Here’s an announcement from our friends at Birmingham City University’s Institute of Art & Design…

Sustainability specialists will be converging at the ICC in Birmingham at 12 noon on Monday 15th September for an interactive debate. The focus of the debate will be looking at issues facing up and coming managers and future leaders in the development of green strategies in the work place. The event, organised by Birmingham City University, follows research into attitudes and influences in developing green policies, reviewing how individuals can pro actively apply green lifestyle choices in the workplace.

Grrreen Debate

The Big Debate chaired by the BBC’s special correspondent Richard Bilton, will feature Peter Ainsworth, Shadow Environment Secretary, leading blogger for treehugger.com, Leonora Oppenheim (expert in eco design) and Birmingham Post and Mail environmental correspondent Patrice John.

The debate is supported by the Young Institute of Directors and Birmingham Future who, along with audience members, will be adding to the debate via live interactive pods. Panel members will be specifically commenting on how to engage new leaders with the green agenda, based on key research outcomes and also working with the audience to establish how to set a sustainable footprint for the future.

More blurb…

Joanna Birch, Head of Corporate Relations at Birmingham City University said, “Birmingham City University is working on over 20 specific projects looking at how businesses and the community can develop processes and thinking to make them more sustainable. Initial research has identified that one of the biggest challenges in effecting change is influencing minds throughout an organisation and empowering individuals to feel they can effect change. Birmingham City University’s mission is to drive and support economic prosperity in the city. The sustainability issue is of significance to all businesses, private and public and we feel that by reviewing attitudes amongst emerging managers and future leaders we can facilitate thinking for a new generation and add a new dimension to the green debate.”

Birmingham City University is interested in seeking your views on how you view sustainability, what impact it has in your life and how this affects the way you operate at work. The research, which is being targeted at emerging leaders of the future, senior executives and final year’s students, aims to review what challenges exist in developing a greener way of working in the city and how to address them.

Log on to www.bcu.ac.uk/grrreen to fill in the questionnaire, it will take no more than 8 minutes to complete. Everyone who completes the survey gets a complimentary ticket to the Big Debate taking place on 15th September at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham.