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 A Conversation on Leadership and Creating a Sustainable Future–     Perspectives from Sweden and Canada

Join three inspiring thought leaders in an evening dialogue about one of the great challenges—and opportunities—of our time: creating a sustainable future. 

The UBC Sustainability Initiative (USI) and Synapse Strategies are pleased to bring together leaders from The University of British Columbia in Vancouver and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, along with an internationally recognized authority in leadership, to explore the great potential for transformational change in the context of universities and regions in Canada and Sweden. 

Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancity Group, will open the evening with perspectives on redefining wealth and the role of Vancity in the community.

Then, Göran Carstedt of Gothenburg, Sweden, will deliver a keynote address: Creating a Sustainable Future – the leadership challenge of our time, sharing perspectives on leadership gained through his work as a senior executive of IKEA and Volvo; advisor to businesses worldwide, senior leader with the Clinton Climate Initiative C40 Cities, the Society for Organizational Learning and The Natural Step International; and the present Chair of the City of Gothenburg’s Green Economy Committee.

John Holmberg, Vice President of Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden and Sweden's first UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable           Development will present Partnerships for a Sustainable Future - Chalmers University of Technology and the City of Gothenburg on the transformative initiatives underway at his university and in western Sweden.

John Robinson, Executive Director of the UBC Sustainability Initiative and co-author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that shared the Nobel Prize with Al Gore in 2007, will reflect on the Swedish perspectives and bring to the discussion his passion for the critical role universities can play as societal test-beds for sustainability and the steps UBC is taking to accelerate sustainability. 

This exceptional evening includes an extended conversation with our guests and the audience and takes place in North America’s greenest building, the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability, on the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver campus (www.cirs.ubc.ca).