Auchan România a lansat Raportul de Sustenabilitate 2023 prin care prezintă proiectele, impactul și rezultatele strategiei de sustenabilitate

Auchan România a publicat cel de-al patrulea Raport de Sustenabilitate al companiei, un demers anual de transparență privind activitățile și inițiativele companiei din anul anterior. Deși compania publică acest raport în mod voluntar, acesta acoperă o arie largă de subiecte de interes, fiind realizat conform standardelor internaționale de raportare GRI Core, integrând și elemente din alte standarde precum SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board).

„Raportul de Sustenabilitate 2023 prezintă acțiunile colective desfășurate de întreaga echipă Auchan România pe parcursul acestui an. În egală măsură, se prezintă impactul pe care Auchan îl are asupra economiei din România, rezultatele financiare, cât și impactul asupra mediului și sprijinul către comunitățile din care facem parte. Acesta va fi ultimul raport realizat pe standardele GRI și SASB, urmând ca din 2024 să migrăm pe standardele ESRS din Directiva CSRD”, a declarat Corina Dospinoiu-Imre, Director Sustenabilitate Auchan Retail România.

Raportul 2023 a fost auditat de o terță parte pentru o serie de indicatori-cheie, în conformitate cu Standardul Internațional pentru Misiunile de Asigurare ISAE 3000. În acest demers de transparență sunt prezentate date cantitative și calitative referitoare la performanțe non-financiare, financiare dar și de sustenabilitate ale Auchan România. De asemenea, permite tuturor grupurilor de interes – parteneri, angajați, clienți – să acceseze informațiile legate de proiectele-cheie derulate în perioada de raportare dar și să urmărească rezultatele companiei în relație cu obiectivele asumate.

Fiecare capitol al raportului este dedicat unei arii strategice diferite ce vizează pilonii pe care se bazează strategia de sustenabilitate și de guvernanță etică a companiei, dar și acțiunile întreprinse pentru a fi un angajator responsabil.

Produse bune, sănătoase, accesibile

Auchan promovează alimentația sănătoasă și încurajează dezvoltarea producătorilor locali, astfel că în 2023, procentul de furnizori români ai companiei a ajuns la 91%. Totodată, gama de produse sustenabile din Filierele Auchan s-a dublat, au fost extinse gamele de produse ecologice și vegane, pentru diete speciale și cele dedicate alimentației sportivilor.

Auchan România acordă o atenție deosebită combaterii risipei alimentare, cu rezultate notabile și pe parcursul anului anterior. Prin proiectul ”Zero Risipă” derulat în magazine, retailerul a contribuit la salvarea a peste 5 milioane de produse aflate aproape de termenul de expirare, dar în stare bună pentru consum. De asemenea, alături de Federația Băncilor de Alimente din România, Auchan a reușit donarea a 41 de tone de produse care au sprijinit comunitățile vulnerabile.

Totodată, acțiunile împotriva poluării cu plastic au fost intensificate în ultimii ani, Auchan dezvoltând o soluție de trasabilitate pentru toate tipurile de ambalaje din plastic asociate produselor retailerului. Mai mult, Auchan a înregistrat progrese notabile și pentru ambalajele produselor marcă proprie, reușind să diminueze cantitatea de plastic utilizată în sticlele de apă marca Auchan cu 5,3 tone pe an.

Toate jucăriile marca Auchan confecționate din lemn, hârtie sau carton sunt certificate FSC (Forest Stewardship Council), aceasta reprezentând o garanție că lemnul este obținut din păduri gestionate responsabil. De asemenea, jucăriile de pluș marca Auchan sunt realizate din 100% poliester reciclat, iar 100% din globurile de Crăciun marcă proprie disponibile în oferta magazinelor sunt din plastic reciclat.

În plus, în anticiparea implementării Sistemului de Garanție-Returnare, Auchan România a desfășurat propria campanie de colectare de ambalaje reciclabile în perioada aprilie – noiembrie 2023, înainte de debutul SGR, interval în care au fost colectate peste 23 de milioane de ambalaje cu sprijinul a 1,5 milioane de clienți. Astfel, consumatorii au avut timp să se familiarizeze cu sistemul SGR ce a fost implementat în întreaga țară la finalul lui noiembrie 2023.

Cu peste 20% mai puține emisii de CO2 în 2023

În 2023, emisiile de gaze cu efect de seră ale Auchan România pentru Domeniile de Aplicare 1, 2, și 3 ( transportul) au scăzut cu 20,53% comparativ cu anul anterior, echivalentul a 66.217 tone de CO2. Aceste rezultate se datorează implementării în magazine a unui plan drastic de sobrietate energetică care a inclus programări orare pentru iluminat, micșorarea metrilor liniari de vitrine frigorifice, montarea senzorilor de mișcare, montarea programatoarelor pentru prize (ON/OFF), refacerea programului pentru instalația HVAC și modernizarea caselor de marcat. Tot în ceea ce privește energia, a fost înregistrată o premieră în industria de retail din România, crearea companiei Auchan Renewable Energy, în februarie 2023, al cărui principal obiect de activitate este producția, transportul și distribuția de energie electrică, sprijinind atingerea obiectivelor climatice ale Auchan România. De asemenea, în 2023 au fost montate panouri fotovoltaice pe patru magazine Auchan, din cele 16 prevăzute în total.

Un angajator responsabil

Auchan România rămâne în continuare unul dintre cei mai mari angajatori din România, cu peste 7.300 de angajați la finalul anului 2023. Femeile reprezintă 68% din resursele umane ale companiei, iar acestea se află prezente în proporție de 56% în funcții de conducere. În cadrul perioadei de raportare, angajații Auchan au beneficiat de peste 123.000 de ore de formare continuă. Mai mult, Auchan România a obținut și certificarea Top Employer 2023, aceasta fiind o recunoaștere oficială a eforturilor companiei de a crea un mediu de lucru de calitate, centrat pe angajat.

Peste 3 mil. lei investiți în proiecte sociale

Pe parcursul anului 2023, Auchan România și-a consolidat angajamentul față de comunitățile locale, sprijinind 87 de proiecte sociale. Simultan, au existat peste 10.000 de acțiuni individuale ale angajaților Auchan în proiecte de CSR și sustenabilitate.

Tot În 2023, Auchan a colaborat cu 15 universități din 11 centre universitare majore din România, contribuind astfel activ la formarea profesională a viitorilor lideri și specialiști din industria de retail.

Informațiile și datele complete din Raportul de Sustenabilitate sunt disponibile în întregime pe auchan.ro.

Despre Auchan România

Auchan România are în portofoliu 440 de magazine, cuprinzând 26 de hipermarketuri clasice, 7 hipermarketuri ATAC Hiper Discount, 8 supermarketuri, magazinul inteligent Auchan Go, aproape 400 de magazine de ultra-proximitate MyAuchan, din care majoritatea în stațiile Petrom, 5 magazine în franciză Simply by Auchan, precum și magazinul online auchan.ro. Cu o cifră de afaceri cu taxe în 2023 de peste 1,6 miliarde de Euro, Auchan propune locuitorilor din orașele în care sunt prezente magazinele sale un comerţ omnicanal, modern, de calitate, cu cele mai largi game de produse şi un concept de discount responsabil, cu toate preţurile mici, în fiecare zi.

