Driving Innovation to Build Sustainable Cities

Co-sponsored by the Environmental Law Institute, World Business Council on Sustainable Development and World Environment Center with major support from IBM

WHEN: April 30, 2012, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Speaking will begin promptly at 8:30 AM)

WHERE: 901 E Street, NW (Pew Charitable Trusts D.C. Conference Center) Washington, DC. Click here for directions.

RSVP: To reserve, e-mail mcmurrin@eli.org. Please reserve by April 23, 2012. There is no charge to attend but you must RSVP. RSVPs should include: name of registrant, affiliation and email address.

Many experts envision that cities of the future will utilize more sustainable water, waste, energy, and transportation infrastructures. But, what will drive the innovation needed to create these cities? And, what role will government, industry, and NGOs play in bringing about this innovation?

Focusing on case studies related to sustainable transportation and energy efficiency, the workshop will bring together representatives from corporations, NGOs, and federal, state and local governments to discuss the various technologies and products that corporations have created for more sustainable cities. Participants will also discuss what has driven and will be needed to drive innovation and the expansion of these technologies and products across the country and globe.

AGENDA

8:00-8:30 am Registration and Breakfast

8:30-10:00 am Innovating for Sustainable Cities: The Challenge

This session will set the stage for discussions on driving innovation for more sustainable cities, addressing key questions like "How do we move toward technologies and governance approaches that advance sustainability? What role does a systems approach play? What are examples of successes and challenges? How can government, industry, and NGOs work together to drive innovation?"

• Moderator: Terry Yosie, President & CEO, World Environment Center
• Speakers: Uwe Brandes, Senior Vice President, Urban Land Institute; Reta Jo Lewis, Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Gerry Mooney, General Manager, IBM Global Smarter Cities

10:00-10:15 am Break

10:15-11:45 am Moving More, Costing Less

Transportation infrastructure and logistics will play a central role in more sustainable cities. In this session, panelists will discuss some recent advances in this area and what is needed to integrate transportation infrastructure into other city infrastructure and to drive further innovation.

• Moderator: Bill Chernicoff, Manager of Energy & Environmental Research, Toyota Motors North America, Inc.
• Speakers: Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia; Guenter Hoermandinger, Environment Counselor, Delegation of the European Union to the USA ; Gary Lawrence, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, AECOM; Steve Leffin, Director of Global Sustainability, UPS

12:00-1:00 pm Lunch and Keynote Speaker

• The Honorable Edward Rendell

1:00-1:15 pm Break

1:15-2:45 pm Innovation in Energy Efficiency

Commercial buildings currently consume about 20% of the country’s energy. To create more energy-efficient buildings, architects, engineers, realtors, construction companies and others are increasingly looking at buildings as holistic systems that interact with technologies, people and nature. In this session, panelists will discuss some of the new technologies and products being used and how to integrate these systems into other city infrastructure.

• Moderator: John Cruden, President, Environmental Law Institute
• Speakers: Dave Bartlett, Vice President, IBM’s Smarter Buildings Initiative; Kateri Callahan, President, Alliance to Save Energy; Clay Nesler, Vice President of Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls; Bill Sisson, Director of Sustainability , United Technologies Research Center; Maria Vargas, Director, Department of Energy Better Buildings

2:45-3:00 pm Break

3:00-4:00 pm Next Steps

The last session will be an interactive discussion with the audience about key lessons learned and how to spur innovation needed to create sustainable cities.