The Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) held its fourth annual Corporate Sustainability Summit on March 10, at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland. Over 300 participants from around the region attended to discuss best practices, collaborate and share progress.
Overall, the summit aimed to provide a hopeful, although challenging, glimpse of a more sustainable future. Collaboration and partnerships became the theme of the day. Although at the federal level, climate change and sustainability are being brushed aside, they are not in Cleveland, according to nearly all of the speakers.
Melanie Knowels, director of sustainability and climate for the Department of Sustainability at Cuyahoga County, said, “Moving ahead when things are imperfect is still moving ahead. In Cuyahoga County, we have a strong focus on sustainability.”
After welcoming remarks, the Summit started with a keynote address from Michael Colarossi, head of enterprise sustainability at Avery Dennison. Colarossi discussed sustainable global supply chains, driving innovation and creating long-term business value. He spoke of collaboration, systems change, having the courage to thrive and taking action.
Charis Egland-Smith, climate resource specialist from the Midwest Climate Collaborative at Case Western Reserve University, agreed with Colarossi and said, “Collaboration across sectors is key to solving the big, complicated climate problems we are facing today.”
After the keynote, the rest of the morning consisted of two breakout sessions with three panel discussions at each session. The session topics included: Introduction to Regional Water Partnership, Understanding Energy Variability, Advanced Decarbonization Strategies, Introduction to Building a More Sustainable Supply Chain, Managing Resilience and Sustainability Communications, and Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions.
Marti Flacks, chief executive officer at the Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA), said, “Companies and communities all over the world are grappling with how to become more sustainable, and many sustainability solutions have global implications, particularly for supply chains. CCWA appreciates the GCP Sustainability Summit because it’s a critical opportunity to highlight the interconnectedness of Cleveland to the world and how valuable that connection is for Cleveland’s competitiveness and resilience.”
During lunch, tables were designated to discuss 28 different sustainability topics, each led by a subject matter expert.
Solar United Neighbors’ Roger Sikes, policy and advocacy campaigner, was the subject matter expert at the community energy table. He said, “I’m excited about community energy in Ohio. The things that excite me most are that hundreds of thousands of families will be able to participate and lower their electric bills.” Currently, House Bill 303, which would introduce community solar in Ohio, has passed the House and is in the Senate. This will allow people who can’t have solar on their own roofs to make use of other solar projects in the area.
After lunch, the GCP introduced its new Groundbreakers Biodiversity Challenge Award Winners. The challenge, created through GCP’s Sustainability Leaders Tree Canopy Working Group, encourages companies to complete a series of sustainable actions ranging from planting native trees to creating pollinator habitats and supporting conservation initiatives as an institution. Eight institutions won awards at three levels:
- Bronze Seedling Status (three actions completed): Avery Dennison, Steris and Swagelok
- Silver Sprout Status (six actions completed): FirstEnergy, The J.M. Smucker Company and Westfield Insurance
- Gold Tree Status (ten actions completed): The Davey Tree Expert Company and Lincoln Electric
Senior sales executive at Emerald Built Environments, Matt Robinson, said, “We are helping buildings become more resilient and efficient for the foreseeable future. Cleveland developers and building owners are helping lead the way to positive change.” Indeed, institutions like those that won the Groundbreakers Biodiversity Challenge can reduce their environmental impact through stewardship of their buildings and grounds.
After the award ceremony, participants were encouraged to stay for another hour of networking.
Rust Belt Riders provided waste composting for the summit, which was nearly Zero Waste.
The Greater Cleveland Partnership’s 2027 Corporate Sustainability Summit will take place on March 9.
Keep our local journalism accessible to all
Reader support is crucial as we continue to shed light on underreported neighborhoods in Cleveland. Will you become a monthly member to help us continue to produce news by, for, and with the community?
P.S. Did you like this story? Take our reader survey!
