Katharina Scheidereiter, CSR Manager Kaufland Romania: We are interested that the message of a project reaches as large an audience as possible

Interview with Katharina Scheidereiter, CSR Manager Kaufland Romania:

Highlight: “We are interested that the message of a project reaches as large an audience as possible. It is important both for the NGO, which gains visibility, new opportunities, new volunteers, other sources of funding, but also for us, because community investments are a main pillar in the company’s corporate communication strategy, through which we aim to promote best practices in the market, increase reputation or attract new talents.“

1.What is the company’s current CSR strategy and how has it changed since you started?

Active involvement in the communities in which we do business has always been a priority for us, and our commitment has intensified as we have evolved. During 2022, we have strengthened the support given to the five strategic directions of community investments, focusing on projects aimed at education, environmental protection, social issues, sports and health, as well as promoting culture.

We particularly pursue large-scale projects with long-term impact, as well as innovative initiatives, united by a common goal: improving the quality of life in the community. We also quickly adapt to exceptional situations, such as the COVID19 pandemic or the war in Ukraine, and intervene according to needs. The most powerful example for adaptation is the In Stare sa Ajut call for projects, developed within the In Stare de Bine financing platform, which later became a permanent component and now functions as a funding mechanism for projects addressing pressing societal issues, such as consumption of drugs in adolescents.

In Stare de Bine is our annual NGO funding program. In the last 5 years, we have awarded non-refundable grants totalling 1,000,000 euros annually to winning projects and I am glad that, in 2023, we have allocated a budget of 1,200,000 euros.

2.Who are the stakeholders involved and how do you take their input into account?

For social responsibility projects, we collaborate exclusively with non-governmental organizations, with whom we develop and establish the forms of intervention or the appropriate ways of involvement.

Moreover, we consider that the non-profit environment is one of the essential stakeholders for CSR activity. At the same time, we annually ask our clients which social responsibility or sustainability topics are of particular interest to them in relation to the company’s activity, and then we integrate the results into our strategy. Every time we aim to always have a top 3 relevant themes in our action plan and in our communication.

3.Lately, there is a lot of talk about Impact Investing. Are there projects where you have this approach?

Regardless of the terms used, we at Kaufland have always aimed for the investments made to bring added value for the environment, people and society in the long term. As proof, for 5 years we have ranked first in the top of transparent and performing companies in the direction of sustainability at the national level, recognition offered by CST Index.

Moreover, 5 independent market studies, carried out by professional agencies, place us in the top of the companies that carry out sustainability projects at the level of the general public’s perception. This makes us happy but also makes us responsible to continue in this direction.

Whether it’s installing solar panels or green roofs on our stores, planting a network of urban mini-forests or developing measures to reduce food waste, our investments always aim for a consistent impact.

4.How do you measure the success of a program or project?

We have several indicators that we track both on the implementation side of community investment projects and for their visibility. From the pre-funding stage, we ask organizations to detail the identified need, the number of targeted beneficiaries and their geographical area, as well as the project continuation plan at the end of our funding.

We are interested in seeing that the organization has the capacity to implement the project and that the proposed objectives are realistic. And then in the reporting stage we look at the post-implementation data and see if there are notable differences and why these differences occurred, positive or negative.

For us, the greatest success is when the financed project manages to become financially independent, as is the case of „Sol și Suflet”, the first farm with regenerative agriculture in Romania and an educational center for future farmers, which in three years after the launch managed to support itself from its economic activity.

And at the communication level, we are interested that the message of a project reaches as large an audience as possible. It is important both for the NGO, which gains visibility, new opportunities, new volunteers, other sources of funding, but also for us, because community investments are a main pillar in the company’s corporate communication strategy, through which we aim to promote best practices in the market, increase reputation or attract new talents.

5.Do you have examples of communities that you have helped to develop over time, independent of the support offered at the beginning?

 We have strategic partnerships with non-governmental organizations with whom we have undertaken long-term interventions because change takes time. For example, in partnership with „Hope and Homes for Children” we have already built 5 family-type houses, and this translates into a home for over 100 children from the social protection system.

Another relevant example is in the area of the environment, which for us is a priority area, and where we intervene on several levels: firstly we are interested in the elimination of waste from nature and for this we have numerous greening actions with volunteers throughout the country.

Secondly, we make sure that we offer citizens the opportunity to develop responsible behaviors such as collecting recyclable containers at the separate collection machines in our stores, and we complement it with numerous education and awareness campaigns about the importance of environmental protection, aimed especially at the little ones.

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/

Case Study Auchan Romania: Personal Sustainability Program (PSP)

Case Study Auchan Romania: Personal Sustainability Program (PSP)

Project strategy

Built in the form of an effort to mobilize employees to get actively involved in projects supporting local communities, the PSP program aims to become a source of inspiration for Auchan store customers as well, thus contributing to supporting social causes, as well as reducing the effects caused by climate problems, food waste and the excessive use of plastic.

Objectives

The Personal Sustainability Program (PSP) was launched by Auchan Romania in 2020 as the first action under the #nuepreatârziu umbrella and offers all its more than 7,000 employees the opportunity to get involved in various sustainability and social responsibility actions.

PSP program supports 4 causes:

• Environmental Protection

• Healthy food

• Social solidarity

• Food solidarity

PSP was created out of the desire to highlight the responsible actions already carried out by Auchan employees, both in their personal lives and through involvement in the company’s projects, over the years. Following their mobilization, we decided that this internal program can become a source of collective transformation for a more sustainable future and inspiration for our customers as well.

