For media inquiries, contact:

Paul Rowland, Executive Director, AASHE
paul.rowland@aashe.org
303.605.3534

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AASHE Partners with SSF to Further UN Rio +20 Summit Goals
A free May 10 webinar will engage academic and industry thought leaders in a discussion about building a sustainable future

DENVER, Colo. (April 16, 2012) - The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has partnered with the Security and Sustainability Forum (SSF) to produce the May 10 webinar, "Increasing Collaboration to Build a Sustainable Future."

Kicking off SSF's Run up to Rio +20 series , the webinar will engage academic and industry thought leaders in a discussion about existing sustainability initiatives and collaborative efforts, and how they can be augmented to help meet the goals being established at the United Nations' Rio +20 Summit. The session will begin with background information on what the UN hopes to accomplish at the Rio conference, followed by a briefing on the U.S. Federal Government sustainability research goals.

AASHE Executive Director Paul Rowland will host the panel of experts including:

• Chantal Line Carpentier, sustainable development officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• Alan Hecht, director for sustainable development at the U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development
• Wim Wiewel, president of Portland State University (helped the university increase effectiveness through the cultivation of civic partnerships and investing in research)
• Rose Johnson, president of Haywood Community College (built a legacy by integrating sustainability not only into the campus, but also into the college's curriculum)
• Denny McGinn, president of the American Council on Renewable Energy (brings a defense and security background to ACORE's work to bring all forms of renewable energy into the mainstream of the U.S. economy)
• Clay Nesler, vice president of global energy and sustainability for the Building Efficiency business of Johnson Controls (brings a mechanical engineering background to sustainability strategy and planning including the promotion of energy efficiency to diverse audiences)

In the Rio +20 Summit's "The Future We Want - Zero draft of the outcome document," the need to increase participation and collaboration is explicitly stated. The document calls for engagement of all stakeholder groups, technology and knowledge transfer, and other types of collaborative efforts. Though the summit is directly aimed at engaging governments to commit to building a more sustainable world, it clearly articulates the need to form partnerships and engage the citizenry in order for the blueprints they build to be effective.

This free webinar, slated for May 10 from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Eastern, will address this need by exploring current and future sustainability planning from industry and academic experts, and how their collaborative efforts will further progress toward building a sustainable future.

About AASHE
AASHE is helping to create a brighter future of opportunity for all by advancing sustainability in higher education. By creating a diverse community engaged in sharing ideas and promising practices, AASHE provides administrators, faculty, staff and students, as well as the business that serve them, with: thought leadership and essential knowledge resources; outstanding opportunities for professional development; and a unique framework for demonstrating the value and competitive edge created by sustainability initiatives. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.

About SSF
The Security and Sustainability Forum is a public interest, membership organization that hosts free, live educational webinars. Sessions feature panels of global experts who address human health and welfare impacts caused by climate change and other environmental disruptions. The webinars outline how sustainable approaches to minimize environmental stresses can reduce instability and conflicts, thereby improving the physical and economic security of humankind. Our programs seek to not only educate our audience about sustainability and how it fits into their areas of interest and work, but also spark new ideas about resilient approaches and solutions. Access to SSF's webinar archive is offered through a free membership program.