COMMUNITY INDEX 6th Edition launches results for 2024 ranking

COMMUNITY INDEX 6th Edition launches results for 2024 ranking

  • The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services announces the release of the results for the 6th edition of the Community Index, the most comprehensive annual ranking of community investment projects in Romania, organized in 21 categories.
  • Companies are positioning themselves as changemakers and aligning their corporate values more closely with community investment.
  • CSR projects are starting to be as rigorous as business projects

Community Index is a detailed and comprehensive assessment of the CSR field in Romania. It maps important projects across a large number of categories with the aim of helping all stakeholders, including employees, consumers or investors, to understand the status of the market and to have a broader perspective on the involvement of companies in Romania. In addition, the index aims to be a useful tool for industry professionals to help them make better-informed decisions on future community investments. The Community Index Scorecard, which has 43 indicators, can serve as a checklist to analyze the degree of complexity and performance of a project.

In October 2024, The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services will launch the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine, 6th edition, which will feature many interesting case studies and over 20 exclusive interviews with national and international experts. The Yearbook is the leading publication in Romania dedicated to the CSR field and has the mission to be the primary source of information on trends in community investment, CSR and corporate sustainability.

2024 ranking results

The market for investments and donations in support of communities has grown in recent years and amounts to more than EUR 100 million annually in Romania, mainly for projects in education for students – 7.3%, down from last year’s 9.4%, health – 7.3% (up from 6% in 2023) or disadvantaged environments – 13.5% (23% in 2023). Another area of interest for companies is Arts & Culture, 6.5%, down from 10% in 2023. In contrast, only 2% of the projects undertaken by companies in Romania are aimed at tackling climate change, down from 4% in 2023, and 4% of projects are towards sustainable cities, up from 1.5% in 2023.

The majority of projects in Romania are in the field of education (23.6%) and these have started to be more diversified than in previous years. Consequently, a new category has been created to reflect these trends: Education & Personal Development, where projects on topics such as Bullying or Education for Sustainability are present. In the first 5 years of the Community Index we had 4 categories dedicated to education: Education for Students, Education for Careers, Tech Education and Education for Entrepreneurs, reflecting the status of the CSR field in these years. Another new category in 2024 is dedicated to Grants, keeping in mind that these initiatives have become more complex than in previous years.

One of the outstanding projects that received a distinction in the Community Index 2024 is Time for Good (Timp pentru Bine), developed by Kaufland Romania: it is a communication platform to inspire people towards social engagement and sustainability. Another large-scale project recognized in the Community Index is the Early Innovators Business Plan Competition, developed by BCR: a national business plan competition for high school students.

In the Reduce Reuse Recycle category, the project Good Day pe Via Transilvanica (Ziua Bună pe Via Transilvanica), developed by Coca-Cola HBC Romania & Tășuleasa Social Association received the Gold distinction – it is the largest greening action on the Via Transilvanica in a joint effort to clean and conserve an area of about 1000 km. Also in the Reduce Reuse Recycle category, Auchan Romania received the Gold distinction for DRS before DRS (SGR înainte de SGR), a project launched in preparation for the Deposit-Return System.

It is also worth mentioning the “Friendly Cities” (Orașe prietenoase) report, part of the Civic Labs program, carried out with the support of JYSK Romania, through which Code for Romania identifies the main problems in Romanian society in several fundamental areas: Education, Health, Environment, Vulnerable Groups and Civic Participation.

National and international trends

In the context of recent global conflicts and uncertainty, companies are positioning themselves more strongly as changemakers. Companies are shifting their attention away from the focus on donated amounts and mass communication of these philanthropic acts. They are now focusing on working more closely with NGOs, involving employees as volunteers and having an impact measured against international standards such as the B4SI Community Investment Framework or Social Return on Investment (SROI).

In the future, companies will increasingly invest in such impact measurement tools. Having clarity and more information on the impact produced is what will attract more investment from companies.

“There is more focus now on effective project management and smart investing. Information on projects includes more accurate data than in previous years, especially on impact. This trend will continue and the Community Index rankings are ready to assess the complexity of projects and are aligned with the main international standards in the field. Projects that have a good strategy can significantly improve their results and contribute to a greater extent to the sustainability and resilience of a community.” says Alina Liciu, Managing Partner The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services.

Community Index annually analyzes over 850 projects in Romania. The ranking is part of the Romania CST Index (Corporate Sustainability & Transparency Index), which evaluates the indicators published by companies in their sustainability reports. The 2024 Index is based on projects carried out between January 2023 – May 2024 and takes into account both scorecards completed by companies and projects detailed online, on corporate websites or in project reports published by NGOs. The ranking has 21 categories and projects are assessed on the basis of a scorecard with 43 indicators. The main objectives of the Community Index are to structure all these projects in a database and analyze how they align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More details can be found here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-2024/

The Interconnectedness of Human and Planetary Health

The Interconnectedness of Human and Planetary Health

Exclusive interview with Jessica LECLAIR

Clinical Assistant Professor & Postdoctoral Trainee, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing

Planetary Health is “a solutions-oriented, transdisciplinary field and social movement focused on analysing and addressing the impacts of human disruptions to Earth’s natural systems on human health and all life on Earth”, according to the São Paulo Declaration on Planetary Health. Not an optional road to take, especially for healthcare professionals who are ethically obliged to integrate climate change into their work, as they are dedicated to protecting and preserving life.

Jessica LeClair is paving the way forward as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Trainee at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing. She has co-chaired the Wisconsin Public Health Association’s Climate and Health Section, the Global Nurses Climate Change Committee with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and UW-Madison’s Planetary Health and Justice Initiative.

In this exclusive interview for Community Index Magazine, Jessica shares her long-term goal: building a research program that identifies and facilitates effective public health practices that advance planetary health.

1.Human and planetary health are inextricably connected, as climate change is becoming a public health issue. How does your work reflect this connection between climate change and global health? How do you promote environmental justice and health equity?

    My long-term goal is to improve the health status of populations most burdened by the triple planetary crisis: climate change, pollution, and extinction. Beyond compromising all human health, these threats have disparate and inequitable health impacts on marginalised communities worldwide. These global threats present a local public health crisis. Racialised and low-income communities are often on the “frontlines” of climate disasters and along “fencelines” to industrial pollution. Limited evidence supports strategies to mitigate poor health outcomes among these frontline and fenceline communities.

    I promote justice and health equity by educating the future nursing workforce and launching a research program to build new knowledge on these topics. As a scientist and educator, I work with people with lived expertise in planetary health and justice and how nurses can strategise to promote health equity through authentic community partnerships.

    2.Why are nurses and medical professionals an essential element in dealing with climate change? What are the most impactful things they can do to protect people’s health in the face of climate change?

    Nurses and other health professionals across many roles practice in communities that experience health inequities and partner with community-based organizations to improve various public health outcomes. Therefore, they hold untapped potential to address the health impacts of the triple planetary crisis. Assessing and understanding the disparate and inequitable population health impacts is essential for nurses to strategize public health interventions, create socially just policies, and strengthen resilience in partnership with communities.

    Nurses who want to advance justice for planetary health must understand the inequitable public health impacts of the planetary crisis in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities, the history of the Environmental Justice Movement in response to these impacts, the complexity of solutions, and the ethical ways in which nurses can engage in the movement. Understanding communities’ perspectives on the frontlines of climate injustices and the fencelines of toxic industries can inform nurses’ actions to advance justice for public and planetary health.

    3.We are going through a “great transition”, one that will require rapid and deep structural changes across most dimensions of human activity. What is the biggest challenge for the healthcare space in the years to come?

