The objective of being recognized as a “leader in sustainability”, has become significantly more popular over the last decade, and has provided organizations an opportunity to differentiate themselves in their respective industries. The idea of not just what product or service your company offers, but how you manufacture and what processes you use to deliver them, are becoming more important to your customers. More people today want to understand the impact of your operations on our environment and society at large, and their decisions will be influenced accordingly. Gord will outline what BGIS’ approach has been to building a corporate brand that embodies sustainable operating practices.

Canada has set ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction which can only be met through concerted efforts in the building sector as one of the largest contributors to climate change. As we move toward a carbon-constrained future, the conversation in building design and retrofit must shift from ‘energy efficiency’ to ‘carbon’ to ensure we arrive at the best solutions. The CaGBC’s new Zero Carbon Building Standard uses carbon as the key metric in assessing building performance and combines this measure with enhanced envelope performance and renewable energy options. Zero Carbon represents the next cycle of innovation in green building continuing Canada’s global leadership in taking tangible steps in reducing carbon emissions from buildings.

For decades, sustainability advocates of all stripes, in the smallest rural municipalities, in the largest multinational corporations and everywhere in between, have been paving the path to en ecological approach to economic development. These champions led initiatives in energy efficiency, cycle-to-work, public transit, organic agriculture and many other themes, often demonstrating the economic sense of these approaches. Despite these successes, Canada missed its Rio, Kyoto and Copenhagen targets and is on its way to missing the Paris target. The reality is that the regulatory framework disadvantages these solutions compared to conventional approaches to energy use and business in general. The author is the founder of Quebec's most influential and well know environmental group and the creator of the Center on sustainable development, a lead platinum certified office and meeting center. Using Norway's approach to electric vehicles, he will demonstrate why we need stronger policies in Canada at all levels of government to help us meet our international targets an reduce other pollution in Canada.

The rules have changed. The customers are different. How they buy is different. What they value is different. And even economy in which you sell to them is different.

Buyers have embraced these changes quickly and dramatically. But far too many sellers remain stuck in the past using outdated tactics, canned pitches, and manipulative closing tricks that do nothing but stagnate sales results.

Creating a Sustainable Nonstop Sales Boom requires a deep look inside the mind of today's customer. Price sensitive, value oriented, strapped for time, mobile powered, yet craving connection, they are overwhelmed by choice, desperate to differentiate and dependent on trusted others for help with who they do business with.

Michael Mulvey - Assistant Professor [tenured], Telfer School of Management
Mike Wilson - Executive Director, Smart Prosperity Institute
Rob Hyams - President and Partner McMillan, Ottawa
Caitlin Kealey - CEO, MediaStyle

When a business exhibits environmental and community leadership, it can experience many positive benefits, such as mitigation of risk, improved community and stakeholder relations, attraction and retention of top talent, and a culture of innovation. But this doesn’t always translate to the bottom line.

Can organizations increase revenue and profitability without letting go of their core values and principles?

It might be time to look at your brand. Is it a reflection of your business strategy, your culture and your go-to-market plans? Is it serving your business or detracting? Does it help attract the customers, talent and partners that you want to grow your business? Do you even have a defined brand?

Join us for an interactive discussion, where we will explore how a brand with purpose can deliver a winning trifecta: a better world, better communities and a better business.

The Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF) was developed in partnership with provinces and territories and through broad consultations with Canadians, key experts and industry stakeholders. Under the PCF, the Government of Canada is working with provinces, territories and industry on energy code development, data sharing, research and development, and market transformation strategies for the buildings sector. This session will outline the Government of Canada’s work on increasing energy efficiency for homes and buildings, and commitments to lead by example, advancing Canada’s low carbon future and helping realize domestic and international climate change goals.

Brent Gilmour - Executive Director, QUEST– Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow

Accounting for nearly 60 percent of energy end-use and over half of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across Canada, Canadian communities along with their utilities, builders and developers, and innovative product service suppliers are working hard to change those statistics. This panel will uncover how leading Smart Energy Communities are working together to lead the transition to a low carbon economy at the local level. The panel will also offer a preview into the Smart Energy Communities Scorecard which is under development as the first tool of its kind to evaluate and benchmark the progress of Smart Energy Communities in Canada.

This panel offers diverse voices with expertise in the fields of energy, transportation, and infrastructure.

