The US BCSD is organizing a series of US BCSD council meetings in 2021, the next of which will take place on August 18, 2021. These events will engage company members in broad discussions around sustainability strategy, opportunities for project development, emerging trends and technologies, and other barriers and enablers around policy and regulation, education, and communications. The US BCSD will engage NGOs, business groups, academic leaders, and government entities in the conversation as appropriate, but the core focus of these meetings will always be on sustainability issues, challenges and opportunities for business and industry.

The goal of these meetings is to catalyze one or more collaborative projects to meet common goals declared by US BCSD member companies. The US BCSD team will facilitate discussion around resourcing, outcomes, deliverables and timelines as appropriate, and may provide further project management as needed.

The agenda for this event will be co-designed and shared with participants as the date nears - stay tuned!

The US BCSD is organizing a series of quarterly US BCSD council meetings in 2021, the second of which will take place on July 7, 2021. These events will engage company members in broad discussions around sustainability strategy, opportunities for project development, emerging trends and technologies, and other barriers and enablers around policy and regulation, education, and communications. The US BCSD will engage NGOs, business groups, academic leaders, and government entities in the conversation as appropriate, but the core focus of these meetings will always be on sustainability issues, challenges and opportunities for business and industry.

The goal of these quarterly meetings is to catalyze one or more collaborative projects to meet common goals declared by US BCSD member companies. The US BCSD team will facilitate discussion around resourcing, outcomes, deliverables and timelines as appropriate, and may provide further project management as needed.

The agenda for this event will be co-designed and shared with participants as the date nears - stay tuned!

The US BCSD is organizing a series of quarterly US BCSD council meetings in 2021, with the first one taking place on March 25, 2021. The agenda will be discussion-driven and designed to engage company members and partner organizations in conversations around sustainability strategy and opportunities for project development. We will address emerging trends and technologies, barriers and enablers around policy and regulation, education, and communications. The US BCSD team will also provide updates on existing projects like the Materials Marketplace and Carbon Collaborative, and outline the process for getting engaged.

The goal of these quarterly meetings is to catalyze one or more collaborative projects to meet common goals declared by US BCSD member companies and partners. The US BCSD team will facilitate discussion around resourcing, outcomes, deliverables and timelines as appropriate, and may provide further project management as projects are developed.

Agenda

Welcome and Overview of the US BCSD (12:00 to 12:20pm CDT) The US Business Council for Sustainable Development (US BCSD) will provide an overview of its goals, objectives and the value of multi-industry collaboration. You’ll hear an overview of current US BCSD projects including the Great Lakes and Gulf Coast Carbon Collaboratives, and the North American Materials Marketplace program.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Energy Transition (12:20 to 1:00pm) Dirk Smit, Vice President Research Strategy and Chief Scientist at Shell, will present on the transition to a net-zero-emission energy system, the challenges and opportunities related to power density, energy storage, carbon capture, storage and utilization systems, and nature-based solutions. 

Break (1:00 to 1:05pm)

Achieving Accelerated Impact and Outcomes (1:05pm to 1:35pm) Gord Lambert, President of GRL Collaboration for Sustainability Inc. and a catalyst for the Cosia collaboration system in Alberta, Canada, will present the Cosia model for reimagining competition and collaboration to help accelerate project impacts and outcomes. Gord’s talk sets the stage for the afternoon’s working sessions, where we’ll discuss how this model can apply to existing US BCSD projects and opportunities for new project development.

Workshop Session: Accelerating Project Impact and Outcomes (1:35pm to 2:10pm)

Break (2:10 to 2:15pm)

Workshop Session: Chartering New Projects (2:15pm to 2:50pm)

Report Out and Next Steps (2:50pm to 3:00pm)

Join us on March 19, 2021 for the kick-off of the Great Lakes Carbon Collaborative. The goal of the Collaborative is to develop multi-industry decarbonization projects in the Great Lakes region.

The US Business Council for Sustainable Development, which is leading the effort, has 25+ years of experience facilitating cross-industry sustainability initiatives, using a methodology that has proven successful in translating business goals into actionable projects. Working together, participating companies and organizations will be better positioned to accelerate the development of carbon reduction projects through shared expertise and experience, technical capabilities and best practices. This initiative is modeled after the US BCSD's Gulf Coast Carbon Collaborative.

