Current Activities
Returning formally to business in 2006 Lawrence has taken two non-executive positions, and has been appointed to a number of international panels dealing with sustainability.
The former is as Deputy Chairman of Noble Cities plc. Noble Cities is a property development company committed to sustainable development and the knowledge economy. Its focus is in Africa and the Middle East. It is currently awaiting final signature on a major project "Omagine", in Oman (see video). It has also been commissioned to build an African Economic City in Libya, having a total build-out value of US$12 billion. It is putting together a Foundation and a think tank to integrate best sustainable and social fabrics for the project.
The second role is as Chairman of Connolly & Callaghan. This group has a major green social housing agenda and a commitment to entering the alternative energy arena with an initial commitment to anaerobic digestion in the waste to energy field. Lawrence is helping them strategize and fulfil their ambitious agenda in these fields.
In 2007 Lawrence had the privilege of talking at The World Economic Forum at Davos, in the session: Future Series: Designing Sustainable Cities. In June 2008, Lawrence accepted an invitation from The World Economic Forum to Chair their Global Agenda Council on Urban Management. He was present in Dubai for the first major meeting of these Councils in November 2008 and The Urban Management Report formed part of the feedback mechanism. Lawrence will be at Davos with the other Chairs reporting to The World Economic Forum Annual General Meeting in January 2009. This Council forms part of the Environment & Sustainability cluster.
Lawrence was invited in October 2008 to attend the launch of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) "Green New Deal". Lawrence Bloom chaired the Panel on Sustainable Cities, which is one of the Green New Deal panels.
The UNEP announced that the priority sectors underpinning a Global Green New Deal are:-
- Clean energy and clean technologies including recycling
- Rural energy, including renewables and sustainable biomass
- Sustainable agriculture, including organic agriculture
- Ecosystem Infrastructure
- Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)
- Sustainable cities including planning, transportation and green building
Lawrence was also invited to co-chair the panel on Europe.
This initiative is being promoted by Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and the Director of UNEP, with the full support of the Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. It is being lead by Pavan Sukdhev, a senior banker from Deutsche Bank, who is seconded to UNEP and who is the current Chairman of 'The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity' (TEEB) forum - (see TEEB's initial report).
In addition Lawrence Bloom has been appointed to the Accounting for Sustainability Forum, which is a UK Business in the Community initiative, championed by HRH The Prince of Wales.
© 2009 Lawrence Bloom - All Rights Reserved