The Opportunity Green Sustainable Business Conference, which brings together leading companies and visionaries in business, technology and design to showcase the hottest opportunities for driving profitability through sustainability, announced yesterday that the conference will feature a panel discussion analyzing and expanding upon MIT Management Sloan Review's groundbreaking study, "The Business of Sustainability."
 
Michael Hopkins, editor-in-chief of the MIT Sloan Management Review, and Lorrie Vogel, general manager of Nike Considered, will present and discuss findings from the comprehensive report on sustainability practices and trends in business. The report, done in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group, explores sustainability practices and trends using interviews, case studies and insights into how businesses worldwide view the growing field.
 
The MIT Sloan report includes a case study of Nike's sustainability efforts through its Considered line of athletic footwear and apparel, which implements zero waste and streamlined production. Nike's Considered team is responsible for introducing sustainable products and business models.

The year-long research project examined the role of sustainability in management behavior and practice and yielded fascinating and conflicting results. While 92 percent of respondents said their company was "addressing sustainability in some way," 70 percent said they still had not developed a clear business case for it. At the same time, fewer than 25 percent of survey respondents said their company had decreased its commitment to sustainability during the economic downturn. The study also said that sustainability will become increasingly important to business strategy and management over time, and the risks of failing to act decisively are growing.
 
"We are thrilled to bring together the woman who leads Nike Considered's sustainability efforts with the editor of one of the most respected publications to share their insights on this groundbreaking study," said Karen Solomon, co-founder of Opportunity Green. "Opportunity Green is dedicating to fostering thought-provoking dialogue among industry leaders to share insights and best practices on the topic of sustainable business — this presentation is a reflection of that mission."
 
For highlights on the study and an exclusive interview with Michael Hopkins, please visit http://opportunitygreen.com/green-business-blog/2009/10/07/mit-sloans-michael-hopkins-tracking-the-changing-nature-of-the-business-of-sustainability/.
For a complete list of speakers and biographies, visit http://opportunitygreen.com/conference-speakers.php.
 
About MIT Sloan Management Review
A web site and print magazine published at the MIT Sloan School of Management, MIT Sloan Management Review's mission is to host the conversation about the future of management practice among thinkers, professors, and managers.  MIT SMR captures the creativity, excitement, and opportunity created by rapid societal, economic, and technological change, and brings it home to thoughtful managers.

About Opportunity Green
The Opportunity Green conference brings together leading companies and visionaries in technology, design, media, and more, to showcase the hottest opportunities for driving profitability through sustainability. The conference allows participants exposure to, and experience with, an interdisciplinary cross-section of ideas at the forefront of sustainable business practices through a variety of formats, including creative panels, experiential workshops and out-of-conference interactivity. Approximately 500 companies participating in Opportunity Green - ranging from Fortune 500 powerhouses to cutting-edge start-ups - have all been carefully chosen via a rigorous vetting process and have demonstrated a commitment to showcasing the latest sustainable solutions and emerging green business practices as well as a dedication to ongoing collaboration with like-minded business leaders. For more information on the conference, visit www.opportunitygreen.com.


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