From its progressive renewable energy and manufacturing waste ambitions to its commitment to source 100 percent of natural raw materials from sustainably managed forests by 2020, SC Johnson continues to establish a legacy of corporate environmental leadership.No small feat for an industry-leading manufacturer of household consumer brands and one of America’s oldest family-owned businesses.

Captain of these inspiring efforts, Dr. Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO, joins GLOBE 2020 in discussion with Ocean Wise President and CEO Lasse Gustavsson. They will delve into the impact of plastics and marine debris on ocean health and highlight the promising pathways for public-private partnerships to step up action in this battle. Hear how these leaders are turning the tide on ocean plastic while accelerating movement to a circular economy and hear lessons from the journey to help your organization achieve the same.

Apple has boldly demonstrated the art of delivering truly innovative products that influence progress across the corporate landscape. In GLOBE’s feature armchair, The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)’s Global Director David McGinty talks with Sarah Chandler, Apple’s Senior Director of Operations, Product Development and Environmental Initiatives, about how Apple is rethinking materials and paving the way for breakthrough carbon-free manufacturing methods. This not-to-be missed discussion will reveal updates on Apple’s closed-loop solutions and what lies on the horizon for the circular economy leader.

Moving faster and going further, Microsoft has made an inspiring recent commitment to obliterate its carbon footprint. By 2030, Microsoft will be carbon negative, and by 2050 Microsoft will remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted either directly or by electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975.

In a GLOBE exclusive armchair with Amy Harder of Axios, Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa will pilot us along Microsoft’s bold journey to carbon negative. Hear the latest on their upped ambition, intrepid roadmap, the role of technology in reaching shared planetary goals and what your company should be doing to join this quest for a net zero future.

An increasing number of Canadian and international actors are reaffirming their commitment to meeting the Paris Agreement, focusing on an inclusive approach to climate action and the economy. Join us in a working dialogue as we bring together global leaders in labour force transitions to share their experiences and address the challenging questions around how we continue to build inclusivity into climate action.

• What does the just transition mean? Where did it originate?
• What are the common features of just transition programs around the world? What are best practices and prevailing mistakes?
• Do new approaches need to be integrated into these programs?
• How are the roles of industry, government and civil society changing with the evolving landscape?

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In the hard-hitting impact-oriented conclusion of GLOBE Forum, business leaders, government, not-for-profits, academics, cleantech innovators and youth will all come together on Feb. 13 for GLOBE Advance. In a completely new event format for GLOBE, experts from the GLOBE community will put pen to paper and develop strategic action plans to further the clean economy.

Join the Social Purpose Institute, partners and allies for an interactive, fun, inspiring, and impactful session, where you will play a role in scaling up the social purpose business movement in Canada and beyond, You will also have the opportunity to engage with peers and make valuable connections in the social purpose arena.

In this session, we will identify four key leverage points that can be advanced over the next two years and reported on at GLOBE 2022. We’ll begin by hearing expert pitches of eight social purpose momentum-building ideas. The group will select four winning ideas to develop further during the session in a creative, crowdsourcing brainstorm and then shared back with the larger group for resolution.

On Feb. 11-12, you will be invited to suggest social purpose accelerator ideas to pitch for this session on GLOBE’s Data Wall. Examples include: “A deeper dive into what accelerating social purpose means for your business and beyond”, “Exploring the role of corporate boards and investors to engage companies in social purpose”, and “How to build an enabling ecosystem to accelerate social purpose in business?

This session is not to be missed for anyone that wants to be part of the rapidly growing social purpose business movement that is revolutionizing business as we know it.

