What We Do

April 15-16, 2009  |  The Fairmont  |  San Francisco, CA

It’s Ceres 20th anniversary! At this year’s special conference we celebrated two decades of success, honored our founders, and unveiled Ceres 20•20, our bold vision for putting the global economy on a truly sustainable path over the coming decade.

Ceres Conference 2009 Program

(For a complete schedule, download the Conference Agenda pdf.)

Wednesday, April 15

7:00 am   Conference registration begins and will remain open throughout the day

8:30 am   Opening Plenary

Conference Opening — Mindy Lubber, President, Ceres

Welcome Keynote — Denis Hayes, President and CEO, Bullitt Foundation; Chair, International Earth Day Network; Founding Co-chair, Ceres

Plenary Panel — Changing the Rules of the Game: Policies to Accelerate a Green Agenda

With a new president and congress, a world of possibility has opened up, one that has the potential to reposition the U.S. as a global leader.  The economic and climate crises provide an opportunity for creating a radically different approach to the way we live and do business, one that will provide clean energy, greater national security, significant job growth, and wealth creation for all levels of society.  What will the roadmap look like for a "new energy deal", what policies must be put in place, and how can America once again shine the way for others to follow?

Jack Ehnes, CEO, California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS); Director, Ceres (moderator)
Majora Carter, Founder, Sustainable South Bronx; President and CEO, Majora Carter Group, Director, Ceres
Hal Harvey, CEO, ClimateWorks
David Douglas, Senior Vice President of Cloud Computing and Chief Sustainability Officer, Sun Microsystems

10:00 am   Networking Break

10:30 am   Morning Workshops

Fueling our Thirst? The Water and Energy Conflict
Our economy needs energy to deliver water, and water to produce energy.  But climate change is worsening existing water shortages, which in turn are spurring increased regulation, driving up costs, and putting key global supply chains at risk.  At the same time, many technologies touted as key to carbon reduction—such as biofuels and nuclear, geothermal and hydropower generation—consume significant quantities of water.  Conversely, many of the emerging approaches for securing clean water— long-distance transport and seawater desalination—are extremely energy-intensive.  This panel will examine the issues and highlight top corporate and investor approaches to reducing risk and capturing opportunities in a water and carbon-constrained world.

Panelists
Jon M. Jensen, Executive Director, Park Foundation (moderator)
Jason Morrison, Program Director, Globalization, Pacific Institute 
Kenneth B. Sylvester, Assistant Comptroller for Pension Policy, New York City Comptroller's Office
Peter Williams, Chief Technology Officer, Big Green Innovations, IBM

A Green New Deal: Opportunities for Economic Growth and Job Creation from Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy
Some policy advocates suggest that in this time of economic uncertainty, government should delay the expensive prospect of addressing climate change.  This workshop will explore the alternative hypothesis: that a clear government focus on climate policy will pave the way for private and public investments in clean energy and energy efficiency that will stimulate economic growth, create new jobs, improve corporate earnings, and stabilize investment returns.  This panel will consider the potential for a widespread public and private economic development strategy centered on a new green economy.

Panelists
Jeffrey Rickert, AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs, and Assistant Director, AFL-CIO Working for America Institute (moderator)
Charlotte Brody, Director of Programs, Green For All
Richard Metcalf, Director, Department of Corporate Affairs, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LUNA)
Van Ton-Quinlivan, Director, Workforce Strategy and Diversity, PG&E Corporation

The 21st Century Utility: Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Power Sector
The electric power industry is in the midst of a paradigm shift that will require vastly expanded investment in energy efficiency, renewable and distributed resources, and "Smart Grid" infrastructure.  How will this affect the investment decisions and business models of the 21st century utility?  What should utilities be doing now to anticipate these changes, what regulatory support is needed, how can consumers benefit, and what do investors and analysts need to know?

Panelists
Mark S. Brownstein, Managing Director, Business Partnerships, Climate & Air Program, Environmental Defense Fund (moderator)
Mark A. Farber, Photon Consulting
David C. Lodemore, VP, Environment, National Grid
Rich Sedano, Principal, Regulatory Assistance Project
Swami Venkataraman, Director, Utilities, Power and Project Finance, Standard & Poor's

Financial Market Reform and the Interest of Stakeholders
How can financial markets be reformed to promote a sustainable global economy?  This workshop begins with the present, considering how ESG issues such as climate risk are disclosed, integrated into investment research, and included in financial market reform proposals.  Speakers then consider deeper, structural reforms, such as integrating sustainability into SEC filings and a new model of stakeholder governance for the SEC.

