Six Sustainability Conferences That Get Our Stamp of Approval

Even with the rise of webinars and business-oriented social networks, professional development workshops and in-person networking can be a huge part of developing a deeper understanding of sustainability issues and what trends are emerging in the reporting world. Attending a conference is also a fantastic way to develop new relationships with colleagues who are also focused on ESG issues, and is a rare opportunity to gain ideas and insight from inspirational and successful leaders in the space.

When it comes to sustainability, the professional development market is growing. It’s a bit overwhelming to sort through the lot and begin to prioritize. To help you narrow it down, we’ve put together a list of six CSR conferences that we think are worth attending in terms of investment, impact and fun.

BSR Conference
October 24–26, 2017, Huntington Beach, California

Now entering its 25th year, the BSR Conference is one of the world’s most influential sustainability events. Every year, the BSR Conference brings together nearly 1,000 sustainable business experts from Fortune 500 companies, leading foundations, non-profit organizations, and members of government around a single conference theme, to discuss solutions to our most pressing global challenges. This year’s theme is “How Business Leads.”

Extraordinary speakers for 2017 include Al Gore; Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund; and Stephen Kaufer, President and CEO of TripAdvisor, among many others.

Sustainable Brands’ New Metrics ’17
November 13–15, 2017, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The New Metrics conference delivers a faculty of world-class thought leaders and practitioners to define the new trends, challenges and methods for measuring risks and identifying new forms of value in our rapidly changing economy. During three days of critical thinking in Philadelphia, attendees will learn how leading businesses are creating entirely new forms of positive environmental and social impact, as well as quantifying previously ignored costs and risks. With conversations, debates and practice, speakers will offer diversity of insight and demonstrate tangible business results. This is an exceptional conference choice for finance and investor relations professionals, but there are also tracks for individuals focused on Human Resources and Supply Chain management.

The New Metrics ’17 conference will offer five key learning tracks: Supply Chain Innovation, HR and Employee Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Finance and IR, and Strategy and Operations.

GRI Reporters’ Summit North America
February 5, 2018, Phoenix, Arizona

The GRI Reporters’ Summit North America is a practical and interactive event for sustainability reporting professionals who want to boost their knowledge and connections. Last year, the North American sustainability reporting community gathered for the first-ever GRI Reporters’ Summit, bringing together more than 125 professionals in the field. Workshops included a wide variety of topics, such as Engaging with Your Supply Chain, Improving Your Materiality Assessments and Using Your Reporting to Drive Organizational Change. In its second year, the summit will offer a variety of additional workshops, providing expert reporting guidance on important topics such as human rights, climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.

GLOBE Forum
March 14–16, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia

GLOBE Forum is North America’s largest and longest-running international leadership summit on sustainable business. With nearly 10,000 delegates gathered from over 60 countries, the forum features diverse perspectives, experiences and ideas, which are a big part of what makes this conference so inspiring. Each year, attendees hear from global senior business, government and civil society representatives on the challenges and solutions associated with green innovation and Corporate Responsibility. Featured past speakers include Justin Trudeau; Michael Porter, University Professor at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, Harvard Business School; Gina McCarthy, Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President at Waterkeeper Alliance.

Responsible Business Summit
March 26–27, 2018, New York, New York

Last year’s Responsible Business Summit was Ethical Corporation’s largest U.S.-based event in its 16-year history. In 2018, Ethical Corporation plans for the summit to be bigger and better still, introducing new workshops tailored to different participation and learning styles. Despite its size, the Responsible Business Summit is an intimate two days of interesting conversations addressing how organizations can transition to a more responsible and sustainable business strategy. The conference takes pride in practical, interactive sessions, focused on showcasing examples of businesses successfully using sustainability to deliver profit, build trust, and shape strategy: the elusive triple bottom line. With an agenda rooted in empirical justification and in-depth research, the conference offers attendees proven, actionable ideas from innovative leaders in sustainable and responsible business practices.

In 2018, Ethical Corporation’s Responsible Business Summit is bringing together experts from sustainability, communications, procurement and innovation departments. Together with investors, NGOs, governmental bodies and academics, they’ll address key issues and opportunities that lie ahead.

Sustainable Brands’ Redesigning the Good Life
June 4–7, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia

From the minds at Sustainable Brands comes a four-day event that aims to bring together the most innovative thinkers in brand strategy, sustainability, communications, supply chain, human resources and design. The overall goal is to help businesses grow and generate positive impact. The conference is organized around the theme of shifting consumer demands in the 21st-century economy, and what businesses can do to respond to these changing societal needs. Sustainable Brands presents a community of individuals who are willing to disrupt the status quo and challenge personal assumptions in order to find solutions for the economic, social and environmental issues of today and tomorrow. This year’s conference will showcase brands such as Ford Motor Company, UPS, Target, BASF, Amazon, Nestlé, The Dow Chemical Company and others that are using disruptive new practices to create a more sustainable future and drive economic success.