WRI began in 1982 with a vision to work at the intersection of the environment and human needs. As we pay tribute to our outstanding supporters, we also look forward to the important challenges ahead.
February 16, 2007
WRI is tremendously grateful to Citigroup Private Bank for its generous underwriting of our Anniversary dinner.
On February 13th, WRI celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a dinner in New York to honor three outstanding individuals that have shared our commitment to sustainable development:
Jeffrey R. Immelt - Chairman and CEO of GE
Elizabeth J. McCormack and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
The late Samuel C. Johnson - Environmental and Business Visionary
Tom Friedman was the Master of Ceremonies for the dinner. In his opening speech he talked about how environmental degradation threatens to affect our lives in unimaginable ways, and how green power and technology will be the dominant geoeconomic and geopolitical issues in the 21st century.
Al Gore bestowed one of the awards for our honorees. In this speech he talks about how global warming challenges our "moral imagination," just as the civil rights issue first did a generation ago.
Jeff Immelt was one of the honorees at the dinner. In this speech he talked about how environmental issues are no longer a win-lose proposition for business, and how the opportunity to provide environmental solutions is one of the big themes of business leadership.
