Sustainability conference draws top name speakers

An International conference highlighting the business benefits of sustainability has attracted a host of top name speakers.

The University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) is staging PrISM - Practical Information for Sustainable Manufacturing next month.

The event is designed to illustrate how introducing sustainable practices into business could cut costs, boost efficiency and lead to competitive advantages.

It will also provide practical advice on issues such as how to drive down energy use between shifts and at other times when the factory is not producing goods, and how to involve people from the boardroom to the shop floor.

The conference brings together some of the world’s leading manufacturers, retailers and innovators in the field of practical environmental change.

Among those speaking at the event will be Coca-Cola’s Recycling Director Patrick McGuirk, Carmel McQuaid Climate Change Manager for Marks and Spencer, Sarah Peace, of the TUC’s Greenworkplaces Project and Henrietta Stock of the Carbon Trust.

Also represented at the event will be, NISP, SolarCentury, Enviros, The Food and Drink Federation and Toyota.

The conference has been organised by the IfM, Cranfield University and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Sustainable Development.

The conference will be jointly chaired by Professor Mike Gregory, head of the IfM, and Professor Steve Evans of Cranfield University.

Prof Gregory said: “We think this event is a real opportunity to explore potential collaborations in the evolution of the next generation of sustainable industrial systems.

“We therefore hope that the conference will be the start of an international effort to engage industrialists and academics to work with us on taking a system-level view of industrial sustainability.”

Professor Steve Evans of Cranfield University said the event was an excellent opportunity for companies to learn from thought leaders in the field.

“Companies like Toyota, Coca-Cola and Marks and Spencer have taken major steps towards sustainability and this is a real opportunity to learn from these leading examples.

“It’s a chance for companies that learn to do more with less. To hear firsthand of the benefits of sustainability acquire the necessary skills it makes them more adaptable in the future.”

The conference takes place on May 19th and 20th and for more details check the website at www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/sustainability/2010

Provided by University of Cambridge