Business Alignment

The project involves encouraging the development of social and sustainability activities or participating in those organized by the company. Auchan supports the principle of volunteering and makes available to employees various actions in which they can participate and carry out “CSR Days”, as they are called internally.

At the same time, for customers, Auchan distributes informative materials in the digital space about tips and tricks for managing leftover food; healthy recipes and information about organic, sustainable or local products. The company also encourages customers and employees to participate in the CSR and sustainability actions and campaigns that they organize, such as Food Day, blood donation actions in stores and in the headquarters, planting or various commercial campaigns.

Statistics

Human activity generates effects on nature and these can be seen more and more in recent decades and include the degradation of agricultural land, air pollution, water contamination and climate change.

According to the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts (NFA) and the UN, humanity currently uses 75% more than what the planet’s ecosystems can regenerate. Thus, Auchan Romania aims to fight to limit these effects. That is why, in 2022, most of the PSP actions carried out at local and national level had as their main goal the reduction of carbon emissions and the protection of the environment.

According to World Bank, 2018, 4 out of 10 children in Romania come from poor families. Auchan fights to reduce social inequalities and reduce poverty. Through the PSP project, Auchan supports the programs of the Habitat for Humanity Association through which children and their families are supported in the fight against poverty, by building them decent homes in Berceni commune in Prahova County. Each additional year of schooling lowers the risk of poverty. In 2020, within PSP, colleagues from the Central Services and stores voluntarily participated in the construction of humanitarian houses, thus realizing „CSR days” and supporting the noble goal of the project.

 Impact and Results

 We quantify monthly the responsible actions that Auchan employees record, in the form of “CSR days” after carrying out activities, and we also keep track of colleagues who have been involved in donation actions, volunteering, blood donation, greening, etc. We are happy to see that last year we recorded 6,450 “CSR days” carried out by Auchan employees all over the country, and more than half of them participated in sustainability and social responsibility actions.

Communicating the Project

The Personal Sustainability Program benefited from extensive communication on all Auchan communication channels, both externally (on www.auchan.ro and the Facebook & LinkedIn pages) and internally, on the intranet portal, the employees’ internal Facebook page, email directly, posters in stores and headquarters.

The employees were very excited about the new project and enthusiastically participated in the PSP actions, as evidenced by the 6,450 CSR days accumulated during the past year.

Digitalisation is a Clear Enabler for The Green Transformation of Our Society

Digitalisation is a Clear Enabler for The Green Transformation of Our Society

Ilinka Kajgana is an innovative and engaging risk leader whose 17 years of international work experience in large and complex banking organizations has delivered outstanding results. Her deep technical expertise across modelling and data, complex products and refined risk sensitivities is complemented by her consistent ability to partner with the business environment to drive risk-controlled growth.

In her current role as Chief Risk Officer for BCR, she has transformed the bank’s status and performance, obtaining a “low risk” rating following an ECB Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process. She also spearheaded innovation through the launch of a fully-fledged ESG transformation programme, central to business strategy.

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. What impact has sustainability had on your strategic planning in the last year?

Sustainability is one of the main pillars of our company strategy, not only in the last year but also in the years to come. It marks everything we do: from the way we evaluate risk to the way we train our people, from the way we look at the development opportunities ahead to the way we operate in our offices.

On a very concrete level, 100% of the cards issued by BCR from January 2023 onwards, for private individual and corporate customers, are made of environmentally friendly materials, both recycled plastic and biodegradable material. BCR started issuing environmentally friendly cards as early as 2021, and so far about 50% of the portfolio is issued on sustainable material. Also, the green mortgage loan ’Casa Mea, NaturA’ accounted for about 44% of the total standard mortgage volumes disbursed by BCR in H1 2023. The loan is granted for buildings with an A energy certificate or for the greenhouses certified by the Romanian Green Building Council.

We continued the roundtables series on the ESG transformation of the Romanian companies, organized by BCR in partnership with ECOTECA Association, with the involvement of institutional representatives, entrepreneurs and ESG experts. In March, together with the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, we developed the topic of “Establishing and measuring ESG indicators”, and in June, together with EFdeN, we discussed about „Energy efficiency in buildings: best practices and challenges.

2. What ESG actions does BCR take today to help future generations meet their needs?

 All our programs that are dedicated to future generations have one common denominator: education.

We have an integrated approach towards green education and digital education since we believe that digital transformation is a clear enabler for the green transformation of our society. Therefore, 66,000 Romanians participated in a Money School class, with a 50% increase in active users on Money School Platform.

We also have a partnership with NextLab Tech, the most important digital competition from South-Eastern Europe, where more than 60.000 children developed their skills for the future. Also, we have an integrated approach towards financial education and green education.

This is the underlying philosophy of our programmes: on one hand, the integration of digital and green education, on the other hand, the integration of financial and green education. Besides, we try to give young people a better understanding of what a job means today. Apart from our ongoing programmes of internships and career workshops, BCR has a strategic partnership with Joblandia, the innovative solution in education that matches highschool students and companies for a practical experience during “Saptamana Altfel” (The Alternative Education Week). In 2023, more than 3000 teenagers were enrolled in this programme, powered by BCR.

3. The fight against climate change has become pivotal for any responsible company. How does it affect your company and how do you fight to reduce its negative impact?

In the medium term, climate change will have a more significant impact on some economic segments such as agriculture, energy, construction, and possibly tourism. Our role is to support our clients from these segments into adapting their strategies for the future, to find alternatives and to invest in sustainability.

On the bright side, the recent pandemic produced an acceleration of the transition towards sustainability: hybrid work has significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the companies and has created a deeper sense of awareness towards the impact of global challenges. However, change has to be created person by person. In BCR, we have a ongoing training module about ESG that is mandatory for all our colleagues.

