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Scandinavian core business value

If your company thought sustainability was all hype that would soon disappear, think again. Panelists from four prominent global corporations that achieved success by embracing sustainability spoke at a well-attended event on sustainability, organized by the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce-Philadelphia on February 13.
Photography: Tim Viola, SCA / Lotta Nordin http://sacc-philadelphia.org/ (Story in Nordstjernan 05, Vol. 141)

The panelists with David Engstrom from the SACC. From left: Brian Berson of Liberty Property trust, Lisa Davis of IKEA, David Engstrom of the SACC-Philadelphia, Poul Jeppesen of SKF and Amy Bellcourt of SCA. ENLARGE IMAGE »

Minna Mars from EarthRate, moderator of the discussion, with Richard Eidlin, policy director from the American Sustainable Business Council, during Q&A. ENLARGE IMAGE »

Brian Berson from Liberty Property Trust said, "We believe that high-performance green buildings are not just good for the planet, but create economic value for our tenants, shareholders and employees." ENLARGE IMAGE »

The panelists were all convinced that sustainability is a must to remain competitive and to keep an edge in the marketplace. From the left: Brian Berson from Liberty Property trust, Lisa Davis from IKEA, Poul Jeppesen from SKF and Amy Bellcourt from SCA. ENLARGE IMAGE »

Lisa Davis said that IKEA is working toward having their stores and buildings being 100 percent supported by as much renewable energy as they consume. ENLARGE IMAGE »

Poul Jeppesen from SKF talked about how sustainability was integrated in everything they do: business, environment, community and employee care. ENLARGE IMAGE »

Amy Bellcourt said: “Young people today want to work for a company with a good agenda. They go to our website to see what sort of company we are. So for us, sustainability is also a way to attract the best talent out there." ENLARGE IMAGE »

The event was well attended, with more than 70 people learning the best sustainability practices and enjoying a business mixer with Scandinavian food and the amazing view from SCA's offices in Cira Centre. ENLARGE IMAGE »

The event poster. ENLARGE IMAGE »

The business mixer with Scandinavian food before and after the panel discussion at SCA's office was very much appreciated. In this picture Angie Dixon and Jessica Santiago, both local marketing specialists from IKEA. ENLARGE IMAGE »

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