Choosing our Future:
From Vision to Action
Futures Forum Speakers
Robert Barrs, M.Sc. MCIP, LEED AP
Choosing our Future Project Overview
Rob Barrs is co-founder and principal of HB Lanarc Consultants Ltd., a planning and design consulting firm that focuses on sustainable communities. He is a LEED® accredited planner, a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, and holds degrees in both Geology/Geophysics and Community and Regional Planning. Rob’s passion is to help accelerate the transition to highly liveable, sustainable communities. As such, he works closely with communities, development teams, governments and NGOs to identify practical, implementable solutions to the challenges facing these organizations.
His experience as a planning consultant has included extensive work leading multidisciplinary teams through complex projects including official community plans, neighbourhood plans, sustainability strategies and sustainable development projects. Rob’s research and writing has covered a broad range of topics including high performance buildings, tax strategies for greening municipalities, and environmental stewardship. He recently led studies in residential intensification best practices, transit-oriented development, green building incentives and eco-industrial networking. Rob served on the board of directors of Smart Growth BC from 2001 to 2007 and was chair of the board from 2006 to 2007. He is the lead consultant and project manager for the Region’s Choosing our Future process.
Rob Abbott, PhD, CMC
Economic Sustainability and Green Business
Rob Abbott is one of Canada's leading sustainability strategists. Over the past 20 years he has helped businesses all over the world discover wealth-creating opportunities through a deeper integration of sustainability with organizational and competitive strategy.
A Certified Management Consultant, Rob frames corporate responsibility and sustainability in a strategic business context that guides organizations to the creation and implementation of programs that deliver both shareholder and stakeholder value. He is particularly skilled at helping organizations push past organizational effectiveness and embrace true organizational transformation through sustainability. A core focus of his current work is helping established firms and new venture enterprises worldwide create less carbon intensive business models and adopt radical innovation to sustain competitive advantage.
Rob is not only a highly sought after speaker on these topics, but also a passionate mentor and coach for students and social entrepreneurs wishing to explore the business value of sustainability.
David Baxter, M.Sc.
Population and Demographics
As a leading economist and Executive Director of Vancouver’s Urban Futures Institute, David Baxter is a recognized authority on the impact of demographics on the North American and international consumer landscape. His ability to analyse demographic shifts and economic trends is unparalleled, and he presents his findings with energy and creativity. Most importantly, he cuts through the hype and explains what it all means for your particular organization and industry.
The Urban Futures Institute studies and analyses transformations affecting population, community, and land use in Canada. At the Institute, David's main focus is on population and economic change and the resulting implications for business and society. His writing and presentations address such timely issues as understanding changing consumer markets, the shifting nature of work, and the current state of health care. He is the author of many reports, articles and books addressing regional economics, consumer behaviour and market trends, health care, employment trends, and the operation of real estate markets.
David delights in challenging the status quo as he identifies how changing demographics have a real impact on business, the markets and the present and future economic climate. His energetic style makes for a lively and educational presentation.
Pierre Sadik, LL.B.
Environment
Pierre Sadik is the manager of government affairs at the David Suzuki Foundation. Pierre has worked extensively in the environmental field in both Ottawa and Washington, DC. His expertise lies in the areas of sustainable development and ecological fiscal reform.
In 2008, Pierre played a key role in the passage of the Federal Sustainable Development Act into law. He oversees the development of policies to help Canada build a sustainable and green economy. Pierre regularly works with federal politicians and the national media on Foundation issues. Prior to joining the David Suzuki Foundation, he was part of Ralph Nader's U.S. Public Interest Research Group in Washington D.C., as one of the directors of the Green Scissors campaign. Pierre holds an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa and practiced law in Toronto for more than a decade.