The Sustainable Business Symposium, an ASUO student group, holds a conference every year to provide a unique forum in which business and community leaders can talk about ways to operate with maximum environmental responsibility and at the same time build profitable businesses.
Business and sustainability
For some people, the words business and sustainability are contradictory, but finding the relationship between these two words may be the key to saving the environment. Mike Russo, a business professor and SBS faculty adviser, said, “Businesses are aware that the public is demanding more from them when it comes to environmental stewardship. The symposium provides ideas and guidance for business seeking to learn more about sustainability.” There is substantial evidence that the movement toward environmentally and socially responsible business practices has gained strength over the past decade. “In the early 1990s, I felt like corporate ecology seminars were quite a bit like pulling teeth. At the end of the decade, I felt like a wave had gone right over my head. The wave of activity was greening businesses,” said John Baldwin, SBS faculty adviser.
“Sustainable” or “green” business means different things to different people. A common interest is in improving environmental performance while maintaining healthy profits. For most corporations, incorporating sustainability into business practices is an incremental and dynamic process. Dole Food Company, the world’s largest producer of foods and vegetables, recently announced they would sell certified organic bananas. Patagonia has taken a recent stand against genetically engineered products. Coca-Cola Co. is currently responding to a group of socially concerned shareholders who want to see more post-consumer plastic used in their bottles.
For a select group of businesses, the commitment to sustainability rises above all other priorities. Genesis Juice, for example, is a Eugene employee-owned cooperative that sells fresh organic juice in reusable containers. Indigo Teiwes-Cain, a Research Analyst for Progressive Investment Management in Portland, and former SBS Board member said, “Portfolio 21, our global mutual fund focusing on environmental sustainability, currently holds over 40 publicly traded companies that meet our rigorous screening criteria. These are companies that are going far beyond ‘responsibility’ and ‘stewardship’ by recognizing the impending ecological crisis and innovating new ways to change how they do business so they can be ahead of the curve.”
Sustainable Business Symposium
It’s never too early to think about the Fifth Annual Sustainable Business Symposium which will be held November 9-11 at the University campus in Eugene. The program includes nationally recognized keynote speakers, panels, workshops and an exposition of businesses engaged in sustainable activities. In conjunction with SBS, the Institute for Sustainable Ethics and Economics and the Willamette Valley Business Alliance will co-sponsor The Natural Step Workshop, a sustainability training for community leaders.
In addition to fulfilling an urgent need for dialogue in the business community, there is also a need for us, as students, to hear first-hand the problems of business and community leaders as they share their experiences, their failures and their successes. Kathy Lynn, current PPPM graduate student and former SBS Board member: “The Sustainable Business Symposium provides University students with opportunities to engage in activities that are at the forefront of initiatives in Oregon, national issues, and of global concern. Through the symposium, students have the opportunity to learn about the different strategies being undertaken by corporations, non-profits and other organizations, and interact with inspiring innovators in the field of sustainable business.”
Defining “sustainable business” is an ongoing discussion. As planners of the SBS, we strive to constrain our vision of sustainability to a strict set of criteria, and to include the most committed businesses in our planning. However, it is also important to recognize incremental change in companies which are working toward sustainability. We hope to encourage all businesses and individuals to broaden their vision of what is possible as we work towards a healthy planet.
If you are interested in learning more about the Sustainable Business Symposium, or in participating in planning for the 2001 Symposium, please email [email protected], or call (541) 346-0670 and a leave a message.
You can also check out the SBS Web site at http://www.uoregon.edu/~sbs.
Robyn Scofield is a member of the board of directors of the Sustainable Business Symposium.