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Academy hosts Philadelphia International Sustainability Conference, Dec. 15

PHILADELPHIA—Climate change, economic development, and energy security are the defining issues of our time, and success in addressing them depends upon the ability of China and the U.S. to cooperate in the rapid, large-scale implementation of the best sustainability practices.

In order to promote this cooperation, the Philadelphia Global Sustainability Association of Business Students, the City of Philadelphia, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and the Academy of Natural Sciences will host the Philadelphia International Sustainability Conference, "Leading Change: Sustainability and the Future of Business, Technology, Policy, and the Environment in China and the U.S." The conference will be held Tuesday, Dec. 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Admission is free and open to the public. Registration is required. To register, visit: http://www.ansp.org/environmental/2009/12/philadelphia-international-sustainability-conference/.

The conference will showcase cutting-edge Chinese and American sustainability efforts and will provide a forum for the fruitful exchange of ideas to help meet the economic and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Experts from Hebi and Henan Province, China and from Philadelphia will participate, as well as pioneering business and non-profit leaders from the Philadelphia area who will discuss their innovative green projects. Henan, China's largest province with more than 99 million people, is leading the charge for a "cyclical economy" on the provincial level. Hebi (in Henan) is one of the model Chinese cities that was selected for the development of sustainable practices as part of a national pilot program begun in 2005. Likewise, Philadelphia's Greenworks program is among the most ambitious U.S. urban sustainability plans.

Among the Chinese delegation will be Assistant Governor Dong-Cheng He and other officials from Henan Province and Deputy Mayor Xin-Yong Liu, as well as representatives from these companies: Henan Dongda High Temperature Energy-Saving Material Co., Ltd.; Hebi Anli-Huanyan Tire Co., Ltd.; Hebi Baiyunjia Printing Co., Ltd.; Henan Xinyang Estate Co., Ltd., and Henan Yongchang Feitian Starch Sugar Co., Ltd. American speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter; Philadelphia Deputy Mayor for Commerce, Economic Development and Planning Alan Greenberger; Philadelphia Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski; Natalia Olson-Urtecho, CEO of The Ecolibrium Group; Charlie Szoradi, founder and president of GREENandSAVE, and Dr. Clyde Goulden, director of the Asia Center of the Academy of Natural Sciences.

The conference is sponsored by the City of Philadelphia, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences' Center for Environmental Policy and Asia Center, H2L2, GREENandSAVE, Ecolibrium Group, Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation, and Blank Rome LLP.

Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. Located in the heart of Philadelphia's cultural district, the Academy is known for its scientific research, collections, exhibitions, and educational programs. The Academy's Center for Environmental Policy sponsors programs to enhance public awareness, decision-making, and public action on environmental issues. The Academy's Asia Center is dedicated to expanding the Academy's biodiversity, ecological, and environmental research and education across Asia.

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