CIWEM'S Water & Environment Conference 2011

CIWEM holds an annual conference addressing the multidisciplinary issues of the global water and environment sector. This year it is focused on the issue of the “Big Society” and the implications for the environment sector. The conference will be held at Olympia Conference Centre in London, England on the 6th-7th of April 2011

The current trend toward austerity is a major global challenge. Funding for projects will be more restricted, demanding novel and innovative solutions. We are facing a new financial reality which will focus our efforts towards achieving our aims for sustainability and environmental gains with decreasing funding.

The UK coalition government has launched a "Big Society" programme intended to "take power away from politicians and give it to the people," (see programme). The programme includes giving communities more power, transferring power from central to local government using 'third sector' resources to deliver government programmes and giving wider public access to government data. This programme will create opportunities and challenges for the environment sector and society as a whole.

In April 2011, CIWEM will hold a two-day Annual Conference that will address multidisciplinary issues across all areas of the global water and environment sector and will also focus on the issue of the "Big Society" and the implications for the environment sector.

The aim of the conference is to challenge and inspire the water and environmental community by sharing knowledge and best practice, which is at the heart of meeting key global challenges. There will be a mix of keynote speakers, offered papers, exhibitions and networking opportunities that will make this the key event for water and environment professionals.

Outputs from the conference freely available on the CIWEM website after the event.

Confirmed keynote speakers include:

Richard Benyon MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries

Tony Juniper, campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser, environmentalist and former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth

Dr Mike Clarke, Chief Executive of RSPB

John Edmonds, Aldersgate Group Lead on Environmental Skills, Non-Executive Director of Carbon Trust, Former General Secretary of the GMB Trade Union and Chair of the Inland Waterways Advisory Council (IWAC)

Phil Rothwell, Head of Strategy and Engagement, Environment Agency

For more information on conference speakers see the Speaker Programme.

To see details on Water & Environment 2010, see the Conference Outputs page for the presentations and delegate notes.

For more information go to Water and Environment 2011. For information on sponsorship contact Lauren Goozee.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

Webinar on Sustainable Strategies for Corporate Water Management

Earthscan is offering a free webinar on how to assess water usage and develop more successful sustainable business strategies for consumption. The Webinar will be broadcast on Thursday 24th March 2011 17:00 (UK time – GMT +1), 12:00 (EDT), 9:00 (PDT). A 30 minute presentation followed by Q & A session.

The webinar will address the issues of global water management including:

• Learn how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses
• Guidance on how industries can both assess their usage, and implement more sustainable strategies for utilizing this critical resource.
• How to develop a corporate water strategy and manage it as a key business issue in order to capture the real value of water
• How to assess water usage and develop more successful sustainable business strategies for consumption.

The webinar will be presented by Arjen Hoekstra and William Sarni the authors of The Water Footprint Assessment Manual, and Corporate Water Strategies.

Arjen Hoekstra is a is Professor in Multidisciplinary Water Management at the University of Twente, the Netherlands, and Scientific Director of the global Water Footprint Network. He specialises in integrated water resources planning and management, river basin management, policy analysis, and systems analysis.

Hoekstra will introduce the ‘Water Footprint’ concept and provide insight into how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses.

William Sarni is the Director and Practice Leader, Enterprise Water Strategy Sustainability and Climate Change, Deloitte Consulting LLP. Will has been providing sustainability, environmental and hydrogeological consulting services to private- and public-sector enterprises for more than three decades, with a focus on developing and implementing corporate-wide sustainability strategies, as well as broad based climate and water programs. He is also the author of Corporate Water Strategies (Earthscan: 2011).

Sarni will explain how vital it is that businesses understand the concepts important in water footprinting, such as embedded and virtual water. He will also draw on case studies that show how water strategies can be developed, to make businesses more resilient, successful and environmentally sustainable.

The webinar is ideal for business leaders, sustainability consultants, accountants and advisers, water resource planners, and policy-makers. Students of business studies and water resource management. Anyone interested in understanding how we can better manage this critical resource.

Register now for this free webinar

If you can not make the event, simply register for the event as normal and you will be sent a link to the archive version on 25th March.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.