    Challenges fall within the domains of adaptation and mitigation. The planetary crisis operates on a global scale and manifests in local health issues, thereby posing significant challenges for public health practitioners who are responsible for addressing health issues within local jurisdictions. The crisis exacerbates local health conditions and introduces new threats, so public health practitioners must be prepared to support community resilience and promote health equity.

    While the challenge to adapt and thrive within the planetary crisis is great, the solutions to mitigate the planetary crisis must also be critically assessed. For example, nurses and other healthcare professionals who advocate for climate justice must understand how resource extraction has always hinged on the displacement of Indigenous Peoples and the destruction of critical ecosystems. Any climate “solutions” that perpetuate racist, capitalist systems of extraction and oppression are not sustainable, nor will they restore public and planetary health. Environmental justice scholars and activists stress that decarbonization does not mean displacement and death. Decarbonization must mean decolonization: a fight for sovereignty, autonomy, and dignity for all Indigenous peoples, forging new relationships that break the colonial paradigm.

    4.What advice would you give to healthcare professionals who want to start aligning their work with sustainable development?

    Ultimately, technological and market-based solutions created under colonial, racist paradigms will not restore public and planetary health because they do not address the root causes of the triple planetary crisis. Our social, political, and economic systems of extraction must be transformed into regenerative systems that liberate all life and foster collective resilience.

    Environmental justice scholars and advocates point to the frontline and fenceline communities as the places to focus the work of social restructuring and sustainable development through community partnerships. Frontline and fenceline communities have experiential knowledge about effective planetary health strategies, yet they are often excluded from action planning and are structurally allocated fewer resources for adapting and thriving. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of frontline and fenceline communities and their inequitable health impacts is essential for healthcare professionals as they partner to strategize health interventions, create and assure socially just policies, and strengthen community resilience.

    Launch of the bilingual Sustainability Index Magazine, 2nd edition: ESG profiles and new developments in sustainability

    Launch of the bilingual Sustainability Index Magazine, 2nd edition: ESG profiles and new developments in sustainability

    The Sustainability Index Magazine, 2nd edition, highlights the top performers in sustainability according to the Romania CST Index, as well as the latest trends and innovations in corporate sustainability from local and international experts.

    • The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services Agency launches the second edition of Sustainability Index Magazine, a premium bilingual publication (Romanian – English) that aims to present the current status of corporate sustainability in Romania.
    • Readers will find in the magazine the results of the only corporate sustainability index in the country, Romania CST Index, as well as interviews with national and international experts, educational articles, and case studies.
    • The publication aims to promote corporate sustainability as a responsible business management practice, as well as to help companies to develop a more effective strategy based on aggregated market information.

    Sustainability Index Magazine is following in the footsteps of Community Index Magazine, the bilingual yearbook containing the results of Community Index: a ranking of programs and projects run by Romanian companies to invest in communities, launched in 2019.

    The publication can be particularly useful not only for professionals in the field, but also for local and multinational companies, investors, universities, PR agencies and authorities.

    The second issue of the magazine has more than 100 pages and the online version is offered free of charge to contribute to the development of the field. The yearbook in digital format as a flipview can be viewed here: https://sustainabilityindex.ro/sustainability-index-magazine-2024-3/

    What’s in the Sustainability Index Magazine?

    The second edition of the Sustainability Index Magazine brings to the forefront sustainability profiles of companies that have published sustainability reports for their operations in Romania. The profiles are organized along several dimensions in order to have a real and clear picture of companies’ objectives and investments in Romania: audit of sustainability reports, key figures, targets achieved and future goals.

    The yearbook also features exclusive interviews with globally and regionally recognized corporate sustainability experts such as:

    • Michel Scholte, Impact Entrepreneur, Speaker & Co-Founder, Impact Institute; Instructor, CSRD Academy
    • Oghosa Erhahon, Independent Consultant, Hydrogen Policy Expert, TEDx Speaker and Co-Author of “Touching Hydrogen Future”
    • Harald Friedl, Circular Economist & LinkedIn Top Voice

    The yearbook also features interviews with nationally recognized personalities with extensive experience in sustainability management and strategies, such as:

    • Marco Hößl, CEO Kaufland Romania and Republic of Moldova
    • Fady Chreih, CEO Regina Maria
    • Valentin Truță, General Director Premier Restaurants Romania
    • Gemma Webb, CEO & President RetuRO
    • Raluca Dascălu, Communications Manager JYSK ROMÂNIA
    • Roxana Puia, Marketing Director ENVIRON Association
    • Luiza Dumitru, Communication & Marketing Director OSCAR Downstream
    • Corina Radu, CEO Solutions4Impact Consulting
    • Alina Liciu, Managing Partner The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services

    What is Romania CST Index?

    Romania CST Index (Corporate Sustainability & Transparency Index), launched in 2016, is the first ranking in our country dedicated to performance and transparency in the field of corporate sustainability/ESG. The index proposes a comprehensive and transparent analysis, aligned with international standards, and is the largest database on sustainability indicators of companies in the country.

    To carry out the analysis, the index uses public company data on environmental, social, and governance issues. Indicators assessed cover areas such as climate change, sustainable products, labor practices, community investment, risk management, responsible marketing or supply chain, among others.

    What are the main objectives of Romania CST Index?

    A sustainability index is important because it is a tool to assess a company’s performance in comparison with other players in the industry and in the country. Romania CST Index aims to contribute to increasing the level of transparency on sustainability indicators and to recognize the companies with the greatest progress in Romania in addressing the principles and requirements of international standards for corporate sustainability management and reporting.

    Thus, the Romania CST Index aims to promote corporate sustainability as a responsible business management practice. The index can also help companies to better develop their strategy based on market intelligence.

    What are the results of the analysis?

    2024 comes with many challenges, but also opportunities for the corporate environment in the EU and implicitly in Romania to integrate sustainability considerations into business decisions. Legislative changes at European bloc level set ambitious new targets for transparency and ESG performance, but also bring more clarity and consistency.

    The Romania CST Index 2023 analysis shows a slight increase in the number of companies publishing sustainability reports. We are also seeing progress in setting smart targets on environmental, social and governance factors, and best practices from industry leaders that point to opportunities for improvement across the sector.

    However, the number of companies publishing sustainability reports continues to be low, below 10% in 2023 in Romania, out of the more than 750 companies that have this obligation.

    ESG is however starting to be integrated in several departments of organizations: finance, procurement, HR or marketing. This change indicates a need to increase the number of trainings on sustainability principles so that all these professionals understand the importance of integrating these principles into their business strategy and practices.

    Finally, an important aspect emerging from the analysis is the need for a data collection and monitoring strategy and infrastructure. The sustainability strategy should include a high number of SMART indicators. Targets need to be measurable, clear and aligned to the industry and specificity of the organization. Analysts and investors need this information in order to compare different organizations in the same industry and assess who is performing best.

    ***

    About the Editor

    The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services is a sustainability consultancy established in 2013 with the aim of supporting companies in Romania on integrating corporate sustainability into their business strategy. The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services has an approach focused on long-term results, the use of IT technology for a high level of accuracy of sustainability indicators and analysis/research to support company decision makers in defining corporate sustainability strategy.

    The agency’s most important and complex project is the Romania CST Index, formerly called Romania CSR Index, ranking launched in 2016 and which is the only one in Romania that assesses companies’ sustainability indicators: information on sustainability management, economic, environmental and social impact. The Index is launched every year at the Best Practices in Corporate Sustainability conference.

    In 2019, the agency launched the Community Index, the most comprehensive ranking of corporate community investment projects and a centralizer of the best CSR campaigns run each year by Romanian companies. The ranking results, together with case studies and interviews with national and international experts, are presented every year in Community Index Magazine, the only bilingual yearbook dedicated to community investment by Romanian companies.

