ELI Hosts 2015 Corporate Forum and 2015 ELI-Miriam Hamilton Keare Policy Forum

October 2015

(Washington, DC) – The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is proud to once again host two of its principal annual discussions. ELI’s 2015 Corporate Forum and 2015 ELI-Miriam Hamilton Keare Policy Forum will take place on October 20, 2015 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.

The topic of this year’s Corporate Forum will be “Is Private Governance Changing the Practice of Corporate Environmental Law?” Corporations are taking on functions that traditionally have been performed or driven by government, including standard setting, monitoring, enforcement and dispute resolution. In the environmental realm, corporations are adopting voluntary standards; participating in private certification and labeling initiatives; collecting information from and enforcing requirements on their supply chains; and making agreements with stakeholders to address environmental as well as social and other issues. This private governance activity is changing the legal framework for environmental lawyers, including in-house attorneys and outside counsel, as well as those who practice in government and with NGOs. The in-depth discussion with our panelists will address the legal risks and benefits of private governance and how it is changing the role of environmental lawyers.

The Corporate Forum will take place from 1:30 – 3:30 pm in the Omni Shoreham’s Governors Room (2500 Calvert Street, Washington, DC 20008). The moderator will be Cassie Phillips, Weyerhaeuser. Panelists will include: Paul Hagen, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.; Alan Horowitz, AstraZeneca; Richard Leahy, Walmart (invited); David Mallen, Loeb & Loeb LLP; and Vickie Patton, Environmental Defense Fund. To learn more or register for the event, visit our website here.

Following the Corporate Forum will be the Keare Policy Forum, “Dangerous Intersection: Climate Change and National Security.” The dangers of climate change are not usually couched in terms of national security, but awareness of the issue is growing rapidly. What could be more basic to national security than a climate conducive for agriculture, water supplies, ecosystem health, industrial production, biodiversity, and human comfort? What could be more threatening than extreme weather events or mass migrations because of rising seas and crop failures? In December, the parties to the United Nations climate convention will meet in Paris to hammer out what many hope will be a landmark agreement. The Keare Forum, with its high-level panel focused on national security, will be an important stepping stone on the way to a binding accord for all nations. We invite you to be a part of this urgent discussion of the vital intersection between climate and national security.

The Keare Policy Forum will take place in the Omni Shoreham’s Hampton Room from 3:30 – 5:30 pm. The Forum will be moderated by Capt. Leo Goff, Ph.D., Military Advisory Board, Center for Naval Analyses. Panelists will include: John Conger, Performing the Duties of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment, U.S. Department of Defense; Francesco Femia, Founding Director, The Center for Climate and Security; Alice Hill, Senior Advisor for Preparedness and Resilience, National Security Council, The White House; Thilmeeza Hussain, Voice of Women - Maldives, Co-Founder; and Marcus King, John O. Rankin Associate Professor of International Affairs, George Washington University. To learn more or register for the ELI-Miriam Hamilton Keare Policy Forum visit our website here.

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information or questions, please contact Brett Korte at Korte@eli.org or 202-939-3852.