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LONDON,
ON, September 15, 2009 - Whether
it's biogas derived from corncobs and
wood pellets or wind turbines to
generate power, Canada's vast natural
resources are a potential goldmine for
creating a sustainable green economy
that will help the country reduce
greenhouse gases and compete globally.
An upcoming
Ivey Idea Forum on September 17 will
discuss the steps that must be taken for
Canada to harness resources from farms,
fields and forests and capitalize on the
emerging market in green energy.
"Making
Green Energy Happen: Policy and
Priorities" will begin at 8 a.m. at
Ivey's ING Leadership Centre in Toronto.
It will include presentations from David
Sparling, the new Chair of Agri-Food
Innovation and Regulation at the Richard
Ivey School of Business; Ryan Little,
Vice-President of Business Development
for StormFisher Biogas, a Toronto-based
company that uses technology to turn
agricultural by-products into renewable
energy; and Dianne Cunningham, Director
of the Lawrence National Centre for
Policy and Management at Ivey Business
School.
The
Lawrence Centre will also release
outcomes from its green energy workshop
in April that brought together
representatives from business, academia,
government and non-government
organizations, as well as students, to
examine how agriculture and natural
resources fit into the development of
government policies focusing on green
energy production. The workshop findings
and recommendations for governments will
be presented to political leaders and
government policy advisers.
The event
will include discussion of the Centre's
recommendations to governments and
implications for businesses.
"By moving
forward with both conventional and
innovative ideas for green energy
production, we can reduce the
devastating effects of climate change,
save money on energy and foster a
competitive Canadian economy," said
Cunningham. "Engaging environmentally
friendly energy sources and practices is
essential for building a sustainable
economy in Canada. Ontario agriculture
and natural resources have the capacity
to become net producers of energy."
Ryan Little
will discuss the challenges facing green
energy companies and changes that could
help Canada be a green energy leader.
Sparling,
an internationally recognized authority
on issues related to food policy, agri-food
supply chains and commercializing new
technologies, will explain what must
happen to develop the real potential for
Canada's agricultural crops to create
green energy, the benefits for the
agricultural and forestry sectors and
the potential for entrepreneurial
ventures in this area.
"Bioenergy
is generating a lot of entrepreneurial
excitement, but we won't achieve our
incredible economic and environmental
potential without some major policy
changes," he said. "Canada is a leader
in petroleum and hydro-based energies.
We have the potential to be leaders in
the next wave – green energy."
The forum
will also explore challenges facing
renewable energy developers in North
America, how new technologies can be
implemented and what Ontario's Green
Energy Act means for renewable energy
development.
Location: Ivey ING Leadership
Centre, The Exchange Tower, 130 King
Street West, Toronto, Ontario
Date:
Thursday, September 17
Time:
8 a.m.
The event
is part of the Ivey Idea Forum: A
Cross-Enterprise Leadership Series,
which provides executives, Ivey alumni,
business students and prospective
students with guest speakers and events
to develop cross-enterprise leadership
thinking on key business issues.
To purchase
tickets, please contact Ashleigh Nimigan
at 519-850-2999, or
animigan@ivey.uwo.ca or click here:
Purchase tickets
For more
information, please visit:
The Ivey Idea Forum Web site
Media interested in attending, please
contact Dawn Milne at 519-850-2536,
dmilne@ivey.ca
About
the Lawrence National Centre for Policy
and Management
The Lawrence National Centre, part of
the Richard Ivey School of Business at
The University of Western Ontario, is
committed to the development of sound
public policy by providing a national
forum for business, academia, and
government to think globally, act
strategically, and contribute to the
societies in which they operate. The
Centre, located on The University of
Western Ontario campus in London, Ont.,
creates dynamic networks that bridge
business, academia and government. For
more information on the Lawrence Centre,
please visit
www.ivey.uwo.ca/lawrencecentre.
About the Richard Ivey School of
Business, The University of Western
Ontario
The Richard Ivey School of Business at
The University of Western Ontario (www.ivey.ca)
offers undergraduate (HBA)
and graduate degree programs (MBA,
Executive MBA and
PhD) in addition to non-degree
Executive Development programs. Ivey has
campuses in London (Ontario),
Toronto, and Hong Kong. Ivey
recently redesigned its curriculum to
focus on
Cross-Enterprise Leadership â€" a
holistic issues-based approach to
management education that meets the
demands of today's complex global
business world.
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For more
information, please contact:
Dawn Milne, Communications Specialist,
Richard Ivey School of Business,
519-850-2536,
dmilne@ivey.ca
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