April 29-May 1 the Pacific Northwest region will hold its second annual regional conference on sustainability, which is sponsored by AIChE's Institute for Sustainability (IfS). The event was designed both for new participants as well as for past participants who wish to continue their exploration of sustainability issues.
Personally, I'm looking forward to learning more about the sustainability efforts of industry leaders The Boeing Company, The Dow Chemical Company, and Weyerhaeuser, who are supporting the event and providing featured keynote speakers. These three major corporations have transformed their businesses in a very short time to minimize environmental impact. Today, Boeing, Dow, and Weyerhaeuser are all listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
Boeing's Mary Armstrong on Sustainability
Mary Armstrong's acceptance as a keynote speaker this year reflects the importance of the topic to industry and the role chemical engineering plays. She has been responsible for, and successfully leads, Boeing's aggressive environmental targets. These include those set in the Carbon Disclosure Project.
Transformation: From Paper to Biomass
In addition to the aerospace industry, the Northwest has a deep and historical relationship to paper and pulp. Faced by challenging times in recent years, this industry has repositioned itself to transfer its knowledge to the biomass market. I think this is a great illustration of how innovation and the willingness to adapt to an increasingly uncertain landscape can create opportunity within the field of sustainability. Dr. Linda A. Beltz, Weyerhaeuser's Director of Technology Partnership, will speak about open innovation.
Insights into Innovation and Creativity
I also look forward to Graham Allan's talk on innovation and creativity. All engineers face significant hurdles to meeting the challenges of sustainability, and true innovative thought and creativity are where the answers lie. Dr. Allan is a professor at the University of Washington.
You can download event registration information here. I hope to see you there!
Thanks and appreciation to Alessandra Carreon, Sarah Widder, and Tapas Das for their amazing leadership and support in coordinating this event from scratch. This conference would have never have happened without their active involvement.