The first SXSW Eco conference turned out to be a great event, representing an interesting cross-sector of attendees from the government, non-profits and industry. Over the course of three days, SXSW Eco aimed to address where the future of sustainability is going and how we can best solve some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Following are the top five takeaways from SXSW Eco.

It used to be that “Better” was a rest stop on the way to “Best” – a stepping stone that received some polite applause for effort, but wasn’t really a reason to celebrate.

But in a world of broken ecosystems, financial meltdowns, outdated processes and rampant bad decision making, “Better” may not only be our reality – it may actually be our greatest hope and a rallying cry more motivating than “Best.”

Taking place this week, literally four blocks from Cohn & Wolfe’s Austin office, is the inaugural SXSW Eco conference. That’s right – the famous South By Southwest interactive, music and film festival held in the spring has gone green.

From games of four square to an event-wide scavenger hunt, it was easy to see the theme of this year’s Sustainable Brands 2011 conference - “Play On” - resonate throughout the halls and breakout sessions. It became clear just how much sustainability is a team sport. For example, a Chief Sustainability Officer cannot make a difference without the buy-in of the company’s Chief Executive Officer. A maker of a greener shampoo bottle must also look to consumers and water suppliers when assessing the environmental impact the product has with regards to water consumption and reuse. And sustainability initiatives are much more effective when less traditional, cross-functional relationships are developed between consumers and brands or NGOs and corporate governance, for instance.

Much of the conversation in the communications industry around BP and the disaster in the Gulf has been fixed on the PR missteps the company, and its CEO, has made to make a tragic situation even worse. And while the list is long, and the response one that will be studied for decades to come, I’m sure everyone in the business would much prefer discussing a solution to the crisis. So with that in mind, I bring to you entrepreneurial mycologist, Paul Stamets.

At the end of a networking event last night at the Sustainable Brands conference, Annie Longsworth, Head of Cohn & Wolfe’s Sustainability Practice, held up a Flip camera and with a wry smile asked: “What’s funny about sustainability?” I wasn’t sure if it was the pressure of being filmed or if there just isn’t anything funny about it, but for a few uncomfortable seconds, I was stumped.

Despite all the attention being paid to economic concerns, healthcare reform, diplomatic stand-offs and everything else going on in the world, the environmental movement and efforts to combat climate change remain a priority with governments and people around the world. And sustainability remains a driving force in business, too, as many consumers remain devoted to green products and brands that commit to sustainable business practices. 

I’ve been in Monterey, California this week at the Sustainable Brands ’09 conference, a fascinating and inspiring event that showcases the many people and companies pointing the way towards a greener, more sustainable, way of life for humanity.

Reducing greenhouse gases and tackling global warming is a massive problem for society at large, and there a will be a big societal price tag for fixing it. Achieving that in a severe recession must be one of the thorniest issues on the government agenda for the rest of this decade and beyond.