We have observed that no matter which generation colleagues are -Gen Z, Millenials, Gen X- they are very eager to enrol into saving resources while embracing a more environmentally-friendly routine. There is a long journey in front of us but at least there are more people who are seeing the importance of this road and who are trying to create a sensible map.

4. Banks can have a huge influence when choosing their ESG criteria for giving loans. What are BCR’s steps in this direction?

We try to position ourselves as a committed companion of our clients in their journey towards sustainability and ESG transformation. We believe that ESG is not only about compliance and ticking some boxes with the Environment, Social and Governance labels. It is about changing profoundly the way of doing business as a company.

Therefore, our role is to actively support our clients in their process of getting access to green finance. We are all in a process of learning, therefore being transparent and open is of critical importance for transitioning towards an ESG society.

We try to explain to our clients that sustainability is the most important investment: it means care for future generations and for the planet we leave to our children. On a more pragmatic note, getting access to green finance creates real business opportunities while staying relevant in the international value chain.

5. In May 2023 you had your first green Eurobond bank transaction. What were your aims with this issuance?

BCR’s green bond issue was a first on the Romanian financial-banking market, being the largest corporate bond issuance in Romania.

The bond issue proved successful from the outset, as the order book registered a significant volume of EUR 1.9 billion, well above the minimum issue size of EUR 500 million. This increased the issued amount to EUR 700 million. The final volume reflects our commitment to the market in terms of future issuance plans and our aim of building a relationship of trust with our investors.

It is also a signal of trust in the potential of the green economy of our region. A signal of trust for a greener future.

6. How about your social impact, where do you stand and what are your latest achievements?

Let us review some clear benchmarks because I believe that, in sustainability, it is important to walk the talk. In 2022, the social impact of the BCR Group (the banking services for NGO-s and social enterprises) generated the following impact: 290.000 beneficiaries from vulnerable categories, 1800 jobs supported or created (including jobs for vulnerable persons), 2.5 million Euros for developing associations and social enterprises, 127 NGO-s included in training or acceleration programmes, 900 NGO-s enrolled in The Good Exchange (Bursa Binelui), the only donor platform without commission. Besides, at InnovX-BCR, we accelerated 32 start-ups so that the local tech business got access to 19,7 million euros.

I should add that more than 21000 local entrepreneurs had free access to entrepreneurial education on the platform Școala de Business (School of Business).

Not in the least, we have 5000 employees – they are the engines that will really move Romania towards sustainability.

Ilinka Kajgana’s Biography

Since joining the Erste Bank Group in 2006, Ilinka has taken on and executed strategic projects for the business, including Operational risk, Capital Adequacy, AMA and other priorities for both the group and its international network of savings banks (Sparkassen). As a member or chair of the supervisory board, or board of directors for a number of entities over the past five years, she has helped guide the strategic direction of the group and put in place frameworks, policies, processes and controls to optimize clarity and efficiency, as well as mitigate risk.

She adopts new technology and uses agile methodologies to transform businesses, aligning them to the evolving needs of our clients and an increasingly complex international regulatory environment. Her scientific background, Master’s and PhD, have all honed her problem-solving and analytical skills. Building trusted relationships with key stakeholders in large and complex organizations has been a key facet of her success, and is complemented by an ability to engage with the regulator, clients, partners and suppliers.

CASE STUDY: THE GIANT SHIRT, Kaufland Romania in partnership with 11even Association

CASE STUDY: THE GIANT SHIRT, Kaufland Romania in partnership with 11even Association

Project strategy

„A small PET for man, a Giant T-shirt for mankind” – this was the motto of the recycling promotion project, started by the 11even Association, with the support of Kaufland Romania and the Romanian Rugby Federation, through which the organizers proposed to achieve a Guinness World Record for the largest T-shirt in the world, made entirely of recycled plastic fabric, derived from the recovery of over 250,000 PETs.

Objectives

The record for „The world’s largest recycled plastic T-shirt” was certified by Guinness World Records on International Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd, at the Arch of Triumph rugby stadium in Bucharest, in the presence of 1,500 spectators. The Giant’s T-shirt weighed about 4 tons and was similar in size to a rugby field, measuring 108.96 meters long and 73.48 meters wide.

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Alignment to business

For Kaufland Romania, a business objective is to collect as many recyclable containers as possible at the separate collection machines, and this was the basis of the mechanism for the „Giant T-shirt” campaign, which thus developed a creative idea to encourage recycling and learning responsible behaviors. Moreover, the campaign was also a form of testing the collection capacity of the devices, in order to prepare for the implementation of the Guarantee-Return System.

Impact and Results

The „Giant T-shirt” initiative was designed from the very beginning on sustainable principles, with the objectives of encouraging the separate collection and recycling of plastic waste, and citizens from all over the country responded positively to the invitation to recycle. In the collection campaign, more than 500,000 PETs were deposited at the machines in Kaufland stores, double the amount needed to make the T-shirt. Moreover, more than 3,000 people and 132 other sports teams registered on www.tricoudeurias.ro, for the raffle with prizes offered by the organizers.

In addition, over 12,000 T-shirts for adults and children were produced from the material used for the Giant T-Shirt, most of which were donated throughout the year during the Bucurie în Mișcare events, one of the most important programs to promote sport movement in Romania, organized by the 11even Association, with the support of Kaufland Romania.

Some of the shirts became equipment for several sports clubs in the country, mainly rugby.

