NOTES & NEWS
Transitioning to a Low-Carbon Economy
E
conomic growth is not the enemy of the environment, it’s a
necessary partner. That’s the message renowned corporate
strategist Michael Porter delivered to an audience of more than
1,000 business leaders, government officials, and environmentalists
on March 3, during a lecture presentation hosted by GLOBE 2016 and
the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. The director of the Institute
for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School and the
author of 19 books and over 125 articles, Porter is perhaps best known
for his “Five Forces” competitive strategy model.
Presenting independent research conducted by Harvard Business
School and the Boston Consulting Group, Porter discussed how governments, businesses, and societies need to collaborate to create a
win-win environment for unconventional energy and economic
growth, while also addressing environmental issues and standards. In
discussing how to speed the transition to a low-carbon economy, he
also highlighted the opportunity Canada and the US have in terms of
the unconventional energy market.
CPABC recognizes that sustainability reporting is an area in which CPAs
are becoming increasingly involved, and was a co-presenting sponsor
of Porter’s presentation. This kind of sponsorship aligns with national
efforts, as CPA Canada and Natural Resources Canada have co-sponsored
an initiative to help organizations adapt to climate change, which is
being managed by the Network for Business Sustainability.
To learn more about the national initiative, visit CPA Canada’s website
at cpacanada.ca—in the Business and Accounting Resources section,
you’ll find a variety of resources on sustainability, corporate reporting,
and more.
L to R: Tim Manning, ICD.D, chair, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and regional VP, commercial financial
services, RBC Royal Bank; Richard Rees, FCPA, FCA, president & CEO, CPABC; Michael Porter, Ph.D., Bishop
William Lawrence university professor, the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, Harvard Business
School; and Iain Black, president & CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Photo by Sara Borck Photography.
CPABC Celebrates Influential Women in Business
CPABC was a gold sponsor of Business in Vancouver’s 2016 Influential
Women in Business Awards, which were presented at a gala held at the
Fairmont Waterfront Hotel on March 8. This event celebrated International Women’s Day by honouring six outstanding female leaders in
BC’s business community:
• Karina Briño, president, Mining Association of BC
• Karimah Es Sabar, president and CEO, Centre for Drug Research
and Development
• Evi Mustel, principal, Mustel Group
• Michelle Pocky, partner, Fasken Martineau
• Marcia Smith, senior vice-president, sustainability and external
affairs, Teck Resources Limited
Also honoured was Eva Kwok, chair and CEO of Amara Holdings,
who received a Lifetime Achievement Award. Kwok is one of Canada’s
most respected business leaders and an authority on Canadian and
Asia-Pacific trade. She is also internationally recognized as an advocate
for both female leaders in business and increased corporate transparency
and governance.
2016 Influential Women in Business honourees (l to r): Marcia Smith, Karina Briño, Eva Kwok, Karimah Es Sabar,
Michelle Pocky, and Evi Mustel. Photo courtesy of Business in Vancouver.
CPABC in Focus • May/June 2016 7