Sustainability leaders gather in London for inaugural conference

Senior executives and sustainability officers from some of the world’s biggest companies are convening in London today for the first Sustainable Brands Conference in the capital.

The two-day event is expected to attract some 450 thought leaders from 25 countries, with firms such as Unilever, Adidas, Coca-Cola and Marks & Spencer set to be represented.

Launched in 2006, Sustainable Brands brings together around 50,000 sustainability professionals from across the globe, putting on events and training exercises mainly in North America. The London conference is the first time the organisation has hosted an event on this side of the Atlantic.

“Delivering a healthy environment, a healthy economy and ultimately, a healthy society requires a truly collaborative effort to combine the best of human ingenuity and innovation to change the shape of business, and with it, the world”, said KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands.

“Sustainable Brands London demonstrates our aim to spark new ideas by connecting people from different perspectives and disciplines from around the world in an optimistic, collaborative environment to create a shared vision of what is possible, and work together to drive meaningful and lasting change.”

The list of speakers at the event, which is being held at the Mermaid Theatre, includes representatives from such brands as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and eBay, as well as the London 2012 Olympic Games.

It comes as delegates from across the UN began two-week-long climate change discussions in Doha, Qatar, yesterday, in the hope of reaching a definitive deal on curbing emissions.

GfK, BBMG and OgilvyEarth are among brands unveiling research projects at Sustainable Brands London Conference – all of which aim to highlight the many benefits to being truly sustainable.

Further reading:

Merging the great business dilemma: profit v sustainability, responsibility and ethics

Businesses, listen up: ‘The best way to be good is to keep it simple’

Home-grown innovation that might just change the world

Investments in resource-efficient firms shown to outperform competition

Global boardrooms increasingly aware of climate change threat