Sustainable Giving and Living Circles

Summary

Co-Hosted by The Wharton DC Club and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

The Summit will examine the essential, interdependent elements of launching a sustainable Green Economy. With the American economy and companies of all sizes facing significant domestic and international challenges, executives and entrepreneurs proposing significant green investments need to set forth an even more compelling business case to justify such investments. Two keynote speakers together with four expert panels will address the following major components that affect the business case for Green Investments:

1. Financing Domestic CleanTech Enterprises & International Clean Energy Projects

2. Government Policy

3. Clean Technologies

4. The Impact of Climate Change on Business

This conference will be of interest to entrepreneurs, executives, senior managers, investors, consultants and policy makers who are building and benefiting from the growing, dynamic Green Wave.

 

Who Should Attend

C-level and mid-level executives

Government and nonprofit officials

CFOs, CPAs and other financial executives

Corporate entrepreneurs and innovators

Green Entrepreneurs, SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) execs

Economists

Scientists and engineers

Government contractors

Attorneys and consultants

Investment advisors and investors

 

Schedule – All day including breakfast, lunch and reception

  7:00 -   8:20am – Continental breakfast and registration

  8:20 -   8:30am – Welcome from Morgan Lewis and The Wharton DC Club

  8:30 -   9:05am – Opening Keynote Speaker

  9:05 -   9:25am – Break

  9:25 - 10:40am – Clean Technologies Panel

10:40 - 11:00am – Break

11:00 - 12:15pm – Financing Panel

12:15 -   1:45pm – Lunch and Keynote Speaker

  1:45 -   3:00pm – Government Policy Panel

  3:00 -   3:20pm – Break

  3:20 -   4:35pm – Climate Change Panel

  4:35 -   4:40pm – Closing remarks from The Wharton Club and Morgan Lewis

  4:40 -   6:00pm – Cocktail Reception

 

Contacts

Andrea Essex, Executive Director for the Event (202-744-6770) or apessex@gmail.com

Alan Schlaifer, Wharton DC Club President (301-365-8999) or anschlaifer@aol.com

Steve Offutt, Event Chair, Climate Change and Environmental Consultant

(703-533-9806) or steve@offuttemail.com

 

Registration Fees--All Inclusive (two meals, materials, reception)

Current Wharton DC Club Members: Early Bird: $149; After 10/21/09 $199; After 11/6/09 $249.

Government and Nonprofit Employees: Same rates as for current Wharton DC Club members.

Nonmembers Early Bird: $249; After 10/21/09 $299; After 11/6/09 $299.

 

 

Description of Panels and Speakers

Morning Keynote

Andrew Winston, a leading consultant and author of the book Green Recovery: Get Lean, Get Smart, and Emerge from the Downturn on Top, co-Author of the book Green to Gold.

 

Midday Keynote: TBA

 

Panel 1: Financing Domestic CleanTech Enterprises & International Clean Energy Projects

The sea change in the domestic and global debt and equity markets over the last 24 months has significantly slowed investments in green, sustainable businesses and projects. Yet some entrepreneurs and companies have found ways to move forward. The panel will use examples and case studies to address many financing issues.

--Practical steps in securing financing for early stage and growth clean tech enterprises

--Ways to access funds from international sources

--Options to create multinational syndicates/funding packages

--Funding large alternative energy and other green projects

 

Panel 2: Government Policy

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act committed more than $60 billion to clean energy investment. This panel will explore the progress and effectiveness of legislation, policies and spending implemented by the Obama Administration to build the Green Economy. The panel’s experts will focus government’s relationship to business opportunities.

--Efforts by agencies and offices such as the Departments of Energy, Defense, as well as the Office of the Federal Environment Executive and FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) to create policy and make investments to encourage the development of appropriate energy infrastructure

--Identifying the real business opportunities that are being created and how private industry can capitalize on them

--Advising individuals, consultants and small businesses on how to find opportunities to work with the administration to help achieve green economy goals

 

Panel 3: Clean Technologies

This year or next, Congress seems likely to pass Climate Change legislation that will have a major impact on budgets and strategy for U.S. energy production and use, by mandating specific goals for a substantial increase in non-carbon based sources. This legislation will likely require a dramatic scale-up in facility equipment production, site selection and integration of operations within the national electric grid. The panel will address important questions about this likely legislation.

--Is this magnitude of scale-up feasible?

--What are the technical and infrastructure barriers that must be overcome so that these goals can be achieved?

--What are some of the major business opportunities from this situation, and how can you best pursue them?

 

Panel 4: Impact of Climate Change on Business

This session will assess the consequences of domestic actions, now underway, that may significantly impact the business case for green investment. Key initiatives that have arisen in response to the need for control of future carbon emissions (namely, climate change) include:

--Pending federal climate change legislation now under consideration by Congress

--The evolving U.S. position for participation in the upcoming international Copenhagen convention on climate change

--State climate change driven regulations which shape power production

--Evolving U.S. EPA regulations for monitoring and controlling carbon emissions as a regulated pollutant

--Federal tariff and trade positions in response to international actions on climate control

--Steps businesses are taking to respond to marketplace forces in order to deal with energy and other resource usage

The panel will focus mainly on:

--Congressional status update on pending climate change legislation

--U.S. green business case issues surrounding the Copenhagen convention this December

--U.S. EPA path forward to control and regulate carbon emissions

--Business opportunities derived from state climate change initiatives

 

Strategic Partners

We appreciate the support of these outstanding organizations, and are expecting more to join us:

--French-American Chamber of Commerce

--Chicago Business-School Club of DC

--Cornell Club of Washington, DC

--Harvard Club of Washington, DC

--Princeton Club of Washington, DC

--Yale Club of Washington, DC

--Other Wharton Business School Alumni Clubs

 

Reasons Why You Should Sign Up Now and Attend

--Learn about key developments and opportunities in the Green Wave, sustainability and related areas of Corporate Social Responsibility. In a world increasingly concerned about climate change, and with the Copenhagen Conference coming up in December, pollution, population pressures, resource security and supply, it is more important than ever to expand your knowledge and understanding of the forces at work.

--Learn about global opportunities in the U.S. and around the resource-challenged world, as political, business and NGO leaders face climate, resource and other challenges

--Gain green knowledge, strategy, insight, lessons learned and perspectives from highly regarded business, government, NGO and other leaders. Learn about key factors within the Green Wave propelling an increasing amount of funding and revenues based on sustainability from thought and action leaders.

 

Outstanding value

--Whether you're paying or your employer/company is reimbursing you, the fee is less than travel costs for a conference elsewhere, whether you're in one of the special categories or not. And there's no $15/bag fee (or even more), like most airlines!

--Excellent networking – members of our Strategic Partner organizations plus executives from dozens of other companies and groups, from Fortune 500 to emerging businesses, NGOs and government agencies will make this an excellent convergence for building business contacts. Last year, a total of more than 100 companies and other organizations were represented among the 250 attendees.