Panelists
Allen L. White, Vice President and Senior Fellow, Tellus Institute, Boston (moderator)
Michelle Chan, Senior Policy Analyst, Friends of the Earth
Richard C. Ferlauto, Director, Corporate Governance and Pension Investment, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Michael Moran, Vice President, Global Markets Institute, Goldman Sachs

Is Your Board on Board? Integration of Sustainable Governance from the Top Down
Change starts at the top. Companies with the best intentions can only go so far if their CEO, board, and senior management are not fully engaged on the issue of sustainability. So what does it mean exactly to practice sustainable governance - particularly in the urgent realm of climate risk? What have we learned about the best practices of leadership companies? How do they embed sustainability into all aspects of the corporation ... especially in these tough economic times? Hear from companies in the trenches of change.

Panelists
Doug Cogan, Director of Research, RiskMetrics Group (moderator)
Tod Arbogast, Director of Sustainability, Dell 
Kindly Walsh Lawlor, Senior Director, Global Responsibility & Environmental Affairs, Gap, Inc.
Vidette Bullock Mixon, Director of Corporate Relations and Social Concerns, General Board of Pension and Health Benefits, The United Methodist Church

Real Solutions for Real Estate: Achieving Energy Efficiencies and Building Value
What measures can investors take here and now to cut energy use in their real estate portfolios and build property value?  This session will focus on real efforts underway and successes achieved by institutional investors, asset managers, and others who own or manage properties.  From simple solutions to ambitious programs, joins us for inspiring conversations with real practitioners.

Panelists
Craig Metrick, U.S. Head of Responsible Investment, Mercer (moderator)
David Cohen, Senior Director, Real Estate Business, Commercial Insurance, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company
Laura J. Shaffer, Director of Shareholder Activities, Nathan Cummings Foundation
Michael Thompson, Portfolio Manager, Real Estate, California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Diane Vrkic, Chief Operating Officer, Energy and Sustainability Services

12:00 pm   Networking Break

12:30 pm   Luncheon and Plenary Session

Networking Luncheon

Ceres-ACCA North American Awards for Sustainability Reporting

Plenary Panel — Innovation in Action:  Creating the 21st Century Sustainable Corporation

As financial markets tighten and social and environmental problems become more pressing, how should companies respond?  What are the actions that shareholders, board members, and executives must take to integrate sustainability into the corporate DNA and reposition their companies to be competitive in the 21st century?  Join us for a discussion about innovative new business models that have the potential to transform business as usual.

Andrea Moffat, Senior Director, Corporate Programs, Ceres (moderator)
John Chiang, Controller, State of California
Hannah Jones, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility, Nike
Lauralee Martin, CFO and COO, Jones Lang LaSalle
Dan Reicher, Director of Climate and Energy Initiatives, Google.org

3:15 pm   Networking Break

3:45 pm   Afternoon Workshops

Fueling the Future: Will We Take the High- or Low-Carbon Road?
Concerns about climate change, along with growing worries about the reliability and sustainability of the world’s conventional oil supplies, have made it clear that the world needs to chart a new energy future.  Two separate and seemingly incompatible paths have emerged: the oil industry is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in carbon-intensive sources of fuel like the oil sands, while the venture capital community is investing unprecedented amounts into low-carbon energy sources.  Which strategy is likely to prevail?  This workshop will address the risks inherent in the continuing reliance on high-carbon fuels in a carbon constrained world, as well as new opportunities for low-carbon fuel providers.

Panelists
Jason Mark, U.S. Transportation Program Director, Energy Foundation (moderator)
Niel Golightly, Vice President, Downstream Communications, Shell International Petroleum Company
Roland Hwang, Vehicles Policy Director, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Brian Rice, Investment Officer, Corporate Governance Department, California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Pierre Trevet, Head of Carbon Finance, Innovest, a member of the RiskMetrics Group

Opportunities for Investing in Clean Technology
As the government rolls out an expansive investment package that includes billions in clean technology and infrastructure, institutional investors and corporations alike have an incredible opportunity to participate in what may be the centerpiece of the next industrial revolution.  It is important to understand, as either an investor, institution, financier, or corporation, exactly what these opportunities are and how to position yourself to be successful investing in Clean Tech.  This workshop aims to fill those gaps, bringing together investors, managers, and corporations to distill what opportunities exist, what has been successful in the past, and where success may lie in the future.

Panelists
Kenneth R. Locklin, Director of Finance & Investments, Clean Energy Group (moderator)
Richard S. Cohen, Managing Director and Head of Environmental Strategic Investments, Bank of America
Dave Edwards, Partner, VantagePoint Venture Partners
John Greenwood, Portfolio Manager, Alternative Investment Management, California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS)
Patricia Penman, Director of Global Environmental and Safety Actions, SC Johnson
Margot Wirth, Portfolio Manager (& Acting Co-Director), Private Equity, California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS)

From California to Congress: State, National, and International Energy and Climate Policy Developments
Experts on this panel will provide an overview of energy and climate policy developments in the state of California, the new Obama Administration, and the international arena.  Investors and company representatives will detail the steps they are taking to encourage legislators to enact innovative laws, similar to those passed in California, that can effectively address climate change and energy issues.

