December deadlines

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way….all the way to these terrific upcoming events. Oh, what fun everyone will have, with or without a one-horse open sleigh!

Foremost forums upcoming

• Economist World in 2014 (December 5; New York). The annual forum focuses on content drawn from the Economist’s popular year-end double issue containing a large collection of essays on a range of "political predictions, economic outlooks, important trends in science, culture and lifestyle." The organizers promise an event that "provides attendees with a unique global perspective on the upcoming year."

• CEO2CEO Leadership Summit (December 9; New York). Summit examines the challenges faced by CEOs, specifically in relation to globalization, the changing role of the CEO, and best practices in transforming corporate cultures to deal with uncertainty ahead. Program examines such topics as global competitiveness; business-to-business models; technological agility; and alliances and partnerships.

• Responsible Investor (RI) USA (December 10 – 11; New York). Event is self-described as a forum "where institutional investors from the US, Canada and Latin America gather to discuss and debate the trends in long-term, sustainable, fiduciary investment." Representative topics include: The intersection of sustainability reporting and corporate governance initiatives; reducing carbon in investment portfolios; and opportunities in green technology, water, and renewables.

Noteworthy conferences beginning agenda planning this month

• Sustainable Life Media has issued a call for speakers for the US edition of its Sustainable Brands Conference scheduled for June 2 – 5, 2014 in San Diego, with a proposal submission deadline of December 31, 2013. Conference is self-described as "ground zero for sustainability, brand and innovation professionals who come together from around the world to be inspired, engaged and equipped to succeed by building the better brands of tomorrow, while building a network of likeminded colleagues who can help."

• MIT will begin agenda development for its Energy Conference taking place February 21 – 22, 2014 in Boston. Conference aims to bring together "current and future leaders in energy technology, policy and business" to "deliver critical knowledge and independent analysis on emerging trends in energy technologies, policies, and markets." Representative topics include: Energy in emerging markets; managing the shale gas revolution; water limitations in low-carbon electricity generation; and grid-scale energy storage – overcoming barriers to widespread adoption.