Events / GreenBiz 2018
Phoenix, AZ

Message from Shana Rappaport. one of the main coordinators of the event

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

By Shana Rappaport Director of Strategic Programs I’m writing this week from Phoenix, AZ., where the future of sustainable business has never felt brighter. I swear it isn’t just the sunshine and 80 degree weather. Yesterday, we kicked off GreenBiz 18, with more than 1,000 industry leaders representing some of the world’s largest companies, influential NGOs and government agencies. Together, we’re exploring both how to advance everyone’s sustainability agenda while also working together more effectively to advance progress,. Opening day started especially bright and early to co-facilitate our Supply Chain Transparency Challenge, which convened purchasing and procurement leaders representing industries ranging from automotive and chemical to food and beverage and industrial goods. Engagement was one of the dominant, crosscutting solutions to advance supply chain transparency that emerged in the session. Deepening engagement, that is, with everyone across the value chain — from customers to suppliers to senior executives, internally, who need not only to be bought in but activated as champions of supply chain transparency in order to forward the agenda. Much of the conversation focused also on engaging with existing initiatives — be it the ISO 14000 family, in the world of sustainability standards, to the UN Global Compact. The more we align, the more we strengthen our efforts, both organizationally and collectively. Speaking of aligned momentum, it’s still not too late for you to jump on the GreenBiz 18 train, even if you can’t be here in person this week. Our GreenBiz 18 Virtual will livestream the keynote program straight to you, for free, giving you the opportunity to ask questions of speakers and watch the content later, too. You can register here to join us, if you haven’t already.