Panelists
Lance Pierce, Climate Program Director, Union of Concerned Scientists (moderator)
Anthony Eggert, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Chair, California Air Resources Board
David Gardiner, Senior Advisor, Ceres
Ben Packard, Director of Environmental Affairs, Starbucks
Betsy Taylor, President, Breakthrough Strategies & Solutions

Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues in the 2009 Proxy Season
Shareholders have been deepening and expanding their work with companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues during the 2009 proxy season.  In light of the market crisis and growing awareness that short-termism in capital markets simply does not work, as well as a rapidly shifting policy landscape, ESG issues have never been more important.  Hear from leading experts what ESG risks really mean for companies and their investors, and how they can position themselves to survive and thrive in the 21st century.

Panelists
William Somplatsky-Jarman, Associate for Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) and Environmental Ministries, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (moderator)
Doug Cogan, Director of Research, RiskMetrics Group
Patricia A. Daly, Executive Director, Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment
Jonas Kron, Senior Social Research Analyst and Advocate, Trillium Asset Management
Anne Sheehan, Director, Corporate Governance, California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS)

New Frontiers in Sustainability Disclosure
This workshop will explore some of the trends that are part of a rapidly changing landscape in terms of how companies disclose their sustainability impact and how constituencies use sustainability information.  Experts will discuss the blurring boundaries between environmental, social and governance (ESG) data and more "traditional" business disclosure and how companies use sustainability disclosure to reach, educate, and engage their audience—including investors, NGOs, customers and employees.  How should information services tools and technology, including the GRI, XBRL, financial and ESG data providers evolve to engage in these new frontiers in sustainability disclosure?

Panelists
Paul A. Hilton, Director, Advanced Equities Research, Calvert Group (moderator)
Emil Efthimides, Manager, Environmental, Social and Governance Data Project, Bloomberg
Beth Holzman, CSR Strategy and Reporting Manager, Timberland
Jonathan Jacoby, Senior Policy Advisor, Private Sector Department, Oxfam America
Alan Willis, Sustainability Advisor, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants

Constructive Collaboration: Innovations in Supply Chain Efforts
Companies have come together to form a number of multi-stakeholder industry collaborations as a way to leverage greater influence to address chronic problems in improving human rights and environmental performance in their supply chains.  How are goals, implementation, and impact aligning in these efforts?  What factors are critical to expanding and improving outcomes?  Speakers will discuss where collaborative efforts have met success, where they are struggling, and discuss barriers and opportunities for industry collaborations to create greater impact.

Panelists
Mil Niepold, Senior Policy Advisor, Verité (moderator)
Judy Glazer, Director for Global Social and Environmental Responsibility Operations, Hewlett-Packard
Robert Gotto, Senior Director, Sourcing, Kaiser Permanente
Michelle Lapinski, Deputy Director Global Health and Safety Initiative

5:15 pm  Break

5:45 pm  Networking Reception

6:45 pm  Ceres 20th Anniversary Celebration

Dinner

Honoring Our Achievements — Mindy Lubber, President, Ceres

Anniversary Remarks — Janet Lamkin, President, Bank of America California

Keynote Conversation — Robert Redford
                                         Sally Osberg, CEO, Skoll Foundation

9:00 pm   Evening Reception

Thursday, April 16

8:30 am   Morning Plenary

Welcome — Ken Sylvester, Assistant Comptroller for Pension Policy, New York City Comptroller’s Office; Director, Ceres

Plenary — Bold Solutions for a New Economy

With the window of opportunity rapidly shrinking for an effective, global response to climate change, we must look to bold solutions that provide dramatic systems changes and have the potential to transform whole economies.  What are some breakthrough approaches that can be taken, and who are the visionaries that will bring about the necessary change?  We'll hear from thought leaders and business innovators that are leading the way.

Keynote — Lester Brown, Author; Founder and President, Earth Policy Institute

Plenary Conversation

Peter Darbee, Chair, CEO and President, PG&E Corporation
Alisa Gravitz, President and Executive Director, Green America

9:50 am   Networking Break

10:20 am   Morning Workshops

Unlikely Collaborations: Driving Solutions Through Stakeholder Engagement
Increasingly, companies are engaging with a variety of stakeholders to solve sustainability challenges with smart business solutions.  So what actually happens when a company agrees to engage in open and candid dialogue around hot button environmental and social issues?  Through an interactive discussion, companies and stakeholders will provide insight into the engagement process and highlight real examples of how they worked together to find mutually beneficial solutions.

