Needs of the Future / Needs of the Present

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In 1987, the UN defined sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

This interpretation is inherently altruistic, cautioning us that our actions might negatively impact others far off in the future. Shift forward just a single generation, and the length of time between cause and effect has significantly contracted. It’s now clear that our choices are not merely impacting others, but ourselves. According to the recent IPCC report, the next 30 years of climate change are baked into the atmosphere and will require ongoing mitigation and adaptation. At the same time, our actions today will determine the climate of the second half of the 21st century. The report identifies climate action as no longer an act of altruism, but of practical self-interest.

How do we address the tangible impacts of climate change today, while simultaneously working to reverse these trends for our children and future selves? This panel, comprised of four sustainability professionals representing a range of industries and institutions, will address this urgent question and propose frameworks for meeting the needs of both the future and the present.

Moderator: Corey Squire, AIA, Sustainability Director, Bora Architecture & Interiors Corey Squire is an advocate for architecture that addresses big problems. As a nationally recognized expert in sustainable design, Corey has worked with architecture firm’s across the country to better integrate beauty and performance on every project.

Panelists:

Stacy Smedley, Director of Sustainability, Skanska At Skanska, Stacy leads sustainable initiatives, and is considered a subject matter expert in LEED, Living Building Challenge and carbon emissions associated with buildings and construction. In her role at the newly established nonprofit, Building Transparency, Stacy leads the continued management and development of the free, open-access Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) tool and works to educate and engage the building industry on actionably reducing embodied carbon emissions of building materials.

Renee Loveland, Director of ESG, The Green Cities Company Renee Loveland is a sustainable real estate professional with over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate. At The Green Cities Company (formerly Gerding Edlen) Renee leads all corporate ESG initiatives and assists in executing ESG strategies for all managed assets with a focus on value creation, innovation, and ESG integration.

Missy Nergard, Ph.D., Director of Sustainability, UW-Madison Dr. Missy Nergard is the Director of Sustainability for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In this enterprise level role, she integrates sustainability as a cross-sector, transdisciplinary platform in research and academics, public-private partnerships, and the built environment.

To register for this virtual event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/needs-of-the-future-needs-of-the-present-tickets-178141414767