As more companies set goals to reduce their supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—especially from their manufactured goods and services—new collaborative opportunities and innovative approaches can help them achieve their targets. This webinar explores a new partnership in reducing a product’s embodied GHG emissions that also achieves additional community benefits. In 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service brought together Humanim, a social services enterprise, and the U.S.-based furniture manufacturer and retailer Room & Board in a unique partnership aimed at improving American communities environmentally, socially and economically. Through its Urban Wood Project, reclaimed wood from Baltimore’s former housing stock was incorporated into one of Room & Board’s product lines, while also increasing local employment. In the webinar, representatives from USDA's Forest Service, Humanim, and Room and Board discuss the partnership model, its successes, and current opportunities and challenges for scaling up.

Speakers:

• Morgan Grove, Research Scientist and Team Leader, USDA Forest Service’s Baltimore Field Station
• Jeff Carroll, Vice-President, Humanim
• Steve Freeman, Vendor Resource Manager, Room and Board
• Verena Radulovic (moderator), Lead, EPA Center for Corporate Climate Leadership

See presentation slides below:

• Reducing Supply Chain Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Local Economic Benefits: The Urban Wood Project webinar slide (PDF)(59 pp, 12 MB)