Project communication

The project enjoyed a comprehensive communication campaign, adapted to the stages of project implementation – collecting PETs, making the T-shirt and achieving the world record, which took place on several channels and consisted of promoting the campaign at collection machines and in Kaufland stores, radio spots, digital campaigns and more than 100 appearances in national and local press, with an audience of more than 1 million people.

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

Case Study: The Money School – education for smart financial choices

Case Study: The Money School – education for smart financial choices

Project strategy

Money School is a financial education program developed by the Romanian Commercial Bank. Launched in 2016, it started from the need to educate Romanians financially. Over 1,500 BCR employees have become financial education teachers for more than 500,000 Romanians.

In 2022, the Money School set out to create even more impact, right where education starts: in school and in the family.

Objectives of the program:

• Financial education for over 60,000 Romanians;

• Developing an intervention in the educational system to prepare future generations for smart financial choices;

• Contribution to improving the standard of living of Romanians.

Stakeholder engagement

In 2022, the Money School online learning platform added 4 new courses:

• 2 courses for adults, together with Mai Mult Verde Association, psychologist Raluca Anton and BCR experts;

• 2 financial education courses for children: with Itsy and Bitsy and Pepper the robot.

BCR specialists and Școala de Valori Association helped 52,000 students and adults make smart financial choices through workshops organized throughout the country.

On the occasion of the first national day of Financial Education, on April 11th, BCR and Școala de Valori Association organized #EduFin Fest, the first festival dedicated to financial education in Romania. More than 2,500 students from more than 30 counties participated in 100 non-formal education events where BCR employees, entrepreneurs and local personalities provided them with information to make better financial decisions.

In addition, to bring financial education closer to students and teachers, in September 2022, BCR and the Money School launched LifeLab, a pilot program of financial education and development of students’ life skills, run together with FabLab and the Association Edupedu.

The program involved more than 1,200 students and more than 50 teachers. LifeLab brought to the school system a hands-on education format with an interdisciplinary approach, through which the notions of financial education were introduced within a varied series of subjects from all education cycles. Through experiential learning, students understand the connection between financial education and the fulfilment of desires, and learn analytical, collaborative and planning skills useful for the future. Teachers involved in the program become „life teachers”, act as mentors for their students and help them achieve their dreams with financial education.

Alignment with business and industry

BCR, through the Money School, pursues a systemic intervention to financially educate Romanians of all ages.

Socio-economic Analyses

The World Bank placed Romania last out of 127 countries from the perspective of financial education (2018). This exposes Romanians to vulnerability, and wrong financial choices affect the level of satisfaction and quality of life.

99% of teachers believe there is a clear need to teach financial education in schools (2022). Both teachers and students need practical financial education content with examples and exercises.

Impact and communication of the program

In 2022, over 66,000 children, young people and adults benefited from financial education through the Money School, the largest financial education program in Romania. Since the launch of the program, over 600,000 Romanians have had the opportunity to learn how to make smart financial decisions. As a consequence:

• Beneficiaries have become more aware of the importance of accurate money management;

• Participants in the financial education workshops started saving, investing and dividing their budget according to the 20/50/30 rule;

• Adults started shopping with a list, thinking long-term and dividing their budget taking into account needs and then wants;

• 80% of those who saw the Money School messages remembered the main rules.

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

Inspirators, the consultancy platform that offers inspiring stories from global sustainability and regeneration leaders, was launched in September 2023

Inspirators platform was born out of a willingness to offer evergreen inspiration and showcase a diverse and refreshing mix of regenerative leaders from all around the world.

After noticing that the leadership communication on their LinkedIn networks was a bit too focused on the technical side of sustainability, on the reporting and the must-dos “to save the planet”, and not enough on the creative and humane side of it, Ioana Marin (Founder, Inspirators)and Theodora Dumitrică (Co-Founder, Inspirators) realized that inspiration and optimism were lacking from this field.

It all started as a LinkedIn Newsletter based on a questionnaire similar to Marcel Proust’s, but with a modern twist. In just a few months, it rapidly grew into a series that reached 65 editions and over 2,500 subscribers and boosted the co-founders’ LinkedIn networks to 14,000 followers in total.

„Inspirators is the most diverse and surprising mix of regenerative leaders who display inner and outer transparency. Courageous leaders who want to inspire, and not force change. All the Inspirators we featured on the platform pointed in the same direction: creativity in sustainability is a need, not just a nice to have. Sustainability and inspiration are interconnected. We invite you to discover Inspirators, a storytelling ecosystem of visionaries who promote the Sustainable Development Goals in a refreshing and humane way.” (Ioana Marin – Founder, Inspirators)

„Inspirators is a community of kindred spirits who look in the same direction, a creative place for those who want to be not only thriving leaders but the flourishing and authentic humans this world is craving. We aim to facilitate the transition towards a regenerative future by sharing inspirational content, valuable resources and a vast network of sustainable leaders from all around the world.” (Theodora Dumitrică – Co-Founder, Inspirators)

The global regenerative leaders featured on the Inspirators platform

Inspirators platform reunites diversity at its best from all corners of the world: New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Peru, India, Vietnam, UK, Thailand, USA, Guernsey, Romania, Lithuania, South Africa, Switzerland, Italy, Australia, Nigeria, Sweden, Singapore and others.

Regenerative leaders from all walks of life who share the same vision and values: explorers, book authors, scientists, cave divers, indigenous leaders, musicians, mythologists, biologists, activists, film producers, Buddhist monks and all those who walk off the beaten path to carve new ways of living.

