Conference on Sustainable Innovation
Partnership for
the UN Sustainable
Development Goals
# WHAT IS THE SDG CONFERENCE?
Future decision makers must understand their impact and responsibility when planning their social and economic development. Since 2016 an increasing number of companies have integrated the UN Global Goals of Sustainable Development (SDGs) into their business activities. Partnerships with NGOs and/or political institutions allow them to reach more sustainable results.
At ESCP Berlin, we are committed to the Agenda 2030 and we have integrated the SDGs into our curriculum. We believe future decision makers must understand their responsibility in relation to their social and economic impact.
The Conference on Sustainable Innovation is part of this training. Since 2017 it has allowed businesses, political institutions, and civil society to reflect on their projects related to the SDGs and sustainability, and to contribute to the education of young talents.
# Conference Participants
We welcome stakeholders from the political/governmental, business, and civil society spheres to work together on the Agenda 2030. Over 1,5 days we will share and discuss challenges from our unique perspectives. This will help us learn from each other, expand our networks and develop new collaboration strategies.
Join us to share your projects and to generate new ideas in workshops and discussions. We encourage you to also contribute to a workshop as an industry expert or to participate in the workshop jury.
2020 Conference Participants
- 350+ ESCP students
- ESCP faculty members from various disciplines
- Students and faculty members from other universities
- 80+ experts from the corporate, political and NGO worlds
# Testimonials
"The conference is a great means to educate young talents in sustainability in innovative and practical ways. They get an immediate impression of challenges and successes, moreover they meet a lot of people working on the subject. For us, the conference is a great way to reflect on our sustainability activities, discuss with students and meet with other experts."
Axel Bachmann
General Manager of Sustainability, Coca Cola European Partners Deutschland
"The conference is an excellent occasion to bring people from business, academia and civil society organizations together. The direct exchange with students and business representatives in workshops on sustainability topics is very valuable to learn and to develop concepts together."
Florian Landorff
Head of Innovation, Welthungerhilfe
# 2020 Media Partners
# 2020 Experts & Sponsors
We are grateful for the following sponsors and their experts who participated in the conference. Thank you for making this one of the biggest sustainability-related career conferences in Europe!
Day 1
Understanding SDG Partnerships & Business Transformation
Access the Day 1 live stream here starting at 13:00!
| 12:00 | Group picture | |
| in front of the Brandenburg Gate | ||
| 12:45 | Welcome Coffee & Check-in | |
| 13:30 | Welcome Speech: | |
| Prof. Dr. Andreas Kaplan, Dean, ESCP Berlin | ||
| 13:45 | Presentations: | |
| Understanding SDG Partnerships & Business Transformation Eva Leihener - Stefan, CEO, Logocos (L'Oréal) John Galvin, Managing Director Sales & Marketing, Coca-Cola European Partners Milena Glimbovski, CEO & Founder, Original Unverpackt Marco Vollmar, Executive Directors Communications, WWF Deutschland Lucia de Carlo, Head of Division 110 Cooperation with the private sector; Sustainable economic policy; German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation & Development Clementine Robert, President, oikos International | ||
| 15:00 | Speakers' Corner & Discussion | |
| 15:30 | Coffee Break | |
| 16:00 | Speakers' Panel | |
| 16:30 | Project Best Practices | |
| Kilian Kleinschmidt, CEO & Founder, IPA - switxboard GmBH Sofia Bartholdy, Senior Analyst, Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Christian Kroll, CEO & Founder, Ecosia Jan Bohl, CEO & Founder, Ableton | ||
| 17:30 | Closing Remarks: | |
| Jan Ehlers, Director, Executive Education, Corporate Relations & Career Development, ESCP Berlin | ||
| 17:45 | Reception |
Day 2
Workshops on
Sustainability Projects
| 9:00 | Check-In | |
| 9:30 | Workshop Session I | |
| 12:30 | Lunch | |
| 13:30 | Workshop Session II | |
| 16:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 16:30 | Workshop Session III | |
| 18:00 | Expert Gathering |
Day 3
Workshop Pitches & Sustainability Career Fair
| 9:30 | Check-In | |
| 10:00 | Workshop Pitches First Round | |
| Jury members | ||
| 11:30 | Coffee break | |
| 12:00 | Workshop Pitches Final Round | |
| 13:00 | Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks | |
| Awards sponsored by Tony Chocolonely. | ||
| 13:15 | Lunch Break | |
| 14:00 | Sustainability Career Lounge |
# Workshops (9. January, 2020 – Day 2)
Can the organic & natural cosmetic sector help to mitigate climate change?
Moderator: Sandra Pekle
Experts
Vullnet Latifi (Logocos), Franziska Hasslinger (Logocos)
Workshop Description
Dynamic growth rates are clearly showing that the worldwide demand for natural beauty products is constantly on the rise. The market for natural and organic cosmetics is profiting tremendously while gaining new buyers on an international scale. The entire cosmetics industry is now becoming greener. Moreover, sustainability is high on the agenda of many big corporations. With many challenges like transparency and traceability, green formulations, sustainable packaging, social impacts, water management, this market can continue to thrive, while potentially becoming the new solution for green customers to change their everyday behaviour and create a real lasting impact.
