As corporate leaders face immense global challenges like climate change, water shortages, and rising inequality, there’s a need for truly ambitious corporate action. Leading companies are setting bold targets to inspire bold action across internal corporate functions and regions, and throughout the wider industry and beyond, through external collaborations. Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at how companies are setting bold targets, what works to gain internal alignment and commitment, and learn how your company can address challenges or roadblocks that arise in the process of setting goals.

Renewable energy purchases by corporations are growing fast. How do we encourage ambition and increase clean power procurement to make sure it’s not limited to just a few leaders in a few geographies? Connect with leaders in renewable energy as they highlight the opportunities and challenges to scale renewable energy solutions, and define how companies are working to address them. How have the trails blazed by corporate leaders paved the way for fast followers to create a global corporate renewable energy movement?

Some of the greatest human rights challenges for companies lie in the adverse impacts of their business partners, including suppliers, contractors, joint-venture partners, customers, and governments. Often, companies have only a tenuous connection to the negative human impacts, and little to no control over them. Nonetheless, these companies suffer the reputational and operational damage from the association. We challenge companies to be bold and proactive in business relationships, both to limit risk and to extend your sustainability reach in the wider world. Join us to hear from four companies that are proactively managing their high-risk human rights issues in the web of their business relationships.

Traceability is a concept fraught with contradictions: Everyone wants it, and yet their belief that it’s impossible to attain keeps them from solving the puzzle. This session will demonstrate that traceability is actually possible, as we share examples of success stories by large companies, niche players, and entire industries. You will leave this session emboldened to pursue that Holy Grail: the ability to track your product from raw material to finished goods.

Wealth inequality is one of the major global challenges of the 21st century. Yet many leaders of large corporations are unsure about the role of business in wealth balance, and whether business should take a stance on the subject. At the same time, stakeholders are expecting more of business, examining how companies are approaching living wage commitments beyond compliance and financial incentives for employees, and whether they are helping build an inclusive economy through innovative products and services. Join us to discuss the business implications of growing wealth inequality in both developing and developed economies, and how this issue is affecting different industries.

Going viral might be every CMO's dream, but it’s not a very realistic one. How can you identify your authentic story, connect to the values of your audience, and break through the noise to connect with the right audience, at the right time, in the right place? What new tools and techniques are being used to engage consumers and businesses in a way that brings sustainability to the forefront of the brand?

Climate change has a disproportionate impact on women: Social, political, cultural, and economic inequalities put women at greater risk in the face of climate-related issues like extreme weather and destruction of biodiversity and ecosystems. But women are also critical agents of change with the potential to strengthen climate resilience within their communities. How can the private sector increase the adaptive capacity of women to enhance the broader resilience of business and society?

Technological advances are rapidly creating opportunities for companies to produce more with less labor. This creates efficiencies but also raises a wide range of economic and social questions. How can an individual business take advantage of the opportunities automation offers while also ensuring that employment is maintained, new skills are developed, and communities retain the economic vitality they need to thrive?

Up to 80 percent of a product’s sustainability impacts are determined at the design stage—which makes design a crucial initial step in achieving sustainability goals. How can companies reinvent their product development and innovation processes to incorporate sustainability and circular economy principles? How can companies create ownership for sustainability and circularity among their design teams? We'll explore challenges and share leading practices to help more companies integrate sustainable design into new products.

A circular economy creates opportunities to move away from a “take, make, dispose” production system to one that restores the environment and generates value from materials that had previously been waste. Hear from speakers who will highlight how and why their companies adopted industry-leading circular economy goals, the challenges they faced, and the opportunity they see to transform their markets. Participants will be inspired with new ideas on how they can integrate circular economy principles into their business, as well as practical approaches for creating internal support and forming external partnerships.

As the world moves toward radical transparency, some say that sustainability performance data needs to be shared in real time, using dynamic communications channels. They claim sustainability reporting as we know it will become antiquated. Others say that the lure of real-time data analysis is a temptation that dangerously diverts attention away from long-term trends. This group claims that the discipline of the annual reporting cycle is more important than ever before. Hear from both sides, participate in the debate, and understand the implications for your reporting strategy.

Companies like to showcase their brand by leading and participating in events, but what do these gatherings say about your business? Participants examine social and environmental issues related to every aspect of events—from the diversity of the speakers, to the healthiness of the food, to whether the location requires heavy-emitting transportation. Considering these factors, your event could be an overlooked marketing opportunity or a public image nightmare. This interactive session will use case studies from BSR and other industry leaders to help you evaluate opportunities, develop a sustainable event policy that’s right for your company, and understand which key performance indicators are the best measurements for sustainability reporting. You will walk away with a sustainable event policy template and a draft of minimum guidelines for your company.

Getting the sustainability message out means building your presence on social media platforms. But what first steps should you take when you’re just starting out building a profile for yourself or your business or organization? And once you’ve established your presence, how do you take it to the next level? This interactive training, led by BSR’s social media manager and other experts, will provide tips, hidden secrets, and hands-on exercises to share how to use social media platforms to build your personal or organizational brand, connect with the sustainability community, and advance the sustainable business agenda. This session will primarily focus on Twitter and LinkedIn. Bring a smartphone or laptop to participate in a few interactive exercises, and follow the conversation at #BSR16social.

It’s challenging to change organizational culture to embrace clean energy and other climate solutions. The task often falls on CSR managers or ambitious “intrapreneurs” who must persuade a wide variety of stakeholders that climate-focused initiatives are in their best interest. Effective communication of both material risks and opportunities is key. In this interactive workshop, the Climate Reality Project and the World Wildlife Fund will help participants develop a strong messaging strategy to overcome barriers such as capital constraints, management attention, and lack of in-house expertise. Join this session to gain the skills and support to lead your company and peers to a brighter tomorrow.

When you first meet someone to network, pitch a project, or secure funding, your ability to explain what you do in that first minute is crucial. Taking the time to create a strategic, punchy, and compelling verbal introduction or elevator pitch can help you win contracts, build your credibility, and gain support. Think of it as your brand statement. People who like your pitch will be more likely to share your story. This workshop will teach you how to design your own personal marketing and pitch statements. In addition to leaving the session with a 30-second elevator pitch you can use at the BSR Conference, you will come away from this workshop with an understanding of what a personal brand actually is, three authentic personal marketing messages, and a better articulation of who you are and why your work matters.

One of the most effective ways to create change is to envision how the steps we take today will affect our future selves and our planet. Join us to engage in rapid-fire brainstorming sessions as we design a bold shared vision of the future 5, 10, and 20 years from now. Participants will lend their unique strengths, contributing everything from artistic visualizations and designs to personal narratives that help us imagine a brighter future. Teams will then create artifacts describing their big visions and the steps that must take place to turn their visions into reality. The resulting artifacts will be shared via social media for all Conference attendees and beyond, and all session participants will receive a template of the session to use as a tool for future work and collaboration. This session will be led by CivicMakers and Civic Hall.

Our popular Food for Thought Dinners are back and will provide participants an opportunity to discuss a range of topics based on the Conference theme with BSR industry experts over a meal. To encourage even more networking, we are bringing the dinners together at Chef Richard Sandoval and Maestro Placido Domingo’s Mexican restaurant in midtown Manhattan featuring coastal Pan Latin cuisine. Fees include a three course meal, wine, beer and beverages. Availability is limited.