Over the last several years an important shift has taken place in the advance of environmental stewardship: long a moral imperative with limited traction inside the board room, environmental sustainability has become a powerful strategy for businesses looking to accelerate economic growth, fatten the bottom line, and improve public image. In a marketplace increasingly defined by rising energy prices and discerning consumers, more and more corporate growth strategies are targeting environmentally sustainable practices as a way to gain concrete competitive advantages while cutting costs. Today, renewable energy sources, cost-saving innovations, and new green technologies are translating into lucrative business opportunities and increased revenue, while traditionally negative corporate associations with environmental stewardship - additional costs and thinning profit margins - are being replaced by the conviction that environmental sustainability can be synonymous with commercial progress.

Most importantly, the private sector's ability to profit from pragmatic, market-oriented sustainability strategies is recasting the relationship between commerce and conservation-potentially developing a new business model for the 21st century. This session will review these strategies with particular attention to those models that have successfully integrated sustainability with increased profit margins, and will identify opportunities for future political, social, and corporate cooperation. Examining profitable green business strategies from around the globe and drawing on the experiences and needs of its international participants, the session will seek to assist participants in facilitating the design of future sustainability strategies and provide practical recommendations for businesses, governments, investors, and environmental organizations aiming to support environmental sustainability through responsible economic growth.

The fee for this session is 3,000 EURO. The fee covers the cost of the program, accommodations, and meals.

Limited scholarship funding may be available for those who are unable to pay the full fee (i.e. from developing countries or NGOs). Participants seeking scholarship assistance must submit an application for financial aid to our admissions office.