SDG Goals: 3 & 12
Alternative and sustainable food consumption: Transforming the global food system
Moderator: Eleonora Mazzola & Emilie Grytte Eikeland
Experts
Dirk Liebenberg (ProVeg), Marc Timothy Schotter (Insnack), Nathalie Rolland (ProVeg)
Workshop Description
The current global food system represents one of the major drivers for biodiversity loss and 1/3 of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. How can we consume more sustainably and how can businesses be a part of this? In this workshop we will discover the importance of changing our current food system and explore solutions already existing and potential solutions to tackle the challenge. This will be done with the help from three experts, each with experience approaching the problem in different ways.
SDG Goals: 12
Gender Equality: Raising awareness about the issue among the leaders of tomorrow
Moderator: Svenja Weber & Yemariam Kassa
Experts
Monika Sebold-Bender, Michael Detmer (BASF), Claudia Kelz (ESCP)
Workshop Description
Women still do not have equal opportunities in the economic, political, and public sphere. What are the reasons for it? What factors influence those schemes? And how can gender parity be achieved after all? A comparative study should exemplify the practical aspects.
SDG Goals: 5
Circular models to redesign the Supply Chain
Moderator: Tommaso Bulgarelli
Experts
Vullnet Latifi (Logocos), Franziska Hasslinger (Logocos)
Workshop Description
This workshop aims at investigating the potential solutions that Circular Economy offers to businesses. In particular, the discussion focuses on the implementation of circular practices within the Supply Chain and how this affects the business model components.
SDG Goals: 9 & 12
Curriculum Change: Towards Sustainable Education
Moderator: Samy Graia & Olivier Juan
Experts
J. Christopher Proctor (oikos international), Rona van der Zander (GrowBeYound), Ludwig Weh (HU Berlin)
Workshop Description
In this workshop, students will scrutinize and take a critical stance toward conventional management curriculum and education. Through the understanding of economic pluralism, students will identify potential gaps in a traditional management curriculum, thereafter designing a course that may potentially fill a given gap, both in regards to content (what should be taught?) and pedagogical/learning tools (how it should be taught?). In the end, students will have to consider personal and cognitive barriers while pushing for new educational insights and methods. This workshop should make students realize that the status-quo in business education is bound to change with economic pluralist approaches.
SDG Goals: 4
How can collaborative action address the complexity of climate change?
Moderator: Yasemin Ottaviani
Experts
Lubomila Jordanova (Plan A), Nathan Bonisseau (Plan A), Claas Wenzlik (ESCP), Marlen Brüntrup (GTAI)
Workshop Description
This workshop aims to understand that social and environmental problems are complex systems. They are made up of problems arising in the social, managerial, economic and ecological dimension and are characterized by interdependence, mutual interaction, information feedback, and circular causality. Therefore such problems can not be addressed individually by entities but need collective action to be taken - the so-called System change. Such approach will be applied to the complex problem of Climate Change and meaningful collaborations among stakeholders will be formed to best address common goals.
Sustainable real-estate and urban resilience
Moderator: Alix Ditisheim & Romy Morssinkhof
Experts
Oyku Ulguner (Büro Happold), peter Scheibstock (Büro Happold), Carolina Figueroa (EcoLogic Institute), Dr. Wolfram Schmidt (BAM)
Workshop Description
The buildings and construction sector still accounts for a significant 39% of total energy-related CO2 emissions and 36% of final energy use (UN, 2018).
What are the issues related to our buildings and construction methods and what solutions are being developed to address these issues? What are the benefits and challenges of these solutions?
SDG Goals: 11
How to make cities self-sufficient in terms of food supply
Moderator: Elodie Schott
Experts
Andrea Rosen (Infarm), Lauriane Piot (Supercoop), Lena Alex (Foodsharing), Hella Moering (Foodsharing)
Workshop Description
As the population grows (projected 9 billion in 2050) and urbanisation increases, disconnecting us more and more from the land, it raises the question of how to feed those citizens. What new systems, tools, initiatives can be implemented to sustain a city at a local level? The purpose is to explore different solutions taking a multi-stakeholder perspective, because everyone is of value to make the change.
SDG Goals: 2
Circular Fashion, closing the loop
Moderator: Martina Saiu & Jean Seyll
Experts
Julia Finkenzeller (youngcaritas Berlin), Hanna Sin Gebauer (Dzaino)
Workshop Description
Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and the second sector using the most water? Did you know that this industry is worth 2.5 trillion and employs directly or indirectly one person out of six on this planet? With such an impact on everybody’s life and on our beautiful planet, the emergence of innovative solutions fostering sustainability in the fashion industry hides an enormous potential of economical growth, environmental protection and social improvements. This workshop aims to bring together actors addressing a specific solution to this problem through circular economy in the fashion industry. Is closing the loop in the fashion industry is a solution that can be taken seriously? Join the workshop to discover a whole new way to think about your clothes!