More than 50% of the Inspirators featured on the platform are renowned book authors and keynote speakers, some of them including:

  • John Elkington – „The Godfather of Sustainability”; Author of “Green Swans”; Founder & Chief Pollinator, Volans;
  • Leen Gorissen – Author of “Building the Future of Innovation on millions of years of Natural Intelligence”; Founder & Innovation Biologist, Centre4NI;
  • Wayne Visser – Author of “Thriving”; Cambridge Pracademic; Writer & Speaker;
  • Riane Eisler – Recipient of the Distinguished Peace Leadership Award, Author of “The Real Wealth of Nations”, President & Co-Founder, Center for Partnership Systems;
  • Guillaume Lafortune – Vice President & Head of Paris Office, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), an initiative of the United Nations;
  • Jill Heinerth – Author of “Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver”; Explorer-in-Residence, Royal Canadian Geographical Society;
  • Kumi Naidoo – Global Ambassador, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity;
  • Ellen Windemuth – Producer, “My Octopus Teacher”; Founder, Waterbear Network;
  • Ha Vinh Tho – Author of  “A Culture of Happiness”; Dharma Teacher, Plum Village; Founder, Eurasia Learning Institute for Happiness and Wellbeing;
  • Hinemoa Elder – Author of “AROHA: Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in  harmony with our planet”; Psychiatrist & Speaker;
  • Don „Four Arrows” Jacobs – Author of “Restoring the Kinship Worldview”; Award-winning activist for Indigenous rights; Professor at Fielding Graduate University;
  • Easkey Britton – Author of “Ebb and Flow: Connect with the patterns and power of water”’; Surfer & Marine Social Scientist.

The Regenerative Leadership qualities much-needed today based on Inspirators’ insights

  • „Humility, capacity to unlearn in order to learn transformatively, capacity for deep listening and the ability to suspend judgement, compassion, reconnecting with our biophilic nature, being gentle with oneself and others, trusting life beyond the knowing by sensing, feeling and intuiting.” (Daniel Christian Wahl)
  • „Imaginative hope: painting a picture of a world that people will want to live in.”(Richard Louv)
  • „Essence-thinking instead of efficiency-thinking, self-determined accountability and commitment to leaving the planet better than we found her and elevating our being in the world. It is more about who we are becoming than what we are doing.” (Leen Gorissen)
  • „The ability to scan wider, dig deeper, aim higher and invest over longer time scales than pretty much all political leaders in office today.” (John Elkington)

The benefits of learning about sustainability in a creative way through Inspirators

Inspirators offers a unique selection of sustainability and regenerative leaders’ profiles who provide not only very personal insights but also a valuable collection of resources: events and courses to attend, trends to watch, books to read, leaders to follow and many more.

Being the opposite of fast content consumption, the Inspirators platform invites the readers to slow down and reflect by offering an essence-focused perspective on what it really means to be a sustainable leader. The readership is very distinct: founders, CEOs, managing directors, academia, keynote speakers, youth activists, entrepreneurs, consultants, or creatives from all industries, ages varying from 18 to even 92.

The platform invites all changemakers, impact-driven and purposeful professionals to savour an optimistic approach that brings to light the bright side of change. After being exposed to this type of content, sustainability leaders will be fully equipped for creating visionary campaigns or purposeful businesses and for developing long-lasting partnerships that will support the implementation of SDG-17 (Partnerships for the Goals). 

About Inspirators Consultancy Studio

Inspirators Studio offers inspiring stories and communication consultancy for sustainability and regeneration leaders.

Ioana and Theodora, the creative duo behind Inspirators, support leaders in bringing an inspiring and creative twist to their personal brand through:

  • speaker management and sustainable personal branding
  • inspirational storytelling and editorial content
  • presentation design and creative ideation
  • book endorsements
  • LinkedIn visibility strategy, networking and partnerships for SDG-17

Ioana Marin (Founder, Inspirators) has +10 years of experience in Speaker Management and Event Production, Publishing and Editorial Content, Presentation Design, Strategic Partnerships and LinkedIn Storytelling. She is the Co-Creator of Community Index Magazine, the first and only bilingual sustainability magazine in Romania and the Alumna of The Break Fellowship for Women Entrepreneurs 2022.

Theodora Dumitrică (Co-Founder, Inspirators) has +7 years of experience in the corporate field at the intersection of Communication & PR, Creative Ideation, Fundraising, Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Liaising for gender equality & cancer prevention campaigns. She is a Psychologist for In a Relationship, an educational project for teenagers. 

Contact

Ioana Marin | Founder, Inspirators

ioana.marin@imconnected.ro

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinioana/

www.inspirators.org

EFRAG-GRI joint statement of interoperability

Source: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), 5 September 2023

EFRAG and GRI have published today a joint statement on the high level of interoperability achieved between the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the GRI Standards.

Following the requirement of the CSRD to adopt a double materiality approach and to take account of existing standards, ESRS and GRI definitions, concepts and disclosures regarding impacts are fully or, when full alignment was not possible due to the content of the CSRD mandate, closely aligned.

Existing GRI reporters will be well prepared to report under the ESRS. Entities reporting under ESRS are considered as reporting with reference to the GRI Standards and will therefore avoid the burden of multiple reporting.

Hans Buysse, EFRAG Administrative Board President said: “This joint statement concludes several years of diligent work towards a high level of interoperability between the ESRS and GRI standards. The efforts made by the GRI and EFRAG Sustainability Reporting teams will prevent the need for double reporting by companies resulting in a user-friendly reporting system without undue complexity. Our collaboration with GRI is bearing fruit and we are already preparing ourselves for the next challenges in the field of sustainability reporting.”

