As world leaders converge on Copenhagen for climate summit, Bainbridge Business leaders hold an all-day Sustainability Forum

Bainbridge Island, WA, December 7, 2009:  The Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce with support from several other island sponsors hosted an all-day conference at IslandWood yesterday where approximately 60 leaders of the Bainbridge Island business community gathered. In addition to presentations by leaders in the sustainability field, such as Kevin Wilhelm, author of Return on Sustainability, it was also used to highlight the local success stories of eco-friendly businesses such as Watson Furniture, Town & Country Markets, Bainbridge Graduate Institute and IslandWood. The by- invitation event was well received by attendees and the mood in the room was one of genuine collaboration.

Near the end of the day Jeff Waite, vice-president of the Chamber, introduced the attendees to the resolution that was unanimously adopted by the chamber’s Board of Directors at their most recent meeting. “The resolution was adopted to provide us, as the board, a method of decision making that keeps us in line with real science and the principles of sustainability,” Waite explained. Jane Silberstein, Associate Dean at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, who assisted the Chamber with organizing the event further exclaimed, “I believe the Bainbridge Island Chamber may be the first in the country to adopt such a resolution that contains the main elements of the Natural Step.”

The Natural Step, founded by leading scientists in Sweden has become a model for communities desiring to aspire to develop an ecologically, economically and socially healthy community for the long term.