The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) announced today that it is changing the name of its environmental sustainability conference to reflect a program with a broader view of “sustainability”.
The RILA conference known as the Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Conference will now be known as the Retail Sustainability Conference.
The conference will bring together executives involved in establishing sustainability programs and practices within their companies. The conference’s program will continue to address the key operational aspects of environmental sustainability and compliance for the retail industry, but will also focus on communicating and engaging with internal and external audiences, as well as reporting the progress made, to key stakeholders.
A core driver of this transformation can be linked to a research project that RILA conducted in partnership with APCO Worldwide. The research relied on a tool known as the Return on Reputation Indicator to take a holistic view of the industry’s reputation and the key industry attributes that drive reputation. Among the many industry attributes tested were core environmental issues that include land use, waste and recycling, energy efficiency, and green products. Additionally, issues such as community engagement, local investment and philanthropy were also identified.
“Changing the name and feel of the conference reflects a fresh approach to the conventional concept of retail sustainability,” said Adam Siegel, vice president of sustainability and retail operations. “By integrating new areas of focus into the conference and RILA’s sustainability offerings, we are working with retailers to broaden the scope of ‘sustainability’ and effectively craft a roadmap for the industry.”
The conference program will include four major tracks: facilities, products and supply chain, compliance, and corporate social responsibility. Sessions will include energy, waste management, water conservation, store operations, real estate development, supply chain issues, and opportunities for improving corporate social responsibility. Additionally, there will also be a focus on leadership and individual skill building, build out of internal resources, communications, collaboration, and leveraging tools and external resources.
For more information visit www.rila.org.
RILA is the trade association of the world’s largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and operate more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.
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Liz Jennings Manager, Communications Phone: 703-600-2063 Email: liz.jennings@rila.org