Guest post by: Robert Lawler, Interim Executive Director, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Business leaders will join some of the world’s preeminent leaders in ecological sciences in Columbus for EcoSummit 2012, the fourth international EcoSummit on ecological sustainability. The conference runs from September 30 to October 5 this year and is expected to draw more than 1,500 people, including ecologists, environmental scientists, engineers, policymakers and corporate responsibility officers, from over 70 countries. This year marks the first time EcoSummit will be held in the United States.
EcoSummit 2012 will provide a great opportunity for Columbus to educate the rest of the world about our on-going commitment to creating and sustaining healthy ecosystems. A full day of the conference is set aside for field trips to learn about such efforts as the plans to restore the Olentangy River to its natural state by removing dams along the river, and a trip to Columbus’ Weinland Park to see how that neighborhood plans to become a food source for Central Ohio.
Executives from Weyerhaeuser Company, Dow Chemical, American Electric Power and Honda Manufacturing of America will participate in the EcoSummit Business Leaders Forum. The session is designed to share best practices that help ensure the long-term viability of their resources and surroundings and to encourage more businesses to recognize that ecological sustainability should be an integral part of every business strategy.
Sustainable business practices reflect smart corporate self-interest. Some businesses recognize that the need for sustainability will always exist. They will always be dependent on water, energy and other inputs that come from natural resources. Sustainable business practices help to ensure continued availability of these inputs as the business moves forward.
The first conference, in Copenhagen, Denmark, was held in 1996, the second in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2000 and the most recent was in Beijing, China, in 2007. EcoSummit 2012 is co-hosted by The Ohio State University, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, the Ecological Society of America, the Society for Ecological Restoration and INTECOL.
Learn more about the EcoSummit: http://www.ecosummit2012.org/.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for EcoSummit 2012, please contact Michael Daniels at 614.525.3461 or Michael.Daniels@franklincountyohio.gov.
Posted by: Kristen Easterday | July 30, 2012 at 03:13 PM