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Only a quarter of 2,200 companies listed on the FTSE All-Word Developed Index are adequately managing their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks, according to At risk? - How companies manage ESG issues at board level, a recent research report from Ethical Investment Research Services (EIRIS).  Over the three year period of the study (2005 - 2008), the financial sector was the worst performer, the resources sector was the best performer.

Monday, October 27, 2008 9:05 AM - 10:00 AM
Room: Macdonald A–D

Speaker(s)
Linda Coady Vice President Sustainability, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) View
Ken Melamed Mayor, Resort Municipality of Whistler View

Description
Strategic development for the City of Whistler is based on The Natural Step. This science-based framework has guided city planners onto an ecologically, socially, and economically sustainable path, and has created a model city where innovation is leading the transition to a truly sustainable future. As the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Whistler has encouraged an Olympic commitment to sustainability and the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has embraced sustainability in a deep, system-wide manner.

Speaker Biographies
Linda Coady is Vice President, Sustainability of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Olympic Movement was founded on the two pillars of Sport and Culture. In 1994 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) made Environment the third pillar of the Olympic Movement. Ms. Coady manages a project portfolio at VANOC that includes climate change, inner city inclusion, ethical purchasing, and public reporting on VANOC's performance on all of its sustainability commitments.

Prior to joining VANOC, Ms. Coady was Vice President, Pacific Region for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Canada. A 20-year veteran of the B.C. forest industry, she has served as a Vice President of environment for both MacMillan Bloedel and Weyerhaeuser's B.C. coastal operations. Working with environmental groups, First Nations, government, and community representatives, she helped lead a series of collaborative initiatives that reduced conflict and promoted more ecosystem-based approaches to land use.

Ken Melamed is Mayor of the Resort Municipality of Whistler. As Mayor, he works to implement Whistler's long-term sustainability plan, Whistler 2020, which he helped to develop, and directs Whistler's planning for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Mr. Melamed arrived in Whistler in February 1976 and fell in love with the mountains and the small community of Whistler. He started as a lift operator and became a professional ski patroller in 1977, a position he still holds today. He worked in construction in the off-season and, 10 years later, started his own artisian-oriented contracting business, Ken Melamed Stoneworks, creating much of the beautiful rock walls throughout the valley. In 1989, Mr. Melamed helped initiate Whistler's grassroots, citizen environmental organization, AWARE, serving as president for six years between 1990 and 1996. He was also a founding director of Smart Growth BC. He successfully ran for Council in November 1996 and served three terms as councillor before being elected Mayor in 2005. He serves on numerous boards and community committees, including Tourism Whistler, Fraser Basin Council, and American Friends of Whistler.