    Envisioning a hydrogen-powered future

    Interview with OGHOSA ERHAHON, Independent Consultant, Hydrogen Policy Expert, TEDx Speaker and Co-Author of “Touching Hydrogen Future”

    Envisioning a hydrogen-powered future

    Hydrogen, often perceived as a buzzword in the energy discourse, holds great significance as a crucial element for achieving global net-zero objectives. Not only it signifies a technological shift but it also embodies a responsibility in our collective journey towards decarbonization. Regardless of the uncertainties surrounding the energy transition, one thing is crystal clear: the vital role of human capital.

    In this exclusive interview, Oghosa Erhanon shares valuable insights from her co-authored book, “Touching Hydrogen Future,” and her TEDx speech, “Carbon Neutrality.”

    Oghosa is a seasoned legal expert with a rich background in crafting policies and strategies across energy and sustainability sectors. Her multifaceted experience includes roles in government-led missions, donor-funded programs, and consultancy management spanning continents from Africa to Europe. From advising on the GIZ-Global Hydrogen Diplomacy Programme to serving as a Hydrogen Policy Expert for the Research Institute for Sustainability, her expertise has shaped global conversations on energy transformation.

    Discover the complexity of opportunities and challenges brought by the hydrogen transition, guided by Oghosa’s wealth of knowledge and expertise.

    1. Hydrogen is an element of hope for both our economy and our future regarding climate change. What are, in your opinion, the most valuable applications for hydrogen in achieving net-zero goals?

    Hydrogen, possibly a buzzword but a critical energy vector, comes with its responsibility towards reaching global net-zero goals. Hydrogen development brings versatile applications for pathways towards decarbonization. Let’s take the hard-to-abate industries: the ones which would be harder to simply electrify. Hard-to-abate industries include steel production, cement production and ammonia synthesis etc. which are necessary industries for industrialization. So, as our global population increases the world needs roads, housing, and general infrastructure. Low-carbon hydrogen facilitates the decarbonization of these hard-to-abate industries, ultimately reducing emissions that would otherwise have been emitted.


    Further, hydrogen as an appreciated application is valuable in energy storage. As a last frontier on the decarbonization journey, long-duration energy storage – like hydrogen – offers a solution to excess energy generation, especially from renewable energy sources. An example is enabling the integration of renewable energy into the grid and advancing the decarbonization journey.

    2. You are one of the co-authors of “Touching Hydrogen Future: Tour around the Globe”. Almost 150 years after Jules Verne first envisioned a world powered by hydrogen, the book paints a picture of a transformed world powered by hydrogen and other energy transition vectors. What is your input in educating and inspiring the next generation to embrace and actively contribute to the development of hydrogen technology?

    The “Touching Hydrogen Future” book changed our lives! My co-editors, Erik Rakhou and Rosa Puentes, and our over 27 co-authors have been some of the most inspirational people I have created with. We started this conversation in 2021, raising an idea of what the world could be with focus and determination towards achieving our decarbonization goals across industries and communities.

    The book covers so many interesting topics for the next generation to embrace and actively contribute to the development of hydrogen technology. It’s worth mentioning that what I appreciate about the chapters covering Namibia, China or Kazakhstan is that they offer space for the younger generation to imagine what is possible. Navigating careers and emerging technologies ahead of net-zero future can easily be overwhelming – I find it easier to start from what an ideal world looks like and then work backwards. For example, let’s say you are a civil engineer: What would the future need from you? Start there!

    3. In your TEDx Talk, “Carbon Neutrality: Small Changes, Big Impact”, you discuss the urgent need for carbon neutrality and the role individuals and nations can play in reducing carbon emissions. What are the key takeaway ideas from your speech you want to share with our readers?

    Oh, what a time that was! Reaching Carbon Neutrality is to be a continuous effort without any hard stop. What we see with targets and deadlines is that they act as guidelines towards ensuring strategies and metrics are adequately in place to enable sustainability. So, when people say “reaching net-zero emissions or carbon neutrality”, we expect, by 2040, for example, a country positioned to decarbonize industry or meet neutrality to have frameworks, projects, strategy, projects completed, educational facilities, and continuous development working to provide low carbon systems.

    My initial story towards carbon neutrality is the concept of carbon sink: finding ways to sequester carbon. It is vital to consider tree planting, biodiversity, protecting ocean reefs and so on, but my key takeaway is empowering everyone to know that decisions – big or small – have an impact. However, the main impact will have to come from the biggest emitters – and that’s where the majority of the emission trading schemes, cross-border carbon adjustment methodologies etc. are cracking down on.

    I also believe that reaching carbon neutrality is a privileged experience. The reason being that so many countries, for example, barely reached their optimized energy consumption levels. Now they have an opportunity to develop systems that have sustainability and low carbon possibilities from the onset.

    4. You believe green hydrogen requires a massive scale-up of renewable energy capacity, and this process could boost employment opportunities and the creation of new jobs. Could you offer some examples of such professions?

    This is an increasingly popular question. I appreciate communities like Green Careers Hub and their work in elevating these possibilities especially when it comes to discussing employment and sustainable jobs for the future. The energy transition is posed with so many uncertainties but one thing we know for sure (beyond artificial intelligence) is that we will need people for this transition.

    People who are savvy in design, who know how to handle technology, work on community sensitization, and who understand legal frameworks, financial structures, intellectual property and even knowledge management. So many exciting positions! I also understand where the fear comes from especially with school leavers or professionals in traditional energy spaces navigating the transition. Sustainable jobs are the future: the fundamental skills we learn now are adaptable for the next five, ten and even thirty years!

    CSRD: Popular myths, common mistakes and key opportunities

    Exclusive interview with Michel Scholte

    Impact Entrepreneur, Speaker & Co-Founder, Impact Institute; Instructor, CSRD Academy

    CSRD: Popular myths, common mistakes and key opportunities

    CSRD mandates comprehensive and consistent reporting on sustainability metrics, driving companies to disclose their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance more transparently. It is also seen by many as overwhelming, burdensome or costly. There are still many questions left unanswered.

    In an exclusive interview for Sustainability Index Magazine, Michel Scholte helped us identify the most popular myths, common mistakes and key opportunities around the intriguing CSRD.

    Michel is an impact entrepreneur, keynote speaker, sustainability writer, director and co-founder of Impact Institute and True Price. In this role, he focuses on calculating and improving the true price of products, including social and environmental costs. Impact Institute provides data, software, (digital) education and advice on impact measurement and management. Michel is also a founding board member of Impact Economy Foundation, where he develops an open-source impact accounting method together with Harvard Business School’s Impact Weighted Accounts Initiative.

    1. Impact Institute is a social enterprise on a mission to empower organizations and individuals to realize the impact economy through open-source standards for impact measurement and valuation. How would you define “impact”? What is your piece of advice for a company that aims to identify and improve impact, but is not sure where and how to start the journey?

    At Impact Institute, we define “impact” as the tangible and intangible consequences of an organization’s actions on the environment, society, and economy. It encompasses both positive and negative effects, measured not only in financial terms but also in social and environmental dimensions. Essentially, impact represents the real-world footprint of an organization’s activities.

    For companies aiming to identify and improve their impact, my advice is to start with a comprehensive impact assessment. Begin by mapping out your value chain and identifying key areas where your operations intersect with environmental and social factors.

