{"id":39354,"date":"2024-05-20t15:48:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-20t15:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/?p=39354"},"modified":"2024-05-20t16:05:35","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20t16:05:35","slug":"kellogg-climate-conference-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/kellogg-climate-conference-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"kellogg climate conference 2024: companies aim to lead the charge against climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
by doris alvarez<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cleading the charge,\u201d the theme of an april 10 kellogg climate conference at northwestern university, brought together an all-stars cast including leaders from coca-cola, gm energy, start-ups, academics and conservation groups to redefine business strategy in a changing climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n the mission? counter climate change and find new profit pipelines there as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n a standing-room-only crowd of business executives, experts, and students explored company examples of innovative and cost-effective climate change mitigation at the all-day conference sponsored by the kellogg school of management\u2019s energy and sustainability club and the trienens institute for sustainability and energy at northwestern. <\/p>\n\n\n\n meghan busse, associate professor of strategy at the kellogg school of management kicked off the conference with what she called, “a greenhouse emissions breakdown,” in other words, a lively lowdown on the challenges ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n according to busse, in the u.s, one-fourth of gas emissions come from electricity generation, one-fourth from transportation, one-fourth from industrial processes, and one-fourth covering both agriculture and buildings. the conference program covered all these sectors and how each one is providing new solutions and innovative technology to decrease emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cour goal of the day is to leave you all feeling armed to become climate capable leaders where you are willing to ask questions and start thinking about no matter what your job is, how does climate plan into my strategy?\u201d said busse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n the incentive to act for companies is linked to the impact on their pockets. climate change is expected to cost u.s. businesses over $1.3 trillion in the next three years. such high stakes have pushed industries around the world to seek massive technological and business transformations. but experts say that refusing to invest is climate solutions will cost even more in losses due to rising costs, resource uncertainties, extreme weather damage, and other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n keynote speakers included business leaders across the board to share the specifics their companies have implemented to prioritize sustainability as a core component of strategic decision-making. coca-cola is the number one plastic polluter in the world, according to coke\u2019s executive vp bea perez who took center stage her talk on \u201cnavigating sustainability and profitability.\u201d she focused on the importance of accountability, transparency and support from top corporate leaders for a company to move toward sustainability. she asked the audience to envision the size of 120,000 olympic size swimming pools, the pyramid of giza and every single volcano in the world to show the massive amounts of waste that the coca-cola company generates. she emphasized solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n businesses and consumers should examine a company’s business and sustainability reports to see if sustainability strategy is embedded into the finances of the company, she said. without that commitment, the measures are irrelevant, said perez, global chief communication, sustainability and strategic partnerships officer at coca-cola.<\/p>\n\n\n\nspeakers at kellogg conference emphasize solutions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n