Patrick de Cambourg, EFRAG Sustainability Reporting Board Chair, stated: “EFRAG and GRI have been actively cooperating on sustainability reporting and on the elaboration of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards since 2021. This productive relationship, driven by a co-construction spirit and a careful attention to convergence, is now reaching a new milestone with this statement regarding the interoperability between the ESRS and the GRI Standards. It confirms our initial choice to cooperate closely with the best practitioners in the field in building robust sustainable reporting standards that will meet both the EU ambition and our commitment to contribute to global progress. We look forward to continuing this fruitful cooperation shaping further the future of sustainability reporting.”

Eelco van der Enden, CEO of GRI, said: “This is great news for businesses and for GRI reporters. They can use their current reporting practices to prepare for the new requirements under ESRS. What is more, ESRS reporters are considered as reporting with reference to the GRI Standards and have the possibility to report on additional topics not covered by the ESRS in accordance with GRI Standards. GRI is fully committed to actively engage with EFRAG and other standards setters to reduce the reporting burden for companies. The next step being the collaboration with EFRAG on the development of an interoperable digital taxonomy and multi-tagging system, including a full mapping of the GRI Standards and the ESRS. This further reinforces the relevance of GRI and the critical importance of combining its global approach with the momentum demonstrated at jurisdictional level.”

Carol Adams, Chair of the GSSB, said: “Since the early stages, we have actively engaged with EFRAG in the development of the ESRS. With this high level of interoperability achieved, we have now turned our attention to developing a detailed mapping of the disclosures from both sets of standards and technical guidance, which will help companies that report using GRI Standards prepare for CSRD requirements. Over time, I look forward to seeing companies reporting under these requirements increase their reporting using GRI sector standards and additional GRI topic standards.”

Coldplay Releases a Report of Their Sustainability Initiatives During “Music of the Spheres” Tour

The British band is setting a new sustainability standard for the music industry.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

Sustainability and sustainability action are permeating all aspects of culture, including the arts. Artists have always cultivated a special relationship with nature, using it as a muse and as motivation. It’s then not at all surprising that today we see artists, from digital painters to actors and to singers on the frontlines or marches for the climate, creating documentaries to shake the public’s conscience, and taking steps to reduce the environmental footprint of their own work.

The latest inspiration comes from legendary British rock band Coldplay, renowned for its spectacular world tours. These shows, as it turns out, come with many hidden costs for their environmental surroundings, and Coldplay is making a deliberate effort to address them.

The band may be the first to launch a report of their sustainability initiatives during a world tour, which has also been third-party assessed and validated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Environmental Solutions Initiative Professor John E. Fernandez.

Let us delve into the key highlights of the Coldplay sustainability report to understand how the band is harmonizing their efforts with a greener future while setting an example for the music industry.

Inside Coldplay’s sustainability report

The band takes a modern and circular economy approach to their sustainability efforts, stating as key principles that guide the Music of the Spheres Tour the following:

  • Reduce – cutting consumption, CO2 emissions by 50%, and recycling
  • Reinvent – supporting new green technologies and develop low-carbon touring methods
  • Restore – funding a portfolio of nature and technology-based project and drawing down significantly more CO2 than the tour produces

In their latest emissions update, the company announces the results from the first 12 months of the tour, which seem to be in line with their initial pledges.

Maybe most impressively, the band managed to cut the tour’s direct CO2 emissions by 47% compared to the previous tour, just 3% short of their ambition. They have also diverted 66% of all the tour waste from landfills and planted 5 million trees via One Tree Planted  – one for each concert attendee.

The update further goes to explain the key actions that have led to reductions in CO2 emissions and waste, including a 20% reduction in the number of trucks, increased energy efficiency of show production equipment, and a new electric battery system made from repurposed BMW i3 batteries and which is powering the shows with renewable energy. The band is also installing photovoltaic panels in the build-up to each show so that they start charging as soon as they arrive at the venue.

Air travel, Coldplay admits, remains an issue, with charter flights for the crew deemed sometimes unavoidable. This is why they chose to pay a surcharge to use or supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel for their own flights and those of others. This SAF is produced 100% from waste and residues, such as used cooking oil.


Throughout these efforts, the band has counted a lot on its fans to follow particular rules that helped reduce the overall environmental footprint of the concerts and thus helped spread awareness about better consumption habits.

For instance, fans could enjoy kinetic dance floors and power bikes, and they were encouraged to bring refillable water bottles and return the LED wristbands after the show.

To facilitate these eco-habits, the band introduced rewards and made sure there is an available infrastructure in place. For instance, 95% of the shows had water refill stations installed, and discount codes were given to fans who committed to low-carbon travel.

The results were nothing short of impressive, according to the band’s statement: an 86% average return rate of the reusable wristbands and a 15kWh average power generated per show – enough to power the C-stage performance each night and provide the crew with charging stations.

Now entering the second year of the tour, Coldplay continues expanding its sustainability initiatives to reach a bigger impact.

“We won’t get everything right, but we’re committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn”, wrote the band on Twitter.

Photo credit: Coldplay Facebook Page

2023 SDG Report Highlights Stalling Progress and the Need to Reform Finance

Key findings from the SDG report halfway through the 2030 Agenda.

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

Every year since their adoption in 2015 by the 193 UN Member States, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are reviewed and their progress is shared in the Sustainable Development Report (SDR). The SDR 2023 was released ahead of significant international summits, including the 2023 Paris Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, the September G20 Meeting under Indian Presidency, and the December COP28 in Dubai.

This edition delivers grim news: halfway through the 2030 Agenda, we have made insufficient progress on the SDGs. While navigating global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine, and a recession, SDGs have stalled around the world. Yet they remain achievable, the report states, emphasising the need to scale up development finance and restructure the global financial architecture to support this goal.

