One Environment - One Conference

We extend a sincere thank you to all of our 2008 speakers, facilitators, volunteers, and attendees!

Approximately 740 environmental leaders attended all or part of the fifth National Environmental Partnership Summit in Baltimore from 19-22 May.

The Summit was hosted and co-organized by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable and the Performance Track Participants Association and was also co-organized and sponsored by the following U.S. EPA Programs and Offices: the Office of Cross Media Programs (OCMP); the National Environmental Performance Track Program (PT); the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT); the Office of Compliance (OC); and the Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP).  Additional financial support was provided by 14 corporate sponsors.  This far-reaching collaborative effort assembled environmental experts, managers, professionals and technical assistance providers from 49 states to showcase their environmental leadership in business or programs.

The 2008 Summit began on Monday with a varied menu of activities to choose from: 2 organizational meetings of Summit Partners; 8 trainings in varied topics including Using Process Water Management to Conserve Resources and Improve Competiveness, Lean Manufacturing for Pollution Prevention Practitioners, and Environmental Protection in 2020; site visits to the GM Powertrain Transmission Plant outside of Baltimore and the LEED certified Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters building in Annapolis; and a fabulous opening reception in the packed exhibit hall.

The opening plenary featured opening remarks by Maryland’s Secretary of the Environment Shari T. Wilson and an inspirational talk by Philippe Cousteau jr on his travels and work around the world exploring oceans and estuaries and the people and animals that live there.  Many attendees traveled to the National Aquarium in Baltimore Tuesday night for a tour and fantastic reception.

Throughout the week, in 49 breakout and working group sessions, environmental leaders from all over the country shared their innovations, results and lessons learned in Environmental Assistance; Results in Research & Technology; Measurement, Metrics & Indicators of Environmental Performance; Energy Use Reduction Tools & Techniques; Sustainable Consumption; Greening Your Business; Policy & Legislation; Behavioral Change & Information Outreach; Climate Change Success Stories. The content of these sessions covered the expanse between environmental performance and how to apply these pathways to action.  Many attendees also participated in the lunches offered on Tuesday and Wednesday exploring pathways to action and environmental challenges.  Sponsoring organizations and their workgroups took advantage of a Wednesday morning block of time set aside for them to convene their members and advance their organizational development and the work of their programs and projects.

On Thursday morning the formal Summit culminated with a brunch and speech by sustainability expert Bob Willard.  Mr. Willard explained the importance of sustainability and how it can be achieved by businesses to improve the bottom line.  A group of volunteers spent the afternoon in southern Maryland at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Oyster Restoration Center making reef balls to help restore the oyster population in the Bay.

The 2008 Summit was full of energy and learning, information exchange, and networking for those that attended.  More information and experience was shared and ideas generated than we can know.

Please help us get a full picture of what took place in Baltimore by sharing your experience, observations, and suggestions.  Please be sure to fill out the post conference survey you have received by email. It helps us to build this community.