    Engage with stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, and communities to gather diverse perspectives on your impact. Use robust measurement tools and frameworks, such as the Impact-Weighted Accounts Initiative, to quantify and analyze these impacts.

    Once you have a clear picture, prioritize areas for improvement based on their significance and feasibility. Set measurable goals, integrate them into your core business strategy, and continuously monitor progress. Transparency and accountability are crucial. Communicate your impact goals and achievements openly to build trust and drive collective action.

    Remember, the journey towards positive impact is ongoing and requires collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to sustainability at all levels of the organization.

    2. CSRD ACADEMY was started by Impact Institute to empower businesses and professionals to help them comply with the CSRD and address the current sustainability challenges through the guidance of leading experts in sustainable development, finance, education and compliance. Which are, in your view, the top three consequences of CSRD for the transformation of the role of businesses? What about the key opportunities you envision for companies?

    Through CSRD ACADEMY we educated more than 500 professionals and 100 companies across Europe and beyond. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will significantly transform the role of businesses in three major ways:

    1. CSRD mandates comprehensive and consistent reporting on sustainability metrics, driving companies to disclose their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in a more transparent manner. This heightened transparency will foster greater accountability and trust among stakeholders, including investors, customers, and regulators.
    2. Businesses will need to integrate sustainability into their core strategies, decision-making processes, and operations. This shift from peripheral CSR activities to central strategic imperatives will encourage companies to innovate and adopt more sustainable practices, leading to long-term resilience and competitiveness.
    3. CSRD emphasizes stakeholder engagement and requires companies to consider the interests and impacts on various stakeholders. This will drive businesses to engage more deeply with their stakeholders, fostering collaboration, and addressing material issues that are critical to their long-term success.

    There are multiple key opportunities for companies under CSRD, but I will focus on the top three. First of all, early adopters of comprehensive sustainability reporting can differentiate themselves, attract sustainability-conscious investors and customers, and gain a competitive edge. Secondly, identifying and managing ESG risks proactively, companies can mitigate potential financial and reputational risks. Last but not least, the push for sustainability can spur innovation, leading to more efficient processes, cost savings, and new business models that align with a low-carbon and circular economy.

    3. What are the most popular myths around CSRD and the most common mistakes made by companies in reporting?

    Many believe CSRD will be overwhelmingly burdensome and costly. While compliance does require effort and investment, the benefits of improved risk management, enhanced reputation, and long-term sustainability far outweigh the initial costs.

    There is also a misconception that CSRD imposes a one-size-fits-all approach. In reality, CSRD allows for sector-specific adaptations, recognizing that material impacts and reporting needs vary across industries.

    One of the most common mistakes in reporting includes poor data quality and the lack of reliable data sources that can undermine the credibility of sustainability reports. Companies often fail to invest in robust data collection and management systems.

    Another mistake we identified is that, when reporting, some companies focus on superficial disclosures rather than addressing material impacts. It’s crucial to provide meaningful and substantive information that reflects genuine sustainability efforts.

    It is also important to mention that failing to engage with stakeholders can result in overlooking critical issues and missing valuable insights. Effective reporting should be inclusive and responsive to stakeholder concerns.

    4. You are a frequent Speaker on topics that include sustainability reporting frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and ESG metrics. In what ways do you believe CSRD will impact relationships in the business environment?

    CSRD will profoundly impact company and stakeholder relationships in various ways.

    By mandating detailed and reliable sustainability disclosures, CSRD will enhance trust between companies and their stakeholders. Transparent reporting allows stakeholders to make informed decisions and hold companies accountable for their ESG performance.

    CSRD encourages ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, fostering a more collaborative and inclusive approach to sustainability.

    Companies will need to actively engage with stakeholders to understand their concerns, expectations, and priorities, leading to more responsive and impactful sustainability strategies.

    As companies align their operations with sustainability goals, the interests of various stakeholders – such as investors seeking long-term returns, customers demanding sustainable products, and communities concerned about environmental and social impacts – will increasingly converge. This alignment can lead to stronger, more resilient relationships and shared value creation.

    The grand re-boot: Everyone can be a circular economist!

    Interview with Harald Friedl, Circular Economist & LinkedIn Top Voice

    The grand re-boot: Everyone can be a circular economist!

    An urgent and complete “re-boot” of the economic system is needed more than ever. Harald believes the current model of consumerism has reached unacceptable states. The good news is that everyone has the power to accelerate the transition toward a circular economy, foster innovation and collaboration, and create a new model whose essence is regenerative by design. A model that would bring more happiness to all people.

    Harald is an internationally renowned circular economist. He advises the United Nations in several countries and is working with top companies on their road towards circularity. His extensive consulting experience spans across industries, as he served as the CEO of the do-tank Circle Economy in Amsterdam, and spearheaded the circular transition in his home country, Austria, in his role as Circular Economy Accelerator for the Austrian Government in 2022. The global yearly “Circularity Gap Report” Harald co-initiated is one of the most referenced publications in the field of circular economy.

    In this exclusive interview for Sustainability Index Magazine, Harald shares inspiring insights and concrete steps to make the circular dream a tangible reality.

    1. You’re on a mission to inspire 111 million people and address the “lack of awareness” gap which is holding back the accelerated transition to a circular economy. How are you making this project tangible and, most importantly, why?

    The circular economy is all about “doing things fundamentally better – and not just a little bit less bad.” We have let the economy and pursuit of the bottom line take over how we run things.

    I believe we have to take a broader view of what we want in life and how we steward our resources.

    I find the circular economy, which is regenerative by design, a great and actionable concept. It’s easily explainable – to a Minister, a CEO or a child in my son’s school. Most of us agree that we have to take care of the planet and the people. The huge environmental, social and economic crises we have caused because of the traditional economic model are now damaging the very base of our existence. Hundreds of millions of people are forced into migration because of climate change, water and air pollution that have reached globally alarming levels. Not to mention the micro plastic that has entered our blood stream!

    The good news is that we can still change all of this! What we need is an urgent and complete “re-boot” of the economic system and our model of consumerism that has reached unacceptable states (take the super-fast fashion industry as an example).

    Such a new model has to be “circular” and “regenerative” by design. I strongly believe such a system would bring more happiness to all people. How can we make that tangible? By following three clear steps. Firstly, we need to urgently raise enough awareness about the “circular economy” as an action plan for sustainable change. Secondly, all countries urgently need roadmaps, analog to “Climate Action Plans”, so they can take action toward the necessary transition measures. Thirdly, we need to build the circular business models and socialize a new way of sustainable consumerism so that the “right demand” stands ready to support and drive the “circular native businesses” of the future.

    Everybody can and shall be a circular economist and help clean up the mess we have put ourselves into!

    2. How do you see policy and regulation influencing this transition? What are your benchmarks in terms of specific policies or initiatives that have been particularly effective in driving progress? Could you offer some examples?

    Smart policymaking is now more urgent than ever. Without it, we are not going to realize the change we need and for the future we deserve. In short, the top five policy measures that a government that is serious about circularity should push are:

    1. Fiscal instruments to incentivize circular practices. For example, Finland aims to “formulate justification and proposals for a circular shift of taxes,” including tax relief for circular enterprises. Spain plans to examine taxing plastic production from fossil fuels, combined with incentives for a circular plastics hub.
    2. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes make producers of products responsible for end-of-life resource management. There is movement on plastics, packaging, and electronics. We need more of that. 
    3. Public procurement. The state can set an example and use public resources in a way that incentivizes circular businesses. The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are committing to integrating circular economy criteria into public procurement practices.
    4. Sector-specific Action Plans. Countries like the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain have developed or committed to developing sector-specific circular economy action plans, recognizing the need for tailored approaches across priority sectors such as construction, plastics, and manufacturing.
    5. Monitoring and Governance. Robust monitoring frameworks and governance structures have been established to track progress and hold stakeholders accountable. For example, the Netherlands mandates an annual “Integrated Circular Economy Report” by its Environmental Assessment Agency, while Finland has a dedicated steering group to coordinate implementation.