This program is specifically targeting businesses and organizations with operations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania - but may extend further outside of the region as appropriate. Feel free to extend this invitation to your peers and colleagues in the area.

The event agenda will include presentations from companies and organizations on various carbon reduction strategies and activities, and facilitated discussions on barriers, opportunities and carbon reduction strategies for the Great Lakes region.

Time: Mar 19, 2021 - 11:00am to 1:30pm Central Time

Location: zoom - details to be provided in the event invitation

More than just another webinar, this virtual roundtable series will facilitate opportunities to solve specific materials challenges from Great Lakes businesses that can lead to development of a more circular economy in the region. 

In 2019, the value of raw materials within e-waste generated in the US and Canada was estimated to be $14.2 billion USD (Global E-Waste Monitor 2020). As separation technologies improve and end-markets for e-waste derived commodities grow, more and more of that value is being captured by businesses in the Great Lakes region, but a number of hurdles still remain.

On March 16th, we'll explore new opportunities for supply chain collaboration and processing innovation that can help drive stronger end-markets for e-waste derived materials.

Speakers selected from the Materials Marketplace network will present on established and emerging end-market solutions for commodities derived from electronic waste in the Great Lakes Region. Attendees will then join speakers and regional program sponsors in breakout sessions to explore opportunities in the e-waste value chain. 

Speakers include:

• Scott VanderKooy, President of Comprenew, electronics refurbisher and recycler

• Don Haynes, Environmental Manager at Florim, USA on end-markets for CRT glass

• Sam Padnos, Commodity Trader and Kari Bliss, Customer Experience & Sustainability Leader at PADNOS on end-markets for non-ferrous metals and plastic housing

If you have processed e-waste derived commodities or end-markets for such materials, this event is for you!

Time/Date: March 16, 2021, 10:30 to 12:30 EST

The US BCSD’s Gulf Coast Carbon Collaborative (GC3) is a cross-industry platform designed to mobilize the collective energy of businesses to apply measurable, long-term decarbonization solutions while enhancing economic vitality. Companies from Texas to Alabama are working together on electrification, carbon capture and storage, low emission technologies and nature-based systems.

The group’s fourth quarterly working meeting will be held on December 17, 2020. Learn more about the Collaborative and request an invitation on our website, https://carbon-collaborative.org/

The Gulf Coast Carbon Collaborative (GC3) is a cross-industry platform designed to mobilize the collective energy & motivation of businesses in the Gulf Coast to create measurable, long-term impact in reducing carbon emissions in the region while enhancing economic vitality.

GC3 member companies have formed working groups around three decarbonization strategies: carbon capture, use and storage; electrification; and land-based sequestration. There's strong interest from the group to add a fourth working group to the lineup focused on emerging low-emission technologies, including nuclear generation, hydrogen and advanced solar technology.

To launch the low-emission technology working group, the GC3 is planning a virtual event on June 29, 2020 at 1:30pm CST to introduce these three technologies and explore interest in the group in deploying these types of projects in the Gulf Coast region. Company representatives from Shell, Heliogen and the Nuclear Energy Institute will provide brief presentations, which will be followed by breakout group discussions on these three different approaches.

Attendance is limited to Gulf Coast Carbon Collaborative members and invited guests only. Request an invitation via our program website, carbon-collaborative.org, or contact our team about joining the Collaborative today.

More than just another webinar, this virtual roundtable series will facilitate opportunities to solve specific materials challenges from Great Lakes businesses that can lead to development of a more circular economy in the region. (See outcomes from the last event focused on wood pallets.)

The next Great Lakes Circular Materials Roundtable will be held Tuesday, June 23rd at 11:00am ET and will focus on film plastics - use the form below to request an invitation to the event.

Film plastics are used in an increasingly wide variety of industrial, commercial and consumer applications; and present a growing opportunity and challenge for recycling market development in the Great Lakes and beyond. If you have recurring supplies of film plastics available, have an end-market or solution provider in your network, or can help Great Lakes businesses keep film plastics out of the landfill - this event is for you!

Speakers for the event will be selected from the Materials Marketplace network, and will present on existing and emerging end-markets for film plastics, and Materials Marketplace listings for these types of materials that could be redirected to recycling or reuse.

