The Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) held its 2025 Sustainability Summit on March 4 at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland. The event brought sustainability leaders from around the region to explore cutting-edge sustainable business practices, uncover new opportunities and connect with each other. Over 500 people registered for the summit.
The major takeaways from the event are that sustainability initiatives and programs are here to stay in Cleveland and that working together remains the best way for businesses and the community to move forward, according to speakers. After all, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb was just named co-chair of American is All In along with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. America is All In is the largest coalition of leaders working on climate action at all levels across the country and keeping climate momentum going, including keeping commitments of the Paris Agreement, even if the federal government does not intend to.
The Greater Cleveland Partnership is an economic development organization that works throughout the region to support businesses and communities through initiatives that support growth and prosperity. It has over 12,000 members and was formed in 2004 through the merger of several business groups.
Mary Wenzel, managing director of Corporate Engagement at The Nature Conservancy, gave the opening keynote speech at the summit. She spoke about the work of The Nature Conservancy, focusing on protected land in Ohio and case studies of partnering with companies in the Midwest. She instructed participants how to make a case study for sustainability at their companies.
The opening panel was moderated by Carol Kauffman, executive director of the Ohio Environmental Council and featured a discussion between Cuyahoga County’s Chief of Climate and Sustainability, Jenita McGowan; The City of Cleveland’s Director of Sustainability and Climate Justice, Sarah O’Keeffe; and Ohio Lake Erie Commission’s Executive Director, Joy Mulinex. The executives all agreed that working together at the local level is the key to sustainability work, even during a time when federal politics do not necessarily support sustainability initiatives.
Three sessions with options to attend different panel discussions were held throughout the rest of the day. Topics included: Sustainable Sourcing The Business Case for Environmental Justice, CleanTech Innovation Alliances, Climate Related Risks for Businesses in Greater Cleveland, Public Investments Driving Clean Infrastructure, The Future of Renewable and Carbon-Free Energy, What Projects to Invest In, Sustainable Data Management – What to Report and Where, and New Technology Delivering Sustainable Impact. Leaders throughout the region and the nation both spoke and moderated the sessions.
During the lunch hour, focused discussions were led by topic leaders at 22 tables. Topics ranged from “Food Waste and Rescue,” with Krystal Franklin and Francis McGarry from The Hunger Network, “Tree Canopy,” with Sara Tillie of the Cleveland Tree Coalition, “Precision Urban Agriculture,” with Ron Stubblefield of Parallax Advanced Research and the Ohio Aerospace Institute, and “Solar Energy,” with Mryia Williams of Solar United Neighbors.
The day ended with a fireside chat between GCP’s President and CEO Baiju Shah and Nestlé’s President of the Pizza & Snacking Division Adam Graves about the role of corporations in sustainability.
Rust Belt Riders provided waste composting for the event, which was nearly Zero Waste.
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