Continue reading for takeaways on the state of SDG achievement worldwide, from setbacks to solutions, and a zoom-in on Romania.

Assessing global progress

On average, only around 18% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved globally by 2030.

Global progress has been stalling since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. High-income countries have managed to mitigate the social and economic effects of these crises via measures such as emergency expenditure and recovery plans. But for low-income and lower-middle-income countries, the crises have worsened fiscal-space issues, leading to setbacks in achieving several goals and indicators.

Even before 2020, progress on the SDGs was very slow. It rose only slightly, from 64% in 2015 to 66% in 2019, with highly uneven progress within and between countries. As of 2022, the global SDG Index is below 67%, posing a risk of losing a decade of progress towards convergence globally.

Environmental and biodiversity goals, particularly SDG 12, 13, 14, and 15, have been largely neglected, even in countries largely responsible for climate and biodiversity crises.

The world is off track to meet the Paris Agreement climate targets and SDG 13 goals related to climate change. Global warming. stands at 1.2°C in 2022 and, according to the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2022, the world is currently on track to reach a disastrous 2.8°C warming by 2100. Even considering net-zero pledges, best-case scenarios would lead to around 1.8°C warming by 2100.

All dimensions of biodiversity (SDG 15) are threatened. The current loss of species rate is 1,000–10,000 times larger than the natural extinction rate. Reasons include land-use change (e.g. tropical deforestation), global warming, pollution, and the displacement of indigenous people.

Ocean goods and services (SDG 14) are also at severe risk – nearly 90% of global fish stocks are over-exploited. Oceans suffer from the deployment of destructive technologies, the destruction of coastal wetland ecosystems, the acidification of the oceans (accelerated by rising atmospheric concentrations of CO₂), pollution of the high seas (including plastic waste and microplastics), and rising sea levels, among others.

On the social front, providing quality education (SDG 4) for all children is one of the keys to achieving sustainable development in the long term. Yet, hundreds of millions of children are either out of school or receive such a poor education that they fail to develop basic literacy and numeracy.

The SDGs related to hunger, sustainable diets, and health are also particularly off-track, as are the goals concerning urban pollution, housing, strong institutions, and peaceful societies.

On the other hand, the world has made some progress in improving access to key infrastructure, covered under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), yet this varies extensively across countries.

In the focus: Romania

There is significant variation in progress by country, region, and income group. The top five countries in the SDG index are Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Austria, while the largest number of achieved SDG targets come from Denmark, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia. Meanwhile, underdeveloped countries in Africa and Asia have the lowest scores and a reversal in the achievement of certain SDG targets.

With a score of 77.5 out of 100, Romania stands in 35th place, behind Belarus, and in front of Serbia. The country is on track to reach only one SDG: reducing poverty (SDG 1). It has also registered progress on clean water and sanitation goals (SDG6), work and economic growth (SDG8), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), and life below water (SDG14).

Particular challenges remain in gender equality (SDG5) and climate action (SDG13), but also life on land (SDG14) and peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG16).

The way forward

According to the report, none of the SDGs is beyond reach. Yet to get there, it is crucial for UN Member States to double down on efforts. The report recommends five pillars of good governance:

1. Developing long-term SDG pathways that can guide public policy;

2. Providing SDG financing at the right time and scale;

3. Promoting global cooperation and minimizing geopolitical conflict;

4. Supporting innovation for social inclusion and environmental sustainability;

5. Reporting regularly on SDG progress and performance.

Going forward, particular emphasis is placed on SDG financing. Member States are encouraged to adopt and implement the SDG Stimulus and support comprehensive reforms of the global financial architecture – a complex system of public and private finance.

The SDG Stimulus aims to address the significant financing shortfall for SDGs in low-income and lower-middle-income countries and increase financing flows by at least US$500 billion by 2025. This should be done through increased SDG-linked funding from the multilateral development banks (MDBs) and public development banks (PDBs) to low and middle-income countries, expanded liquidity by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and major central banks, and expanded private philanthropy.

Meanwhile, reforming the global financial architecture should follow six priorities: increasing funding for SDG investments, revising credit rating systems and debt sustainability metrics, addressing liquidity structures, establishing sustainable finance criteria, aligning private business investments with the SDGs, and reforming institutional frameworks for international cooperation.

Another recommendation for closing the SDG gap is enhancing statistical capacity and data literacy. There is still much work to be done to improve the data and methods underlying the SDG indicator framework. Investment in statistical capacity, science, and data literacy should become a priority, particularly in the context of an information-rich and post-truth environment.

Overall, all countries, regardless of their wealth, are encouraged to use the midpoint momentum to critically review and revise their national SDG strategies and strengthen multilateralism. National governments need to ensure domestic and international implementation of the SDGs by building a global governance and financial architecture that supports their achievement.

The report was prepared by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Its newly created SDG Transformation Center and SDSN’s global network of universities, think tanks, and laboratories are committed to doubling down on efforts to implement the SDGs by 2030 and beyond. The SDSN supports SDG implementation through scholarly research, educational innovation, convening power, and outreach to the public.

You can find out more information from the official website: https://www.sdgindex.org/reports/sustainable-development-report-2023/

2023 SDG Report Highlights Stalling Progress and the Need to Reform Finance

2023 SDG Report Highlights Stalling Progress and the Need to Reform Finance

Here are some Key findings from the SDG report halfway through the 2030 Agenda

Author: Maria-Antoanela Ioniță – Sustainability Communications Specialist

Every year since their adoption in 2015 by the 193 UN Member States, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are reviewed and their progress is shared in the Sustainable Development Report (SDR). The SDR 2023 was released ahead of significant international summits, including the 2023 Paris Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, the September G20 Meeting under Indian Presidency, and the December COP28 in Dubai.

