Breakout Session 18 - Corporate Approaches to a Sustainable Energy Future

Co-Chairs:
Charles J. Bennett, Global Corporate Citizenship Research Group, The Conference Board
Meredith Whiting, Senior Research Fellow, The Conference Board

Discussants:
Byran Jacob, Environmental Technologies Manager, The Coca Cola Company
Franklyn A. Ericson, Manager, Environmental Operations & Central Services, S.C. Johnson & Sons

Business' role in achieving a sustainable energy future is critical.  In the United States over half of all energy used is by business, and business has often been at the forefront of improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions since the initial energy crises of the 1970's and 1980's.  While much progress can be cited, especially recently, many opportunities remain.  The focus of this breakout session will be to understand what has driven leading businesses to improve energy performance and how the successes achieved by some can be multiplied by adoption by others, how that might occur, and what hurdles may be encountered in the process.  In the discussion we will delve into the questions of what can and should be the role of science and technology in achieving improved energy productivity and  - from a business perspective - of what the role of public policy could be in the overall process.

Biographies:
Franklyn A. Ericson has a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.  He has worked as a Chemical Engineer in the environmental field for 30 years. Frank is a licensed PE in the state of Wisconsin and is also a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager.

Frank is currently employed by SC Johnson, as Manager of Environmental Operations & Central Services at SC Johnson's Waxdale Manufacturing facility in Racine, WI.   He manages the recycling and disposal of all wastes at Waxdale with operations including waste incineration, wastewater treatment, waste recycling & minimization, aerosol can recycling, and hazardous waste management.  He also manages operations providing steam and compressed air to Waxdale.  Frank is also responsible for all energy and Greenhouse Gas reduction projects at Waxdale.  He is the Project Manager for the Landfill Gas/Turbine green energy project and he leads SC Johnson’s participation in EPA’s Climate Leaders Program.  

• Contributing author to “Environmental Aspects of Silver Halide Processing”, Society of Photographic Scientists and Engineers Handbook, 2nd Ed. 1997
• With C.R. Brunner & D.R. Dean, “Site Remediation by Incineration/Thermal Treatment”, Presented at the International Conference on Incineration of Hazardous, Radioactive, & Mixed Wastes, May 1988.
• With C. R. Brunner and D. R. Dean.  “Overview of Mobile Incineration.”  Presented at the Engineering Foundation Conference on Hazardous Waste Management Technologies.  August 1988.

Biographies

 Chuck Bennett:  A Senior Research Associate at The Conference Board since 2001, Dr. Bennett focuses on sustainability, energy and citizenship issues while working jointly with the Global Corporate Citizenship unit and the Environmental, Health and Safety officers’ councils.  Dr. Bennett has authored or co-authored several Conference Board publications including Measurement as a Management Tool in Corporate Citizenship, Expanding the Investment Frontier: Factoring Environmental, Social and Governance Criteria in Investment Analysis, Corporate Citizenship in the New Century:  Accountability, Transparency, and Global Stakeholder Engagement, The Road to Sustainability: Business’ First Steps, , and After September 11: The Challenge Facing American Business. Additional publications include reports on global CEO perspectives on citizenship performance, and on the World Summit on Sustainable development, a study of best practices in workplace health and safety management, and several reports on climate change and energy management as part of The Conference Board’s Business & Energy in the 21st Century program that he directed. Dr. Bennett also coordinates The Conference Board’s program for executive networking among senior environment, health and safety officers and interacts regularly with them.

 Previously, he served as environmental affairs director at Adolph Coors Company, and senior environmental and safety director at Nabisco, Inc.  While in Colorado between 1988 and 1993 Dr. Bennett helped develop state environmental policy through gubernatorial appointments and public-private partnerships.  At Nabisco he led the development of global environmental and safety management systems and performance tracking metrics. As a consultant, he advised on the environmental aspects of major mining and industrial developments throughout the central and western US. A graduate of Middlebury College, Dr. Bennett completed graduate degrees in Geography at Syracuse University, taught at several colleges, and was on the faculty of the State University of New York at Geneseo.


Bryan Jacob is a ramblin’ wreck from Georgia Tech.  Since 1993, he has been coordinating and managing environmental programs for The Coca Cola Company.  Recent initiatives include environmental performance measurement, energy- efficiency, and support of the company’s Sustainable Refrigeration Program known as eKOfreshment.

Meredith Armstrong Whiting has held the position of Senior Research Fellow for The Conference Board since 1987. She has authored or co-authored (recently with Charles J. Bennett) research on topics relating to sustainability, environment, health and safety, strategic energy management, public/private partnerships, and corporate citizenship, including The Road to Sustainability:  Business’ First Steps, Strategic Energy Management: The State of the Debate, A Roadmap for Strategic Energy Planning and Management, and Driving Toward “0”: Best Practices in Corporate Safety and Health. She authored a four-part series on public-private partnerships with support from the Ford Foundation, addressing environmental issues, workers with disabilities, public safety, and land conservation.

Ms. Whiting organized The Board’s first council for chief environmental, health and safety executives and facilitated that council for more than 10 years.  Previously she managed public and congressional affairs for numerous issue-oriented task forces in the White House and was director of public liaison at the U.S. Department of Commerce.