involved with.

educate: Inform, teach, and enlighten young leaders by exploring different ways of being change-makers, both personally and professionally, by learning about current topics, trends, and opportunities, as well as other issues of interest in the environment and sustainability communities.