A recent survey of nearly 200 multinational companies found that two-thirds identify corporate citizenship and sustainability issues as being of growing importance to their business - or so they told The Conference Board. Even so, most are not active in sustainability-related business product development, citing an inability to measure their results, a lack of necessary financial and staffing resources, and an unclear alignment with business objectives.

When it comes to the environment and the meetings industry, good intentions just aren't good enough. The stakes are too high. Renowned environmentalist David Suzuki, Ph.D., told Convene (Leading by Example, p. 70) that he couldn't think of one meeting that he has ever attended that has been environmentally responsible. Meetings, he said, simply leave too heavy a footprint.

We have to start making some changes - even small ones - to lighten that footprint. Green meetings guru Amy Spatrisano, CMP, told us that simple strategies implemented in the planning of meetings can make a difference. (We've listed as many as we could find in our cover story [p. 36], but if you have successfully initiated other green practices at your meetings, we'd love to hear from you.) For a second Leading by Example profile in this issue (p. 78), we talked to Majora Carter, who has greened her corner of the world: the blighted ghetto of the South Bronx. In her view, disrespect for our environment is part of a vicious cycle: "Economic degradation begets environmental degradation begets social degradation," she said.

Unfortunately, from a global citizenship and sustainability perspective, both Suzuki and Carter find the traditional model for meetings and conventions wanting.

Spatrisano believes that "meeting planners must learn how to green a meeting over the next five years to add value to themselves and their industry." I'm sure Suzuki and Carter would add "to the planet."

P.S. You may have noticed our own small change in this issue: In the spirit of our cover story, it is printed on recycled paper.

Michelle Russell
Editor
mrussell@pcma.org