Jeff Moe - Global Policy and Advocacy Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Ingersoll Rand
Jenny Tremblay - Smart Cities Challenge Infrastructure Canada
Ryan Citron - Senior Research Analyst, Energy, Navigant Research
Cara Clairman - President and CEO of Plug'n Drive

The demand for smart Sustainable Cities is growing within Canadian communities. Market forces, policy directions and citizen demand push decision-makers to plan for this new world. A new world that includes Urban Energy Transformation, Connected Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficient Buildings, and Smart Infrastructure. Data derived from these technologies will drive efficiencies benefiting all areas within our communities such as; healthcare, education and the poor. How can your community become a leader?

Today’s sustainability value proposition is becoming increasingly more nuanced. We are observing a growing link between leading sustainability practices and higher tenant satisfaction, lower energy and operation costs, and thus stronger overall performance. We also look at the buildings that shape our communities as part of a living ecosystem whose role is central to addressing climate change challenges and the demands society expects from the built environments. This session will overview the corporate sustainability road map and how to further integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into strategy.

It’s no secret that employees and leaders see the importance of purpose in business. What does it really mean to bring purpose to life for employees, and why does it matter for the business? In a time of heightened stakeholder expectations, business leaders are rightly concerned with how purpose can boost innovation and brand value—for them, the value lies in illuminating purpose on the commercial side of the business. But it should be much deeper than that. Join James Temple, PwC Canada's Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer for a conversation about how leaders can approach purpose more holistically to help drive organizational sustainability and value creation for leaders, shareholders and the community.

Many equate green buildings with the newest, most dazzling towers rising across our country, but few consider if they perform as promised. This is because green building designers overwhelmingly neglect to consider the role of building operators. In other words, buildings are not static entities with fixed environmental profiles. Rather, they are highly complex, IT-driven mini-ecosystems, where operating decisions affect GHG emissions, water use intensity and indoor air quality far more than architects’ plans. But new or old, big or small, gorgeous or ugly, certifying the environmental performance of existing buildings is always the best way to drive sustainability in commercial real estate. Moreover, since the number of existing buildings always far exceeds those being built, improving their performance even just a little has a far greater benefit. We all must recognize the opportunity sitting right before our eyes: certifying existing building performance via BOMA BEST has a massive impact on sustainable buildings. This session explains how.

There are considerable economic risks for companies who fail to reduce their environmental footprint including rising energy costs, the impact of severe weather events as well as the long-term effects of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. This presents a significant opportunity for cleantech companies looking to take advantage of a growing appetite for solutions. The challenge is to build and grow sustainable companies that can compete globally. Companies need the right talent to develop their solutions and an established pool of funds to support their transition from research and development to product and expansion. The panel will discuss the region’s cleantech ecosystem in terms of the maturity of companies, the opportunity for significant and sustained growth, and identify barriers to global expansion.

At Ottawa Riverkeeper we believe our Ottawa River could become the world’s cleanest capital river, sustaining healthy and resilient communities. However, this won’t happen without innovation and sustainability that is practiced at the individual, community and corporate scales. With a diverse and growing network of sustainability champions in our watershed, how can we measure our collective impact over time and relate it back to the things that we value like swimmable, drinkable and fishable waters? Join Meredith Brown, your Ottawa Riverkeeper to learn how watershed health relates to your sustainability efforts and how you can become a water champion.

Joel Lalonde - President & CEO, Your Credit Union
Mike Carson - Chief Financial Officer, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Meg Beckel - President & CEO, Canadian Museum of Nature

Like anything else that matters to a company, what gets measured gets managed. Corporate greenhouse gas reduction targets are powerful performance indicators that allow an organization and its stakeholders to monitor and evaluate how it is meeting its sustainability commitments.

Nearly half of all the 2016 Fortune 500 companies have established GHG reduction targets, energy efficiency goals and/or renewable energy commitments, thus benefiting from increased exposure, powerful reporting and more focused sustainability efforts.

This panel discussion will discuss the why and how of target-setting with examples of local organizations who are already benefiting from moving toward their own targets.

What is the business value of the “Social” element in the sustainability (ESG) equation? What is the relationship between social purpose and performance from a human capital development perspective? This relationship will be explored through the approach of Transformative Community InvolvementTM and how it is leading to business and social transformation. Quantitative and qualitative data will be presented including a recycling program case study from award-winning client SeaLand. Measured business, social, and environmental impact of the program will be shared together with examples of multi-sector partnership projects from 12 countries supporting 4 UN SDGs. The intention is to provoke thought about the role of decision makers as agents of change.