The eighth annual Woodlands Conference will try to answer that question. The event, set for Jan. 29-30, 2001, is being sponsored by the Houston Advanced Research Center. The conference "Corporate Capabilities and Tools: Making Sustainability Work in the 21st Century" - promises "to provide practical, hands-on tools for integrating sustainability into corporate strategies and business operations."

Peter Senge, author of "The Fifth Discipline" and co-author of "The Dance of Change," and Paul Hawken, co-author of "Natural Capitalism" are the featured speakers. They are among a growing number of business experts who promote the rewards of balancing economic prosperity with environmental preservation and social interests. Joining Senge and Hawken in the discussions will be leading executives who maintain that organizations failing to incorporate sustainability into their business plans will fall behind in the years ahead.

Robert Kates of the National Academy of Sciences will discuss critical issues that corporations must understand about sustainability. Also participating are Bernard Bulkin from BP Amoco, Gerry Manwell from Suncor Energy Inc., Stuart Hart from the University of North Carolina, Michael Terraso from Enron and Anita Burke from Royal Dutch/Shell.