Panelists
Andrea Moffat, Senior Director, Corporate Programs, Ceres (moderator)
Meggin Thwing Eastman, Senior Research Analyst, KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.
Alex McIntosh, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Nestlè Waters, North America
Conrad MacKerron, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility Program, As You Sow Foundation
Marcy Scott Lynn, Director, CSR, Sun Microsystems 

Food Fight? Scenarios for a Sustainable Food System
The convergence of climate change and extreme weather, peak oil and water, and a massive obesity epidemic are leading to a growing recognition that the modern food system is ripe for reform.  What does a (more) sustainable food system look like?  What is needed to accomplish it?  And what are the drivers and barriers to making this happen on the part of food processors, farmers, investors, policy makers and consumers?

Panelists
Hal Hamilton, Co-director, Sustainable Food Lab (moderator)
Chuck Alpuche, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Operations, PepsiCo
Ellen Kennedy, Senior Social Research Analyst, Calvert Group, Ltd.
Ron McCormick, VP/DMM for Produce and Floral, Wal-Mart

Taking Stock: Can Carbon Markets Stop Global Deforestation
Each year, the cutting and burning of forest lands contributes to roughly 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions and massive ecosystem degradation in some of the most dense regions of biodiversity in the world.  Drivers of deforestation include growing global demand for cheap agricultural and timber commodities, bio-fuel crops and unsustainable subsistence farming practices.  This panel will focus on some of the emerging carbon policy and finance mechanisms aimed at creating economic incentives for companies, countries and forest communities to keep standing forests intact.  The workshop will look critically at risks and opportunities for companies and investors interested in forestry carbon offsets, and position these "green carbon" offsets within the wider context of emerging payments for ecosystem services markets.

Panelists
Ricardo Bayon, Co-Founder and Partner, EKO Asset Management Partners (moderator)
Anthony Brunello, Deputy Secretary of Energy & Climate Change, California Natural Resources Agency
Gerrity Lansing, President and Chief Executive Officer, Equator LLC
Ben Vitale, Senior Director, Ecosystem Markets & Finance, Conservation International

Can Long-Term Value Trump Short-Term Valuation?  Investor, Consultant, Asset Manager, and Rating Agency Perspectives
Investors in the Investor Network on Climate Risk are asking their consultants, asset managers and rating agencies to focus on climate risks in every asset class.  But are the investors serious about these questions?  Will climate risk be reflected investment decisions?  How do investment professionals discount value based on long-term risks?  This workshop will explore the science and the art of investment risk analysis and present some of the latest thinking on how to incorporate long-term risks into portfolio valuation and corporate governance engagements.

Panelists
Kristen Sheeran, Director, E3 Network (moderator)
Janice Hester-Amey, Portfolio Manager, Corporate Governance, California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS)
Bruce Kahn, Director and Senior Investment Analyst, Deutsche Asset Management
David Wyss, Chief Economist and Managing Director, Standard & Poor’s

Shining a Solar Spotlight on California
Innovations across the solar spectrum are catalyzing rapid deployment of solar energy in the U.S.  California has set aggressive goals for solar and many municipalities are promoting some of the strongest pro-solar positions anywhere.  California is the leading market for and producer of solar products in the country, including large-scale manufacturers and promising start-ups.  It is also home to the top solar venture capital firms, and one of the largest lenders for solar installations.  This session will explore the progress, challenges, and lessons of California's ambitious efforts to deploy solar energy.

Panelists
Alisa Gravitz, President and Executive Director, Green America (moderator)
Julie Blunden, Vice President, Public Policy and Corporate Communications, SunPower
David Hochschild, Vice President, Solaria
Barry Neal, Director of Environmental Finance, Wells Fargo

11:50 pm   Break

12:20 pm   Luncheon and Plenary Session

Networking Luncheon

Plenary panel — The Global Economy at a Crossroads:  Moving from Crisis to Sustainable Capitalism

With the worst economic crisis in decades, we now have the opportunity to ask: how can we build a more just and sustainable capitalism?  How can we overcome challenges such as short-termism, poor governance and regulation, misaligned compensation and incentive systems, lack of transparency, and inadequate accounting for ecological and social factors?  Developing a sustainable capitalism will take many reforms, including doing a better job of valuing environmental and social factors in investor and company decision-making.  In short, can we build a capitalism that values the health of the planet and its people?

Stephen Davis, Senior Fellow, Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance, Yale School of Management (moderator)
David Blood, Senior Partner, Generation Investment Management
Leslie Lowe, Director of Energy & Environment Program, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Anne Stausboll, CEO, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS)
David Wyss, Chief Economist and Managing Director, Standard & Poor’s

2:20 pm   Conference Closing — Mindy Lubber, President, Ceres