    Effective circular economy policies require a systemic and inclusive approach targeting key barriers along entire value chains.

    3. Collaboration across sectors is crucial for the success of circular economy initiatives. Can you share some examples of successful partnerships between businesses, governments, and NGOs in advancing circular economy goals?

    I love to work on circularity, as it is all about collaboration. I am really proud that, in 2018, I co-initiated the global “Circularity Gap Report”, which has become a real reference point for seeing the progress with the circular transition. We launched it with countries, the United Nations, NGOs as well as businesses and business alliances.

    That has created buy in and credibility.

    I love initiatives like the “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment”, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Not only it creates a vision and unites all stakeholders, but it has also catalyzed significant commitments and actions, such as companies pledging to increase their use of recycled plastics. More action is needed, especially regionally and in specific industries. Multi-stakeholder platforms such as the African Circular Economy Alliance are also very promising initiatives I admire.

    4. What role do companies have in bridging the circularity gap? What would be their biggest gain for playing their part responsibly?

    Companies can accelerate and deliver what is at the core of the circular economy: innovation and collaboration. They will also find several real gains with the transition, such as cost savings, new business models, more resilience in a more and more supply-side driven economy, growing demand or enhanced reputation.

    5. What do you think is the main challenge or blockage hindering the widespread adoption of circular economy practices? How can it be overcome?

    The main problem is the mindset. I feel many have been losing themselves in the rat race and the pursuit of individual happiness. If we could open our minds again to the community and the power of connection, I believe we would very naturally discover different forms of collaboration. 

    That’s why I am hopeful that circularity and regeneration will be adopted and implemented at an increased speed. Just imagine! We could push for this at the same time: developing a new economic model that is not only focused on profit, educating the new generations, making a new sustainable form of consuming hip and trendy, and supporting policy makers with setting the right parameters today, and not tomorrow. Accelerated change is possible today!

     I love to believe in this and I am proud to get up every day – and do it!

    Lansare anuar bilingv Sustainability Index Magazine, ediția a 2-a: Profiluri ESG și noile evoluții din sustenabilitate

    Anuarul Sustainability Index Magazine, ediția a 2-a, aduce în prim plan top performeri în sustenabilitate conform rankingului Romania CST Index, precum și cele mai recente tendințe și inovații în sustenabilitate corporativă de la experți locali și internaționali

    București, 28 iunie 2024

    • Agenția The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services lansează a doua ediție a anuarului Sustainability Index Magazine, o publicație bilingvă premium (română – engleză) care își propune să prezinte statusul actual al sustenabilității corporative din România.
    • Cititorii vor regăsi în revistă rezultatele singurului index de sustenabilitate corporativă din țară, Romania CST Index, precum și interviuri cu experți naționali și internaționali, articole educative, și studii de caz.
    • Publicația urmărește să promoveze sustenabilitatea corporativă ca o practică responsabilă de management al afacerilor, precum și să ajute companiile să-și dezvolte o strategie mai performantă pe baza informațiilor agregate din piață.

    Sustainability Index Magazine calcă astfel pe urmele Community Index Magazine, anuarul bilingv care conține rezultatele indexului programelor și proiectelor derulate de companiile din România pentru a investi în comunități, lansat în 2019.

    Publicația poate fi deosebit de utilă nu doar pentru profesioniștii din domeniu, ci și pentru companiile locale și multinaționale, investitori, universități, agenții de PR și autorități.

    Al doilea număr al revistei are peste 100 de pagini și varianta online este oferită cu titlu gratuit pentru a contribui la dezvoltarea domeniului. Anuarul în format digital, ca flipview, poate fi vizualizat aici: https://sustainabilityindex.ro/sustainability-index-magazine-2024-3/

    Ce conține Sustainability Index Magazine?

    A doua ediție a Sustainability Index Magazine aduce în prim plan profiluri de sustenabilitate ale companiilor care au publicat rapoarte de sustenabilitate pentru activitatea din România. Profilurile sunt constituite pe mai multe coordonate pentru a avea o imagine reală și clară asupra obiectivelor și investițiilor companiilor în România: auditul rapoartelor de sustenabilitate, cifre cheie, ținte atinse și obiective viitoare.

    Anuarul oferă în exclusivitate și interviuri cu experți din domeniul sustenabilității corporative, recunoscuți la nivel global și regional, precum:

    • Michel Scholte, Impact Entrepreneur, Speaker & Co-Founder, Impact Institute; Instructor, CSRD Academy
    • Oghosa Erhahon, Independent Consultant, Hydrogen Policy Expert, TEDx Speaker and Co-Author of “Touching Hydrogen Future”
    • Harald Friedl, Circular Economist & LinkedIn Top Voice

    Anuarul conține, de asemenea, interviuri cu personalități recunoscute la nivel național, cu experiență vastă în management și strategii de sustenabilitate, precum:

    • Marco Hößl, CEO Kaufland România și Republica Moldova
    • Fady Chreih, CEO Regina Maria
    • Valentin Truță, General Director Premier Restaurants România
    • Gemma Webb, CEO & President RetuRO
    • Raluca Dascălu, Communications Manager JYSK ROMÂNIA
    • Roxana Puia, Marketing Director ENVIRON Association
    • Luiza Dumitru, Communication & Marketing Director OSCAR Downstream
    • Corina Radu, CEO Solutions4Impact Consulting
    • Alina Liciu, Managing Partner The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services

    Ce este Romania CST Index?

    Romania CST Index (Corporate Sustainability & Transparency Index), lansat în 2016, este primul ranking din țara noastră dedicat performanței și transparenței în domeniul sustenabilitate corporativă. Indexul propune o analiză complexă şi transparentă, aliniată la standardele internaţionale, și constituie cea mai mare bază de date privind indicatorii de sustenabilitate ai companiilor din țară.

    Pentru realizarea analizei, indexul folosește date publice ale companiilor în ceea ce privește aspectele de mediu, sociale, și de guvernanță. Indicatorii evaluați acoperă domenii precum schimbări climatice, produse sustenabile, practici de muncă, investiții în comunități, gestionarea riscurilor, marketing responsabil sau lanțul de aprovizionare, printre altele.

    Care sunt obiectivele principale ale Romania CST Index?

    Un index al sustenabilităţii este important deoarece este un instrument de evaluare a performanței unei companii în comparație cu ceilalți jucători din industrie și din țară. Romania CST Index își propune să contribuie la creşterea nivelului de transparenţă privind indicatorii de sustenabilitate și să recunoască companiile cu cel mai mare progres din România în abordarea principiilor şi cerinţelor standardelor internaţionale pentru managementul şi raportarea sustenabilităţii corporative.

    Astfel, Romania CST Index urmărește să promoveze sustenabilitatea corporativă ca o practică responsabilă de management al afacerilor. Totodată, indexul poate ajuta companiile să-și dezvolte mai bine strategia pe baza informațiilor din piață.

    Care sunt rezultatele analizei?

