DOING THE RIGHT THING IS THE SMART THING. I think this was the number-one high-level takeaway from the GoGreen09 “Cultivating Sustainable Business” conference, which took place at the LEED-Platinum-certified Gerding Theater in Portland on Wednesday. To many this may appear a no-brainer: of course, like the good ol’ golden rule, good actions (not just intentions) should produce positive results (in some capacity), which is both right and smart. But in today’s climate of rampant fear-mongering and economic turmoil-cum-uncertainty, what once appeared obvious may, more often than not, no longer be the case. Going green is going to cost me more money—I can’t do that right now and adequately feed my family, take that well-earned vacation, purchase those new ski boots, etc.; or in the case of business … purchase that new employee health plan I’ve promised my peeps all year as we’ve collectively weathered the storm, solarize that roof, add a fleet of hybrids, etc. Ouch!

Panelist after panelist at sold-out* GoGreen09 shared success story after success story of how going green or carrying out a sustainability best practice or innovation was not only the right and necessary thing to do but the smart thing to do, resulting in some kind of bottom-line victory, in many cases of the preferred triple-bottom-line variety, where people, planet and profit all high five as victors. Were we hit over the head with the folly of fossil fuels and the continuing Cassandra complex of carbon-emissions levels? Fortunately, not so much. After all, we were attendees at a green event and should get that part at least. Read on for more impressions from the day. GoGreen09, indeed!

GREEN “CAN DO” ATTITUDES EMPOWER OREGON was the upbeat keynote theme carried triumphantly throughout the day, delivered by Kate Brown, Oregon’s deep-green secretary of state—she has a B.A. in environmental conservation and a law degree with certification in environmental law. Brown cited a “dynamic shift” occurring in the state’s urban-rural divide, with urban driving rural in terms of population, economics, innovation and action; it’s a reciprocal shift that’s helping old-economy places (e.g., logging, ranching and fishing communities) from ghost-towning and falling off the map. The retooling and reopening of a small-diameter mill and a new biomass energy plant in Lakeview were cited as prime positive examples. (See how southeast Portland’s Sunnyside Environmental School is bridging the urban-rural divide.)

She also addressed how sustainable businesses and alternative-energy pursuits were creating new jobs and generating state revenue—a theme others would return to, especially in terms of how leadership and innovation in these fields can help keep Oregon rich with opportunity and high on the list of green/sustainable businesses interested in potentially opening shop here. Brown pointed out how groups like the Oregon Sustainability Board, which works to “find solutions that enhance Oregon’s practice and spirit of sustainability,” further push the state’s green street cred and enhance brand appeal in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Oregon, like many parts of the nation, wants to be a major player in the green-collar-jobs revolution.

A Pew Charitable Trusts study reported that Oregon had 19,340 green jobs in 2007 and a 4.77 percent growth in such jobs from 1998 to 2007, while an Oregon Employment Department report released last summer considered 3 percent of Oregon jobs in 2008 as green jobs, counting a whopping 51,402 such positions. And “people-powered sustainability guide” SustainLane again voted Portland the number one sustainable city in the country for 2008. The list of green accolades goes on, but it should already be apparent that we’re in a very green city in a very green state in a very green region of the country. Okay, so enough with the way to go, Oregon! back-slapping; it’s time to talk turkey—and let’s make that feathery critter local, low impact, free range, hormone free and 100-percent certifiably happy.

Here are some highlights from the rest of the day:

• There was a lively panel discussion with Portland’s BEST Business award winners and Oregon’s Best Green Companies Elephants Delicatessen, Sokol-Blosser Winery, ReBuilding Center and Epson. What emerged was the vital importance of collaboration (both inside and outside the organization), sharing ideas and stories (getting employees involved), being open and transparent, and getting industry-appropriate green certification so your practices speak for themselves and you’re not perceived as over-honking your own green horn.

• At the “Eco-Visionaries: Creating the New Sustainable Business Landscape” session, executives from Costco, Nike and Interface America shared that there is “no magic bullet,” “green is not enough” and you should “stay true to your highest intention” in the epic battle to save our planet while making people and business thrive. This was a sharp panel and featured deep discussion (lots of great talk about being “off oil by 2020,” getting below 1990 carbon emissions and “closed-loop products”); hopefully a transcript or audio or video podcast will be available at some point. A notable segment was the recollection of panelist green epiphanies, and the transformative power of the written word, with a number of book titles shared: Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability, Living Downstream and Forecast: The Surprising—and Immediate—Consequences of Climate Change.

• “Authentic Storytelling in the Age of Greenwashing” took elements of improv, attendee participation and zany presenter MC skills to make valid points about the need to share and generate stories across organizations, not hesitating to tell us “the higher up [in an organization] the lesser you know.” It was a solid session of brand building, with presenters Gary Hirsch of On Your Feet (view an excerpt of Hirsch in action I posted on YouTube) and Scott Davis of From the Rooftops leading the rambunctious charge.

• “Oregon on the Leading Edge: Public + Private Initiatives Creating Economic Opportunity” was another session that warrants a transcript or audio or video podcast. The excellent panel—moderator Rob Bennett from the Portland + Oregon Sustainability Institute, Sattie Clark from VOIS, Gillian Floren from Climate Prosperity Project and Greenlight Greater Portland, and Elin Shepard from the Oregon Sustainability Board (see photo of panel on left)—covered a wealth of pertinent issues, including how the Portland area is now being outpaced by other regions on certain green programs (“let’s turn that tide”), the continued need to create and grow demand for green goods and services, the passing of Oregon House Bill 2626 (concerning the recycling of electronic devices), geothermal business and innovation in Klamath Falls, and getting the state, NGOs and others in alignment and in communication about green initiatives and jobs in Oregon—independently and ensiloed are not nearly enough.

GoGreen09 already has a conference planned for Seattle in April 2010. May the vast, gracious and generous spirit generated at this year’s Portland conference be carried forward! Need more? Experience the GoGreen09 vibe by jumping into the Twitterverse (hashtag #GoGreen09).

Addendum
Read DSW Collective’s take on the conference; they’ve also included a reading list. DSW’s Darcy Winslow led the excellent “Eco-Visionaries” panel noted above.

—Allen

*Attendance was limited to 600, the number of main-stage seats available.