Attendees with similar challenges and/or identify as problem-solvers will work together to brainstorm solutions, recommend professional connections and commit to actionable next steps for recycling, repurposing, or reprocessing the material. Attendees will meet via Zoom video conference - connection details will be shared once your registration is confirmed.

Members of the Gulf Coast Carbon Collaborative and invited guests are meeting on April 8, 2020 on Zoom Video Conference for the group’s first quarterly working meeting.

The online working meeting will include presentations, facilitated discussion and working group breakout sessions focusing on project development around key content areas defined at the December launch meeting in New Orleans. These include land-based sequestration, CCUS, electrification, strategy/technology information sharing, and barriers and enablers related to policy and regulation, education and communications.

Learn more on our newly launched website, carbon-collaborative.org.

Businesses and organizations throughout Michigan and the Great Lakes region - especially in the manufacturing sector - have shown growing demand for post-industrial and post-consumer supply chain inputs. This hunger is driving significant economic and environmental growth in the region, but is also unearthing a variety of challenges and barriers to uptake and execution.

Date and Venue: January 22, 2020, 9:00am to 4:00pm at Next Energy, 461 Burroughs St, Detroit, MI 48202

The US BCSD is inviting companies to participate in a scoping workshop to establish a Houston Texas Coast Water Synergy Platform. Such a platform would bring together regionally-based industries and other partners to address water-related challenges. This multi-sector collaboration would leverage the speed and efficiency of market-based institutions to seek out ways of converting water-related challenges into economic opportunities, and to develop a collective capacity for conserving watershed-based ecosystems that provide value to private and public-sector stakeholders. The planned workshop is to help validate the area interest, identify regional water challenges that lend themselves to collaborative solutions, and scope possible initial projects.

US BCSD launched a similar platform, the Louisiana Water Synergy Project (LWSP), in 2012; and for the past 7 years, has worked with 20+ diverse companies in the lower Mississippi River Basin to address a range of water supply, water quality, stormwater and coastal resiliency risks. For example, several members are working with several Louisiana state agencies to develop a framework and guidance towards the design of a Water Quality Trading framework to address water quality concerns. Others have explored new options for wetlands restoration through changes in water management. Projects and policy recommendations have emerged that are beneficial to member companies and their host communities and have been greeted with high interest by state and local agencies, academia, and NGOs. Visit https://usbcsd.org/water for more information on the LWSP.

The US BCSD's long-term goal of this work has always been replication of this highly successful model in other areas of the country. Although the members, projects, and themes will vary region-to-region; the concept, processes, and spirit of the Water Platform is transferable. The bringing together of industry members, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, in a cooperative and non-threatening forum to solve regional problems has great merit.

Pulling materials through the recycling system by increasing demand is critical to success. Michigan's material recovery facilities are producing bales of usable materials on a daily basis, and Michigan manufacturers are more motivated than ever to source recycled content and keep their waste and by-products out of the landfill.

In this webinar we’ll dive into the Michigan Materials Marketplace - a new program to connect Michigan businesses to develop and scale new reuse and recycling market opportunities. Manufacturers are using the Marketplace to source materials and find new solutions for challenging wastes and by-products, recycling companies are uncovering new customers and end-markets, and entrepreneurs are using the program as an innovation platform to build new reuse and recycling businesses.

Attendees will learn how to get engaged and hear an update from EGLE on the latest progress to grow recycling markets in Michigan. We'll discuss materials and process trends, how-to post listings and tips on marketing materials for success, and how-to interact with other businesses through the Marketplace program. Your registration will also include an invitation to join the Marketplace.

Who should attend: Operations and plant managers at Michigan businesses producing waste and by-product materials; purchasing and R&D roles at manufacturers looking to source post-consumer and post-industrial materials; recycling, remanufacturing and materials processing solution providers; recycling companies looking to develop new end-markets; and entrepreneurs interested in building new reuse and recycling businesses in Michigan.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2019 | 9:00am to 10:00am CST

Registration: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5154613166944410371

Speakers:

Does your business need raw materials? Entrepreneurs, are you looking for inspiration? The [Re]verse Pitch Competition is awarding $10,000 to the best repurposing business ideas. Come to Opening Night on February 26th to learn about the products, meet the material suppliers, and network with fellow entrepreneurs.