    2024 vine cu multe provocări, dar și oportunități pentru mediul corporate din UE și implicit din România de a integra considerații de sustenabilitate în deciziile de business. Modificările legislative la nivel de bloc european setează noi obiective ambițioase pentru transparență și performanță ESG, dar aduce totodată și mai multă claritate și coerență.

    Analiza Romania CST Index 2023 indică o creștere ușoară a numărului de companii care publică rapoarte de sustenabilitate. Observăm, de asemenea, progrese în ceea ce privește setarea de obiective smart privind factorii de mediu, sociali și de guvernare, și bune practici din partea liderilor din industrie care indică oportunități de îmbunătățire pentru întregul sector.

    Totuși, numărul companiilor care publică rapoarte de sustenabilitate continuă să fie redus, sub 10% în 2023 în România, din totalul celor peste 750 de companii care au această obligație.

    ESG începe totuși să fie integrat în mai multe departmente ale organizațiilor: financiar, achizitii, HR, sau marketing. Această schimbare indică o nevoie de creștere a numărului de training-uri privind principiile sustenabilității pentru ca toți acești profesiniști să înțeleagă importanța integrării acestor principii în strategia și practicile lor de business.

    În final, un aspect important care reiese din analiză este necesitatea unei strategii și infrastructuri de colectare și monitorizare a datelor. Strategia de sustenabilitate trebuie să includă un număr ridicat de indicatori SMART. Obiectivele trebuie să fie măsurabile, clare și aliniate la industria și specificul organizației. Analiștii și investitorii au nevoie de aceste informații pentru a compara diverse organizații din aceeași industrie și pentru a evalua cine are cele mai bune rezultate.

    ***

    Despre Editor

    The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services este o agenţie de consultanță in sustenabilitate, înființată în 2013, cu scopul de a sprijini companiile din România privind integrarea sustenabilității corporative în strategia de business. The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services are o abordare axată pe rezultate pe termen lung, utilizarea tehnologiei IT pentru un nivel ridicat de acuratețe a indicatorilor de sustenabilitate și analize/research care să sprijine decidenții din companii în definirea strategiei de sustenabilitate corporativă.

    Cel mai important și complex proiect al agenției este Romania CST Index, în trecut denumit Romania CSR Index, ranking lansat în 2016 şi care este singurul din România care evaluează indicatorii de sustenabilitate ai companiilor: informaţii despre managementul sustenabilității, impactul economic, de mediu şi social. Indexul este lansat în fiecare an în cadrul conferinţei Best Practices in Corporate Sustainability.

    În 2019, agenția a lansat Community Index, cel mai cuprinzător ranking al proiectelor corporate de investiții în comunități și un centralizator al celor mai bune campanii de CSR derulate în fiecare an de companiile din România. Rezultatele ranking-ului, împreună cu studii de caz şi interviuri ale unor experţi naţionali şi internaţionali sunt prezentate în fiecare an în Community Index Magazine, singurul anuar bilingv dedicat investițiilor în comunități derulate de companiile din România.

    The Azores has launched Community Index Magazine 2023, a yearbook now in its fifth edition, the most important bilingual publication dedicated to the field of CSR in Romania

    >>> Community Index Magazine is the only Romanian-English bilingual publication in Romania dedicated to the field of CSR, available in both flip view and print formats. The yearbook includes the results of the Community Index 2023 ranking, exclusive national and international interviews, case studies and sustainability articles.

    >>> Readers can enjoy exclusive articles and interviews that highlight the perspectives of recognized leaders from BCR, University of Wisconsin, Kaufland Romania, The Slow Movement or Seeds of Wisdom.

    >>> The publication promotes and encourages the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals to support Romania in its efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda.

    Community Index Magazine: a source of quality know-how for any professional with a sustainable mindset

    The bilingual Community Index Magazine yearbook, now in its fifth edition, contains the results of the Community Index 2023 ranking, exclusive interviews with renowned international professionals, articles and interviews with local professionals in the fields of sustainability and CSR, and numerous case studies of some companies that are considered benchmarks for their community projects.

    The publication is particularly useful not only for professionals in the field but also for companies, CEOs, Marketing professionals, community members, NGOs, universities, PR agencies and authorities.

    The publication in flip view format is available for free at the following link: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/

    What type of content do readers find in Community Index Magazine?

    1. Exclusive interviews with globally recognized sustainability experts:

    • Riane Eisler, The Real Wealth of Nations
    • Wakanyi Hoffman, Seeds of Wisdom
    • Jessica Leclair, University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing
    • Carl Honoré, The Slow Movement

    2. Articles and interviews with nationally recognized professionals:

    • Ilinka Kajgana, BCR
    • Katharina Scheidereiter, Kaufland Romania
    • Gabriel Ivan, CHEP
    • Adina Teleucă, TOBORO

    3. National and international case studies:

    • “Good Day – Little Volunteer Day on Via Transilvanica!”, Coca-Cola HBC Romania & Tășuleasa Social Association
    • The Giant T-shirt, Kaufland Romania & 11even Association
    • Phasing out plastic, Apple
    • The Money School, BCR, FabLab & Edupedu Association
    • Personal Sustainability Program (PSP), Auchan Romania
    • Our Garden, Carrefour Romania
    • Life Savers Program, Groupama Romania & The Foundation for SMURD
    • Kokoro Sports Project
    • Jobs for veterans, Starbucks
    • Microsoft’s New BING

    What is Community Index?

    Community Index is the first and only ranking of programs and projects carried out by companies in Romania to invest in communities, launched in 2019. The ranking is the largest database of CSR projects in Romania and represents a useful analysis tool for companies, authorities and communities when making investment decisions.

    It is a component of the ranking Romania CST Index (previously Romania CSR Index), the most important analysis of the level of performance and transparency from the perspective of corporate sustainability, in our country, launched in 2016.

    There is a wide variety of initiatives and projects on the market, and a well-structured overview provides relevant information to help decision-makers create a strategy well adapted to the local and national context.

    In order to establish the projects that were included in the Community Index 2023, more than 800 initiatives, projects or programs that took place in Romania between January 2022 and December 2023 were analyzed. The scorecard on the basis of which the evaluation was made had, in total, 6 categories and 46 indicators aligned with the most important international standards or references in the field of investments in communities.

    What new findings did the 2023 analysis reveal?

    The investment and donation market in support of communities has grown in recent years and amounts to over 80 million euros annually, mainly for Education projects for students (9.4%, a slight increase of 1% compared to 2022), Health (6%, down from last year) or Disadvantaged environments (23%, up 5% from 2022). Another area of interest for companies is Art/Culture, 10% of projects being developed in this direction, increasing compared to 9.2% in 2022. However, 4% of the projects carried out by companies in Romania are intended to combat Climate change, decreasing by 1% versus 2022, and 1.5% of the projects are in the direction of Sustainable cities, down from 4.4% in 2022.

    Among the main trends highlighted following the analysis, we mention an increase in the level of transparency regarding the results and impact of CSR projects or programs. Also, companies are beginning to better align the Sustainability / CSR strategy with the specifics of the industry and the business strategy. As for the employees, they are more eager to help communities and appreciate companies that offer them the opportunity to volunteer for projects. Another observed trend is the fact that there is an increased interest in long-term goals: companies put more emphasis on generating impact over several years and avoid creating a dependency of the community – they focus on developing skills or an infrastructure that will remain in the community even after a company redirects its investment to other projects.

