GLOBE 2014 to Address Need for New Economic Model

 In the face of sharp volatility increases across the global economy and proliferating signs of resource depletion, the call for a new economic model is getting louder. GLOBE 2014, returning to Vancouver, Canada, from March 26-28, 2014, will be exploring how businesses are now increasing productivity, growing their market share, and driving innovation through a dynamic new series of sessions centered on the theme, Towards the Circular Economy. The circular economy is now gaining the attention of business, governments, and the next generation as a model to transform today’s “take-make-dispose” economy into one that is restorative by design. The concept aligns business models with product and material design to decouple growth from resource constraints and drive the innovation of better products and services.

Last month, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced Project MainStream, a collaborative initiative which aims to work with companies to tackle ways to enable the circular economy through materials management, information technologies, and business model innovation with the potential to generate US$ 500 million in materials savings and prevent 100 million tonnes of waste globally.

Industrial symbiosis is another collaboration-based tool that works to keep resources in productive use for longer. The model, developed by UK-based International Synergies Ltd., is relatively simple; all resources used in industrial processes are redirected (whether previously used or just under-valued) and used as inputs by other organizations, typically from a different industry sector.

Jamie Butterworth, Chief Executive of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Peter Laybourn, Chief Executive of International Synergies, will be joining many other industry leaders and sustainability experts at GLOBE 2014 to share strategic insights, develop collaborative partnerships, and participate in conference sessions and workshops dedicated to the circular economy.

Other speakers at GLOBE 2014 include:

As the world’s largest and longest-running conference and exposition series dedicated to the business of the environment, GLOBE 2014 will feature an impressive lineup of conference speakers, including globally-recognized thought leaders and environmental business experts. The prestigious biennial event will also welcome more than 400 exhibitors from North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to its world-renowned exposition, where they will showcase the latest in sustainable technologies, innovations, and services.