During the opening pitch event, you'll hear from businesses and institutions consistently generating or collecting by-product, surplus or otherwise underutilized materials streams in Austin, Texas that could be put to higher and better use in new social enterprises.

This event is free and open to the public, but your RSVP is requested. Attendance is mandatory to compete for an Innovation Prize.

Clean Energy Beers is held on the first Monday of every month after work at Uncle Billy’s Brewery. Clean Energy Beers started off in April 2009 as an informal extension of Dr. Michael Webber’s office hours at the University of Texas at Austin, and has evolved into a regular gathering of those interested and involved in CleanTech. Five years later, the monthly tradition is still going strong.

“Clean Energy Beers has no formal agenda – it’s laid-back fun, with only one requirement – you have to like at least one of the following: beer, bar-b-que, or clean energy,” said Dr. Webber.

The event brings together a wide variety of people from Austin’s growing clean energy community. Most months, about 75 people show up for Clean Energy Beers: job hunters looking for work, employers looking for employees, investors looking for inventors, inventors looking for investors, business partners seeking deals, and people who just like hanging around other people who like energy.

Open to current and prospective US BCSD members, state government representatives, and regional project participants - especially those with operations in/near Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Join us in Austin, Texas for our first South Central Regional Meeting. Hear first hand from project participants and US BCSD collaborators from the region on their work in sustainable development, and work hands-on with US BCSD members and staff to develop and scale sustainability platforms and projects.

9:00 - 10:00am

Recommended Accommodations

Limited to members and invited guests only.

US BCSD members and invited guests are encouraged to join us on March 27th - the day before our South Central Regional Meeting - for an intensive 1-day strategic planning workshop in Austin, Texas. For more information, contact Daniel Kietzer at kietzer@usbcsd.org.

Recommended Accommodations 

Entrepreneurs are used to pitching their business idea to investors, partners, and anyone they might share an elevator ride with. In this competition, the tables will turn. The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a social innovation program to help turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, non-profits, and institutions as waste into the raw materials for new or expanding social enterprises. Competitors work with mentors & advisors to develop repurposing business ideas and compete for Innovation Prizes to help start this new venture.

During the opening pitch event, you will hear from businesses and institutions consistently generating or collecting by-product, surplus or otherwise underutilized materials streams in Austin, Texas that could be put to higher and better use. Come to learn more about these products, meet the material generators, and network with other [Re]verse Pitch participants. This event is free and open to the public, but your RSVP is requested. Attendance is mandatory to compete for an Innovation Prize. 

The Ohio By-Product Synergy Network is hosting its Year 8 (!) Kickoff Meeting on Tuesday, August 8th, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The agenda includes a training session for the recently launched Ohio Materials Marketplace, and hands-on sessions to identify and facilitate new materials matches. Click here to register, and learn more with the flyer below.

Join us at Hops & Grain on May 25th - 5:30 to 7:30pm - for our monthly networking series, Sustaina-brews. This casual event will bring together sustainability, zero-waste and environmental professionals in the Austin-area to talk shop and create community. RSVP on Facebook or just swing by and say hi!

Daniel Kietzer will be presenting the Tennessee Materials Marketplace at the Tennessee Environmental Show of the South on May 18, 2017. Click here to learn more.

About the event:

The Environmental Show of the South is the largest and most comprehensive environmental conference and tradeshow in the region. Its goal is to provide high-quality, low-cost environmental training as well as updates on government/industry developments and trends, with a particular focus on solid and hazardous waste issues. The 46th annual event will be held May 17-19, 2017 at the Chattanooga Convention Center, and will include speakers from leading environmental agencies, industry partners, law firms, and service providers.

Join us at Hops & Grain on April 27th – 5:30 to 7:30pm – for our monthly networking series, Sustaina-brews. This casual event will bring together sustainability, zero-waste and environmental professionals in the Austin-area to talk shop and create community.

Join us at Hops & Grain on March 30th – 5:30 to 7:30pm – for our new monthly networking series, Sustaina-brews. This casual event will bring together sustainability, zero-waste and environmental professionals in the Austin-area to talk shop and create community.