    Among the projects that obtained Gold Recognition, we mention the Lifelab Educational Project developed by BCR, FabLab & Edupedu Association, in the Financial Education category – by participating in this program, students learn financial education concepts and practice planning and teamwork. In the Employee Involvement category, Auchan’s Personal Sustainability Program (PSP) was built as an effort to mobilize employees to get actively involved in projects supporting local communities. In the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle category – Banca Transilvania and Ateliere Fără Frontiere developed the Remesh project and fight for the social and professional insertion of vulnerable and marginalized people. Together in the Service of Good, a project developed by Secom Healthcare Group through which several initiatives in the field of health were supported, also received Gold Recognition in the Health category.

    The year 2023 comes with a new Community Index distinction: for each individual category, we propose The One to Watch distinction – a special recognition to highlight the originality and innovation of projects that set an important trend for the coming years, in their field. Among the projects mentioned in this category were YOXO Forest – The first digital forest that became a reality, 100 business ideas for Romania – PENNY Romania or Self-confidence is learned in school – Oxygen.

    Where are the ranking results published?

    The 2023 results can be found both in the flip view and print Community Index Magazine yearbook, as well as online: https://communityindex.ro/rezultate-community-index-2023/

    What are the objectives of the Community Index ranking?

    The mission of the Community Index is to highlight CSR projects with high performance that place more emphasis on aspects such as dialogue with stakeholders, project sustainability and measurement of medium and long-term impact. In addition, the index aims to highlight those projects that can be considered Best Practices in their category and that can be used as an example in establishing the strategy of a new project.

    The Community Index Magazine yearbook is the contribution of The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services agency to the development of the field of Community investments in Romania.

    In addition to know-how and authentic content, this publication concretely contributes to the popularization of the concept of sustainability in the business environment: a part of the printed yearbooks will be offered, free of charge, to companies with over 500 employees (>750 companies). In addition, the flip view version will be available for free, to popularize the domain and contribute to its development.

    FSC® certified paper from sustainable sources was used for printing the publication. The yearbook provides both valuable information and an authentic visual experience in itself. The cover of the publication is created by Ovidiu Solcan (collage artist), being a sustainable collage from recycled magazines, representing the Masterpiece “The Kiss”, made by the sculptor Constantin Brâncuși in 1907.

    *****

    About The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services

    Consulting agency, established in 2013, with the aim of supporting Romanian companies regarding the integration of corporate sustainability in the business strategy, The Azores Sustainability & CSR Services has an approach focused on long-term results, the use of IT technology for a high level of accuracy of sustainability indicators and analysis/research to support decision-makers in companies in defining the corporate sustainability strategy.

    The most important and complex project of the agency is Romania CST Index, previously called Romania CSR Index, a ranking launched in 2016 and which is the only one in Romania that evaluates the sustainability indicators of companies: information on sustainability management, economic, environmental and social impact. The index is launched every year during the Best Practices in Corporate Sustainability conference. The results together with Sustainability Profiles of Romanian companies are presented every year in Sustainability Index Magazine, a bilingual yearbook dedicated to sustainability & ESG in Romania.

    In 2019, the agency launched Community Indexthe most comprehensive ranking of corporate investment projects in communities and a centralizer of the best CSR campaigns carried out every year by Romanian companies.  The results of the ranking, together with case studies and interviews of national and international experts, are presented every year in Community Index Magazine, the only bilingual yearbook dedicated to investments in communities carried out by Romanian companies.

    A sustainable manifesto for The Slow Movement

    A sustainable manifesto for The Slow Movement

    Living too fast can turn life into a blur, but Carl Honoré is here to wake us up. Carl is a bestselling author, TED speaker, broadcaster and the global voice of the Slow Movement. He travels the world to deliver powerful keynotes that put time and tempo in a whole new light. By using stories and research from across the globe, Carl teaches us how to unleash “the inner tortoise”. His book, “In Praise of Slow”, chronicles the international trend towards putting on the brakes in everything we do – from work to relationships, travel, food or parenting.

    Slowness is key to sustainability. It means being conscious, present, responsible, and putting quality before quantity. In order to thrive in a fast world, we have to slow down. Discover how by reading Carl’s insights in this exclusive interview for Community Index Magazine!

    The interview was initially published in the bilingual yearbook Community Index Magazine no. 5. You can flip through it here: https://communityindex.ro/community-index-magazine-2023/

    1.You’re the internationally acclaimed voice of the Slow Movement. It seems we need to slow down if we want to age well. What is it about slowness that turns it into a superpower?

    When you get stuck in fast forward, when every moment of your life is a race against the clock, you pay a heavy price. You wear out your body and mind. You struggle to think, work, and enjoy the moment. Your creativity falls off a cliff. You make more mistakes and are less efficient. You make bad decisions. Your relationships suffer. Slowing down to the right speed makes you calmer, healthier, happier, more focused, more accurate, more efficient and productive, more creative, and more present. You start living your life instead of racing through it.

    2.In a world of busyness, speed and living life on fast-forward, what are the biggest gains of slowing down? What is the connection to sustainable living? Do you find that individuals are ready and willing to get in tune with taking it slow or is it hard to cut through the noise and expand the slow movement?

    When you live “slow”, you tread more lightly on the planet. You consume less and more wisely. You stop obsessing about your to-do lists. That is when you truly start contemplating the big picture and thinking long-term. I noticed that most people yearn to slow down, but many find it hard. Because of the powerful taboo against slowness, even just thinking about slowing down makes us feel afraid, guilty or ashamed. Speed is often an instrument of denial, a way of avoiding deeper problems or being alone with ourselves. Rather than facing up to what is going wrong in our lives, we find it easier to speed up, to lose ourselves in busyness, to focus on the trivial stuff. Living a fast life is, often, a way of running away from yourself!

    3.You believe that “ageism is a self-fulfilling prophecy”. What made you decide to start championing and celebrating the advantages of growing old?

    For me, it all started with discovering that I was the oldest player at a hockey tournament! It may sound trivial, I know, but it sure didn’t feel that way! Picture the scene: I was 48 at the time! I had just propelled my team into the semi-finals by scoring a dramatic goal. I was walking on air! Then came the news, straight from a tournament official.

    He told me: “Mate, there are 240 players here, and you’re older than every one of them!” In the blink of an eye, I went from goal scorer to grandad. Even though I’d been playing well and having fun, the questions crowded in: “Do I look out of place here? Are people laughing at me? Should I take up a more age-appropriate pastime? Bingo, perhaps?”

    My wobble got me thinking about how we are all in thrall to the cult of youth. To the idea that younger is always better and that ageing is a terrible and shameful thing. Once I opened my eyes and began doing some research, I realized that there is a much better story to tell about growing older – and I wanted to share that with the world!

    4.How can we escape the cult of youth and become free to enjoy whatever phase of life we are in?

    First, check your language. Stop using phrases like “senior moment”, “showing my age” or “the wrong side of 40” that reinforce the idea that ageing is all about decline. Second, be honest. Lying about your age gives the number a power it does not deserve. It locks you into the old ageist script. Being honest about how old you are and owning your age lets you define what your life will be at every stage. To embrace ageing as an adventure rather than an affliction, a process of opening, rather than closing doors. Third, find inspiring role models for ageing, on social media or beyond. Fourth, join multigenerational groups with people older than you. Befriending older people is a great way to build a more optimistic view of what the future holds for you.

    5.What would be the top three steps anyone can take in order to set free “the inner tortoise” and cultivate a more meaningful and conscious lifestyle that’s in line with what they value most in life?

    Do less. Buy less. Consume less. Drive less. Unplug more. Walk more. Listen more. Sleep more. Stop multitasking and do one thing at a time. Embed slow moments and rituals into your schedule. Embrace your inner tortoise!