Bringing Sustainability to Your Community: Learning from Sweden’s Example

Two workshops introducing the remarkable accomplishments of Swedish eco-municipalities and businesses that are formally committed to implementing sustainable practices throughout their policies, operations, and larger communities.
For more information visit http://www.sustaindane.org

Workshop Details
Date: Thursday, May 6th
Time: Community Workshop (Breakfast and Lunch provided) 7:30am - 1:30pm.
Business Workshop, 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Place: Pyle Center, Room 335 Address: 702 Langdon Street, Madison, WI
Dane County Sustainability Tour

Bringing Sustainability to the Community

This workshop introduces the remarkable accomplishments of the Swedish eco-municipalities – a network of more than 60 cities, towns, and villages who are formally committed to implementing sustainable practices throughout their policies, operations, and larger communities. Learn basic concepts and principles behind the Swedish eco-municipalities and reasons why these Swedish successes are particularly good models for U.S. See case exa mples and learn specific steps that individuals and organizations can take to bring such sustainable development to their own community.

Presented by Torbjörn Lahti, the planner and process leader for Sweden's first eco-municipality, who was instrumental in forming the Swedish national association of eco-municipalities, and is currently leading a five-year sustainable community demonstration project and by Sarah James, the principal of a community planning consulting firm in the Boston, MA area. She co-authored the American Planning Association's Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide.

Bringing Sustainability to Business Businesses in Sweden are creating a new international model to develop sound ecological, social and financial conditions for their companies to thrive in. This workshop will give deep insight into how Swedish companies are working to achieve sustainable practices while improving their communities. Fundamental to the approach is a “bottoms up” or highly participative process, in which companies involve employees in developing and implementing sustainable practices.

Learn basic concepts behind sustainable development in Swedish businesses, see case examples in which Swedish business commitment to sustainable practices has resulted in improved ecological and social conditions as well as cost savings and expanded revenues and explore new ways in which such sustainability models may be applied in small to mid-sized businesses in the US.

Presented by Michael Jalmby, President of ESAM (www.esam.se/eng), a Sweden-based corporation that specializes in providing consulting and educational programs for businesses interested in turning their activities into sustainable practices through affordable management systems and collaborative efforts. Michael brings with him more than 10 years experience developing and implementing sustainability models for small to mid-size businesses.

You are also invited to participate in a sustainability driving tour of Dane County on Wednesday, May 5th. Tour participants will be visiting local organizations that are successfully implementing sustainable strategies.

Also sponsored by:
Dane County
Center on Wisconsin Strategy
City of Madison Streets and Recycling Department
UW Extension Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center
Madison Cutting Die Inc.
The Williamson Street Grocery Cooperative
Design Coalition, Inc.
Wisconsin Partners for SustainAbility
Sustain Dane

For more information contact Sustain Dane at 608-819-0689 or email bryant@sustaindane.org