SDG Goals: 9, 12 & 13
Ocean impact: Business model innovations that improve the health of our oceans
Otto Vik Mathisen & Marion Haring
Experts
Lubomila Jordanova (Plan A), Meike Schützek (Ocean Now), Nicole Loeser (Institute for Art and Innovation)
Workshop Description
The ocean represents 90% of the earth’s biosphere. It's sheer size and rich diversity represent a wealth of opportunities and resources in times of rapid population growth. But the continuation of current unsustainable business practices is jeopardizing it all. In this workshop, we will explore impactful innovations and put our creativity to work for the oceans!
SDG Goals: 14
Finance
Moderator: Hugo Caparros, Thomas Owtram, Antoine Gnagne
Experts
Sofia Batholdy (PRI), Nadim Choucair (Cabinet)
Workshop Description
In a world where climate change is currently a major issue, a lot of companies are changing their entire business model. As such, within the financial markets, many opportunities and risks are arising, and investors are taking more and more into account ESG considerations. This workshop will help participants gain a holistic understanding of the major drivers, constraints and challenges that the financial sector faces in order to become sustainable. Furthermore, through this interactive workshop, students will understand the technical perspective of sustainable finance and how investment decisions that integrate Environmental, Social and Governance risks are processed.
Impact Measurement
Moderator: Ruby Hawliczek
Experts
Thomas Per Erichsen (EY)
Workshop Description
Impact Measurement. With increasing sustainability awareness and societal pressure to act, companies are looking for ways to improve their positive impact on the environment and society. But how can this impact be measured? In this workshop, students will be encouraged to work on case studies that enable them to develop a better understanding of the intricacies of impact measurement. They will be introduced to different tools and methodologies, such as the EY LTV framework, to analyze how a company’s activities impact relevant SDGs.
Sustainability in the tourism industry: from challenge to opportunity
Moderator: Elissa Ferron & Maria Paulinich
Experts
Martin Balas (TourCert), laura Jäger (Brot für die Welt), Maja Campelj (G-Guides)
Workshop Description
Is it possible to travel green? Can we foster social development while travelling? The tourism industry has to change if we want our future generations to enjoy the beauty of the planet's landscapes and people. Many countries have their economy based on tourism, this is why it is important to set new standards. Various SDGs are concerned by this industry, from reducing inequalities to clean energy. During this workshop, the participants will get to meet experts who are tackling these crucial issues and will be able to create a sustainable tourism agency of their own.s.
SDG Goals: 8, 12 & 15
Plastic in the Business World
Moderator: Juliette Chevalier
Experts
Bernhard Bauske (WWF)
Workshop Description
Current scenarios estimate that there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050. You may then wonder what is the role of businesses in tackling plastic waste and pollution. How to fundamentally rethink/redesign the way we make and use plastic? How can we bring products to customers without using disposable packaging? This workshop will explore the different opportunities for a company to shift from single-use plastics to more circular and reuse business models.
SDG Goals: 12
Renewable Energy
Moderator: Kaushik Tirumala Lakshmi Narayanan & Guillaume Bosc
Experts
Ilona Luedwig (4hundred)
Workshop Description
This workshop explores the concept of renewable energy from a business point of view, in terms of rising opportunities, projects implementation, along with political strategies towards decarbonization. Participants will have the chance to learn and discuss on how renewable energy could be profitably integrated with businesses, with a closer look at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
SDG Goals: 7
NGOs and Businesses Partnership Strategies
Moderator: Raisa Gomes, Natalia Nogueira & Hanish Bhatia
Experts
Rebecca tauer (WWF), Emery Rubagenga (Ishango Consulting)
Workshop Description
Partnership for the goals is often a foundational step toward positive actions & results under all the other SDGs. This workshop will cover dynamic aspects of strategic NGO partnerships and interactions with society such as knowledge sharing, financing models, impact, reputation, etc. Learn the nuances of successfully navigating NGO partnerships with our experts!
SDG Goals: 17
Urbanisation & Transformation
Moderator: kilian Kleinschmidt (IPA-switxboard)
Workshop Description
Refugee and migration movements are taking place, to an increasing extent, within the countries of the global south. In the big cities, refugees in the more narrow sense meet with other migrants who came „only“ for better prospects, i.e. they meet with the main protagonists of the rapidly progressing urbanization. The resulting integration task is extremely complex and it overwhelms the cities. We advocate a new model that would enable the cities to reduce the complexity of migration and urbanization by establishing a new type of special economic zone with a broad and deep social dimension. We call this model Sustainable Development Zones (SDZs).
Mobility & Transportation
Moderator: Joscha Domdey (URW)
Experts
Bernhard Ensink (Mobycon)
Workshop Description
The number of people living in urban areas will increase from 3.5 billion to 5 billion in 2030. Among other challenges, the way how mobility and transportation of the increasing number of city inhabitants is shaped in the future is a key questions that cities have to ask themselves. Accordingly, inner-city development projects are significantly connected to alternative transport solutions, the reduction of emissions from carriage and the provision of sustainable means of transport. During this workshop, you will learn more about the development of inner cities at the example of the Westfield Hamburg Überseequartier project, strengthen your design thinking skills and work on your own approach for a sustainable mobility concept.
