According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and others, climate change is the greatest threat to public health in the 21st century. Climate change also disproportionately affects communities of color and more vulnerable, less resilient communities.
What many do not know is that the biggest impact most organizations have on climate change is their purchasing decisions - especially when we consider how crucial the next 10 years are. These "embodied carbon emissions" from manufacturers' supply chains are directly influenced by their customers, including schools. Learn what you can do to develop a strategy to address this important, but unprioritized, opportunity for impact. For no increased cost, purchasing decisions can lead to better public health (and therefore student health) outcomes, better resource management, and a meaningful investment in creating a stable and healthy climate.
1 AIA LU/HSW
September 16, 2020, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM (EST)
Lisa Conway
Americas for Interface
V.P. of Sustainability
Lisa Conway serves as VP of Sustainability, Americas for Interface - the global flooring manufacturer that is leading industry to love the world. She and her team are responsible for regional activation of the company's mission: Climate Take Back. She is passionate about bringing awareness to the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and human health. To drive understanding of the impact of carbon on human health, Lisa and her team provide educational programming around the need for transparency and prioritization of embodied carbon in specifications within the building industry. She co-founded the materials Carbon Action Network (materialsCAN) in 2018 to mobilize this effort. Lisa also serves on the Sustainable Advisory Board for Penn State University's Smeal College of Business and is on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Building Transparency. She was named to "CoreNet's 36 Under 36" in 2015.
Joey Shea
Interface
Manager, Mission Activation
Joey Shea joined Interface in 2018 as part of the Customer Experience team to bring the commitments and values of Interface to life through unique, immersive experiences for Interface customers. Now, as Manager of Mission Activation, he relies on his background in the environmental nonprofit and advocacy sector to share how Interface connects successful business practices to deep environmental responsibility. Joey graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Emory University and is a proud graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission's Regional Leadership Institute in 2016.