Social Purpose Experts co-leading this session:

• Stephanie Bertels, Director, Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability at SFU
• Tim Reeve, President of Reeve Consulting
• Tessa Jordan, Program Head, Sustainable Business Leadership, British Columbia Institute of Technology.
• Mary Ellen Schaafsma, Director, Social Purpose Institute at United Way
• Monika Marcovici, Strategist at the Social Purpose Institute at United Way

Who should attend:

• Entrepreneurs, executives and sustainability, marketing and supply chain professionals, looking to accelerate social purpose in their companies and with their customers and business ecosystem
• Consultants, service providers and business association representatives who want to contribute to fostering the social purpose business movement
• Civil society leaders, government managers, educators and students keen to build the ecosystem for purpose-driven companies to thrive
• Investors and board directors interested in accelerating capital markets for good

To register for GLOBE Advance, indicate your preferred session on the Order page of the GLOBE Forum registration process. The cost of GLOBE Advance is included in your GLOBE Forum pass.

It’s 2020 – can we finally confront the challenges inherent in capitalism? Speaking to the essence of sustainability in our modern age, don’t miss GLOBE’s pivotal debate on what growth means today.

Economics 101 tells us that growth is essential for a system to thrive, as do the billions of people living in poverty. Yet, there is little doubt that the overconsumption this system produces only perpetuates global environmental crises. Will propositions for ‘green growth’ and ‘degrowth’ as alternatives offer a better path? Where does ‘climate capitalism’ fit? Join us for an existential reality check:

• Is there such a thing as sustainable growth? What does it look like and how do we measure it?
• What opportunities for ‘good’ growth are being borne of the climate crisis?
• What approaches are delivering a win-win outcome – the circular economy, a Green New Deal…?
• What is the role of the GLOBE community in providing answers and a road map for ‘sustainable growth?’

The world in which we work is rapidly evolving. And as we see automation, digitization, AI and robotics advance, the speed and direction of change could be bewildering. The promise of increased productivity will be accompanied by broader impacts on wages, employment opportunities and the very nature of our work. How we understand and navigate the shifts is critical because one thing is certain: almost every aspect of work will change. Prepare yourself and your organization to excel in the new world of digital as we demystify growing concerns:

• Will there be adequate jobs to gainfully employ all?
• How can we ensure talent is not underutilized in a digital age?
• Where can we expect to see exciting job opportunities?
• How can we equip our work force to adapt and thrive in an age of automation?

Our current consumption patterns have brought us close to, and in some cases beyond, our planetary limitations. If it remains unaddressed, unchecked consumption threatens to put a brake on business growth and the four-fold growth in GDP anticipated by 2050. Join the sharp end of consumer-retail for a working session on how companies are meeting the challenge, where they see opportunities, and what it might mean for your business along the supply chain.

• How do we break the dependency between business growth and selling more stuff to more people? What models have companies tried and what did and did not work?
• How do we move consumer aspirations away from buying and owning stuff and instead focus on  utility and service?
• How do we ensure this is not yet another example of wealthier countries telling emerging and low income economies they cannot follow our growth path?

Nature-based solutions play a vital role in decarbonization, establishing climate resilient societies, creating jobs and addressing biodiversity crises. For industry, these holistic and cost-effective solutions represent an emerging opportunity to complement and amplify traditional CSR initiatives. Join leaders from business and civil society to unearth:

• How can your corporate sustainability shift to address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity using nature as a solution?
• Restore. Fund. – How can innovative partnerships in the space enable your business to manage risk and future proof growth?
• How can barriers to implementation be  overcome to ensure that nature applied as a solution reaches its full potential for reducing risk for your business or industry?

We live in changing times with shifting expectations for companies and boards of directors. Dissatisfied with business as usual, many stakeholders are expecting change to come from the top. A change that will require a dynamic skillset, mindset and commitment from the boardroom. Key considerations surround what boards should do to ensure they and the businesses they serve are fit for the future. Join executive leaders in panel and workshop to explore:

• How are mega-trends, including geopolitical issues, environmental concerns and human values, impacting expectations for businesses, investors and boards?
• How are emerging business models such as the circular economy, sharing economy, gig economy and future of work disrupting business as usual?
• What are the different views and understandings of fiduciary duty and how is this being reshaped in the 21st century?
• What is the role for sustainability professionals to support board leadership?