This edition delivers grim news: halfway through the 2030 Agenda, we have made insufficient progress on the SDGs. While navigating global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian war in Ukraine, and a recession, SDGs have stalled around the world. Yet they remain achievable, the report states, emphasising the need to scale up development finance and restructure the global financial architecture to support this goal.

Continue reading for takeaways on the state of SDG achievement worldwide, from setbacks to solutions, and a zoom-in on Romania.

Assessing global progress

On average, only around 18% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved globally by 2030.

Global progress has been stalling since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. High-income countries have managed to mitigate the social and economic effects of these crises via measures such as emergency expenditure and recovery plans. But for low-income and lower-middle-income countries, the crises have worsened fiscal-space issues, leading to setbacks in achieving several goals and indicators.

Even before 2020, progress on the SDGs was very slow. It rose only slightly, from 64% in 2015 to 66% in 2019, with highly uneven progress within and between countries. As of 2022, the global SDG Index is below 67%, posing a risk of losing a decade of progress towards convergence globally.

Environmental and biodiversity goals, particularly SDG 12, 13, 14, and 15, have been largely neglected, even in countries largely responsible for climate and biodiversity crises.

The world is off track to meet the Paris Agreement climate targets and SDG 13 goals related to climate change. Global warming. stands at 1.2°C in 2022 and, according to the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2022, the world is currently on track to reach a disastrous 2.8°C warming by 2100. Even considering net-zero pledges, best-case scenarios would lead to around 1.8°C warming by 2100.

All dimensions of biodiversity (SDG 15) are threatened. The current loss of species rate is 1,000–10,000 times larger than the natural extinction rate. Reasons include land-use change (e.g. tropical deforestation), global warming, pollution, and the displacement of indigenous people.

Ocean goods and services (SDG 14) are also at severe risk – nearly 90% of global fish stocks are over-exploited. Oceans suffer from the deployment of destructive technologies, the destruction of coastal wetland ecosystems, the acidification of the oceans (accelerated by rising atmospheric concentrations of CO₂), pollution of the high seas (including plastic waste and microplastics), and rising sea levels, among others.

On the social front, providing quality education (SDG 4) for all children is one of the keys to achieving sustainable development in the long term. Yet, hundreds of millions of children are either out of school or receive such a poor education that they fail to develop basic literacy and numeracy.

The SDGs related to hunger, sustainable diets, and health are also particularly off-track, as are the goals concerning urban pollution, housing, strong institutions, and peaceful societies.

On the other hand, the world has made some progress in improving access to key infrastructure, covered under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), yet this varies extensively across countries.

In the focus: Romania

There is significant variation in progress by country, region, and income group. The top five countries in the SDG index are Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Austria, while the largest number of achieved SDG targets come from Denmark, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, and Slovakia. Meanwhile, underdeveloped countries in Africa and Asia have the lowest scores and a reversal in the achievement of certain SDG targets.

With a score of 77.5 out of 100, Romania stands in 35th place, behind Belarus, and in front of Serbia. The country is on track to reach only one SDG: reducing poverty (SDG 1). It has also registered progress on clean water and sanitation goals (SDG6), work and economic growth (SDG8), sustainable cities and communities (SDG11), and life below water (SDG14).

Particular challenges remain in gender equality (SDG5) and climate action (SDG13), but also life on land (SDG14) and peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG16).

The way forward

According to the report, none of the SDGs is beyond reach. Yet to get there, it is crucial for UN Member States to double down on efforts. The report recommends five pillars of good governance:

1. Developing long-term SDG pathways that can guide public policy;

2. Providing SDG financing at the right time and scale;

3. Promoting global cooperation and minimizing geopolitical conflict;

4. Supporting innovation for social inclusion and environmental sustainability;

5. Reporting regularly on SDG progress and performance.

Going forward, particular emphasis is placed on SDG financing. Member States are encouraged to adopt and implement the SDG Stimulus and support comprehensive reforms of the global financial architecture – a complex system of public and private finance.

The SDG Stimulus aims to address the significant financing shortfall for SDGs in low-income and lower-middle-income countries and increase financing flows by at least US$500 billion by 2025. This should be done through increased SDG-linked funding from the multilateral development banks (MDBs) and public development banks (PDBs) to low and middle-income countries, expanded liquidity by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and major central banks, and expanded private philanthropy.

Meanwhile, reforming the global financial architecture should follow six priorities: increasing funding for SDG investments, revising credit rating systems and debt sustainability metrics, addressing liquidity structures, establishing sustainable finance criteria, aligning private business investments with the SDGs, and reforming institutional frameworks for international cooperation.

Another recommendation for closing the SDG gap is enhancing statistical capacity and data literacy. There is still much work to be done to improve the data and methods underlying the SDG indicator framework. Investment in statistical capacity, science, and data literacy should become a priority, particularly in the context of an information-rich and post-truth environment.

Overall, all countries, regardless of their wealth, are encouraged to use the midpoint momentum to critically review and revise their national SDG strategies and strengthen multilateralism. National governments need to ensure domestic and international implementation of the SDGs by building a global governance and financial architecture that supports their achievement.

The report was prepared by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). Its newly created SDG Transformation Center and SDSN’s global network of universities, think tanks, and laboratories are committed to doubling down on efforts to implement the SDGs by 2030 and beyond. The SDSN supports SDG implementation through scholarly research, educational innovation, convening power, and outreach to the public.

Photo credit: SDG