2018 Sustainability Summit Theme Is ‘Learning Together: Fostering A Culture Of Sustainability’

The Louisville Metro Office of Sustainability and the Louisville Sustainability Council (LSC) will co-host the fifth annual Sustainability Summit on Friday, Oct. 19, at the University of Louisville’s newly renovated Student Activities Center.

The Summit will feature local and national speakers and give attendees a chance to discover successes, identify opportunities, and creatively learn from each other about how to create a culture of sustainability in Louisville.

“For the health of our residents and our city, we must work together to embed sustainability in all aspects of our lives,” Mayor Greg Fischer said. “Please join the 2018 Sustainability Summit to engage with local leaders and stakeholders on how we can integrate sustainability into our community.”

The keynote speaker of the event will be David Orr, PhD, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies & Politics, Emeritus at Oberlin College. Orr is the author of eight books, including Dangerous Years: Climate Change and the Long Emergency (Yale, 2016) and Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse (Oxford, 2009). The title of the keynote address is “The (Missing) Politics in Environmental and Sustainability Education.”

“This year’s summit will help call attention to creating a culture of sustainability, which is inextricably linked to a healthy economy and reduced carbon emissions” said Maria Koetter, Director of the Office of Sustainability. “From national experts to local practitioners, the event aims to engage citizens and generate conversations that will help cultivate a culture of sustainability.”

Emily Chandler, Executive Director of the Louisville Sustainability Council, said, “The summit is our annual opportunity to gather together under one roof as concerned individuals, nonprofit organizations, school groups, faith-based groups and sustainability professionals from the public and private sectors. It is a day for celebration, collaboration and exploration that cannot be missed if you are concerned about creating a culture of sustainability in Louisville, Kentucky.”

The event also features local speakers, including University of Louisville president Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, along with a facilitated community discussion titled “Creating the Future in Your Space Through a Culture of Sustainability.”

Summit attendees also have the opportunity to go on one of four sustainability-related tours through different areas of the U of L campus, including the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research and the new LEED Gold Belknap Academic Building.

The 2018 Sustainability Summit is proud to receive support from its Patron Sponsors: Yum! Brands and Humana; as well as its Summit Friend Sponsors: Brown-Forman, CMTA, PNC Bank, and Aramark; and its Supporting Sponsors: the UofL Sustainability Council, Festival of Faiths, Copper & Kings, WestRock, Harshaw Trane, K. Norman Berry Associates, Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, the Partnership for a Green City, TARC, UPS, Spalding Design, and Stantec.

At the day of the event, standard tickets will be $40 for Louisville Sustainability Council members and $75 for non-members. (There also is a lunchless ticket option that costs only $15.)

To register before the event, visit http://louisvillesustainabilitycouncil.org/2018-sustainability-summit/more-information-registration/