University, City and Businesses Work Together to Foster Sustainability

National leaders in fostering sustainability will headline the second Building Sustainable Partnerships Forum , on Friday, Oct. 30, 1-6 p.m., at Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege. The Forum, sponsored by the City of Lincoln's Cleaner Greener Lincoln Initiative and the University of Nebraska's School of Natural Resources and Rural Initiative, is free and open to the public.

"The focus  will be on transforming our sustainability vision for the university, city, and businesses into action," said Don Wilhite, director of the School of Natural Resources.  "Lincoln, UNL, and local businesses must provide strong leadership for this vision to become reality."

The speakers at the forum represent green business collaboration, higher education, and city government, and these will be the themes of breakout sessions.

Charlie Cunniff, director of the Seattle Climate Partnership, will describe how businesses, civic organizations, and the city are working together to foster a sustainable city in Seattle.

Debra Rowe, president of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, will provide an overview of how universities can provide leadership for community-wide sustainability projects.

Dennis Murphey, chief environmental officer for Kansas City, will describe how the city has developed community-wide climate action plans.

The keynote speaker will be Beth Osborne, deputy assistant secretary of policy for the Department of Transportation, appearing via video link from Washington, D.C., describing the groundbreaking interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities led by the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The event will wrap up with an opportunity to network and enjoy refreshments and exhibits.

The Oct. 30 Forum builds on a similar event held in February.

To register for this free event, please visit www.lincolngreenbydesign.org/bsp. For exhibitor information, please contact Donna Woudenberg, dwoudenberg2@unl.edu, 402-472-8287.

For more information please contact Kelly Smith, 402-472-3373, ksmith2@unl.edu, or  Donna Woudenberg, dwoudenberg2@unl.edu, 402-472-8287, both at the School of Natural Resources