(CSRwire)
WHEN: November 7-10, 2004
WHERE: Hong Kong

Setting the Agenda
If we are to move towards creating societies based on principles of sustainable development, then business, government, and civil society are going to have to play roles in that process. However, acting alone they are likely to achieve considerably less than working in cooperation, providing collaborative leadership. Collaboration and partnerships between businesses and other actors are going to be crucial in promoting economic, environmental, and social improvements that contribute to sustainable development. Much of this change calls for new thinking on the part of business and other actors. It requires all sectors of our societies to pay greater attention to sustainable development in a world of globalisation even though some governments often ignore their own responsibilities. In many ways we should expect business to take the lead and help to facilitate productive partnerships. How is this best achieved?

Conference Themes
The 2004 Greening of Industry Network conference welcomes all contributions on building partnerships for sustainable development. Particularly encouraged are presentations and
workshops dealing with the following themes:

• Research into successful partnerships between businesses and their stakeholders contributing to sustainable development.
  
• Designing and implementing new institutions, public policies, civil regulation strategies, technologies, and business practices to promote sustainable development.
  
• The dynamics and potentials for public-private partnerships.
  
• The potential for business-to-business cooperation.
  
• Partnerships for emerging economies.
  
• Creating new business models for sustainable development.
  
• Partnerships in a world of globalisation and competition
  
• Engagement with civil society.
  
• Developing and delivering campaigns and education for sustainable development.
  
• Examples of successful (and not so successful) partnerships

Presentation Categories
The conference program committee invites representatives of academia, business, government, NGOs and civil society organizations to submit proposals for participation in any of the following categories as they relate to the conference themes:

• Plenary addresses and debates
  
• Structured dialogues
  
• Workshops, breakout sessions, or panels
  
• Case studies
  
• Research papers
  
• Poster presentations

Research paper and case study breakout sessions will feature speakers from the private sector, civil society, government, education, and research communities who will demonstrate the role that these emerging issues play in the development of specific innovations. We encourage submissions that combine papers and proposals into complete workshops, breakout sessions, or panels. (For these complete sessions, a separate pathway is provided in the Web link for abstract submission.) Conference documentation will include proceedings published electronically, a special issue of the journal Business Strategy and the Environment (ERP Environment & John Wiley & Sons), and one or more edited books. Full papers (for research papers, case studies, position papers) will be peer reviewed prior to the conference for Best Paper awards and as part of the design of the books and the journal special issue. Note that full papers will be optional for those participating only in panels, debates, discussions and dialogues.

For complete information, visit the conference website at www.greeningofindustry.org/events.html

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