How can Business & Government Work Together for a Carbon Neutral Future? Implications for Rural & Urban Communities.

How changes occurring on Wall Street and in Washington DC are rapidly accelerating environmental and social responsibility leadership.

• -The shift from financial profit to stakeholder profit
• -The Build Back Better program’s impact to our cities and municipalities
• -What gets measured gets managed

How can business and government work together for a carbon-neutral future? Sustainability is key to cost control and business resiliency. Learn how you can advance sustainability.  Find out the role of public procurement in supporting a carbon-neutral future, including city contract requirements for lower-embodied carbon materials and how they support work at a larger level to foster lower-embodied carbon buildings and infrastructure. Learn three key moments of engagement during municipal sustainability initiatives: Culture Mapping (what are the community beliefs when it comes to climate change / where are they starting?), Tools and Education (what does the community need to comply/excel), and Public Engagement (what can we do to engage our communities?). Discover what Portland teach us about their requirements and expectations for developers to support a carbon-neutral future. Highlights will include the role of public procurement in supporting a carbon-neutral future, including city contract requirements for lower-embodied carbon materials, and how they support work at a larger level to foster lower-embodied carbon buildings and infrastructure.

Panelists:

John Rooks, the SOAP group
Joanne Abrams, CEO- MindClick.
Stacey Foreman, City of Portland, Sustainability and Procurement Manager

Joanne Abrams, Founder, CEO of MindClick

MindClick rates the environmental and social impacts of manufacturers and their products. Ratings deliver product intelligence that drives transparency and innovation across organizations and their supply chains to meet global demand for healthier products and healthier environments. Working to connect purchasers and suppliers through solutions that promote environmentally and socially responsible practices, Abrams serves as a business strategist, innovator and collaborator among some of the largest hospitality and health care industry leaders.

Combining more than 10 years of sustainability experience with 20 years of experience in brand management, market research and finance, Abrams brings a unique perspective to supporting ESG (environmental, social and governance) She specializes in the transformation of environmental data into ROI based marketing and information delivery solutions.

Prior to MindClick, Abrams led strategy, research, and new product development efforts for recognized consumer products brands including MGM, Nestle, Pepsi-Co,Toyota, and Wolfgang Puck. She has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

John Rooks, Founder, The SOAP Group

John is the Founder of The SOAP Group (once called the Ocean's 11 of sustainability), a firm helping companies, governments and organizations understand, improve, communicate and own their impact in the world. He is also a co-founder of Rapport - a SaaS company transforming the way companies engage stakeholders with data-based sustainability metrics.

John is the author of the book More Than Promote – A Monkeywrencher’s Guide to Authentic Marketing. He is also a frequent writer and speaker on the intersection of Language, Culture and Sustainability. Blending an academic background and passion for cultural theory, a love of dissecting language snd strategy, John provides a unique perspective on Culture and Sustainability. Having taught at the graduate degree level, worked on environmental compliance with the Department of Defense and consulted to progressive Fortune 500 companies, John easily moves between praxis and action.

Stacey Foreman, City of Portland, Sustainability and Procurement Manager