GMA Bows Environmental Sustainability Summit
WASHINGTON -- The Grocery Manufacturers Association here yesterday gathered together over 500 executives from the consumer packaged goods industry, nongovernmental organizations, academia and government to discuss ways to reduce the industry's environmental footprint and affirm its commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices at the trade group's first-ever Environmental Sustainability Summit for the Food, Beverage and Consumer Products Industry.
"The consumer products industry has shown tremendous leadership when it comes to preserving and protecting our environment for future generations," noted GMA president and c.e.o. Cal Dooley. "This summit is the perfect laboratory for our industry to assess current programs and initiatives, develop new and innovative approaches, and to learn from and collaborate with the nation's most influential environmental thought leaders in business, government, academia, and advocacy groups. Ultimately, today's event will lead to broader adoption of environmentally friendly business practices at home and overseas."
Summit attendees included representatives from over 250 companies, participants from almost 20 NGOs, and policymakers from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, among them EPA administrator Stephen Johnson, who served as keynote speaker. The program featured multiple breakout sessions devoted to building workable collaborations and providing tools in the areas of energy conservation, water conservation, packaging innovation, communication, and life cycle management.
Additionally, GMA gave conference goers the" GMA Environmental Sustainability Resource Guide," which features association sustainability initiatives and opportunities; willing NGO partners; and sustainability case studies from IBM.
"Today's summit is just the beginning," said Dooley. "Our goal is to achieve what some consider impossible: improve the bottom line while making environmental sustainability a core value."
The summit ends today.
For more information on the summit and GMA's work regarding environmental sustainability, visit www.gmaonline.org/events/2008/sustainability/index.htm http://www.gmaonline.org/events/2008/sustainability/index.htm
"The consumer products industry has shown tremendous leadership when it comes to preserving and protecting our environment for future generations," noted GMA president and c.e.o. Cal Dooley. "This summit is the perfect laboratory for our industry to assess current programs and initiatives, develop new and innovative approaches, and to learn from and collaborate with the nation's most influential environmental thought leaders in business, government, academia, and advocacy groups. Ultimately, today's event will lead to broader adoption of environmentally friendly business practices at home and overseas."
Summit attendees included representatives from over 250 companies, participants from almost 20 NGOs, and policymakers from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, among them EPA administrator Stephen Johnson, who served as keynote speaker. The program featured multiple breakout sessions devoted to building workable collaborations and providing tools in the areas of energy conservation, water conservation, packaging innovation, communication, and life cycle management.
Additionally, GMA gave conference goers the" GMA Environmental Sustainability Resource Guide," which features association sustainability initiatives and opportunities; willing NGO partners; and sustainability case studies from IBM.
"Today's summit is just the beginning," said Dooley. "Our goal is to achieve what some consider impossible: improve the bottom line while making environmental sustainability a core value."
The summit ends today.
For more information on the summit and GMA's work regarding environmental sustainability, visit www.gmaonline.org/events/2008/sustainability/index.htm http://www.gmaonline.org/events/2008/sustainability/index.htm