Sustainable Development Day at RANEPA Summer Campus has become a good tradition for Russian Global Compact Local Network. It started last year as several expert speeches and this year transformed into interactive session including expert panel discussion with lectures and team work.
Plenary discussion held by business representatives and experts from SUMAS allowed participants to figure out what were SDGs, why and which steps responsible business had already made for their achievement, how Russian business contributed to promotion of SDGs agenda, which interesting practical solutions had already been implemented. Notwithstanding different level of participants preparation, there were those who had never heard abot SDGs before and those who could speak about mechanisms of their implementation or new global challenges, the discussion turned to be very intensive, interesting and covered ecology, regional development, approaches to sustainable development.
"The lectures on sustainable development were really interesting. It is very important that business does not keep the distance from the youth and describes its experience. I am happy to be there!” Katherin Mary Armstrong, a student from the USA, shares her emotions on the sustainable development day.
Developing experimental format of business games in support of youth contest «Impact of Business. Local solutions to global problems», UN GC experts held hackathon, where the students from different countries joined forces to make out a project and offer different companies (UN GC participants) their solutions and ideas for achieving the SDGs.
The teams chose SDGs most relevant to their companies, analized their programs and presented complex projects which allow companies to transform the business models and contribute to solving global problems. The projects included ideas of creating the volunteer departments inside the organizations, development of alternative energy sources, separate garbage collection with further recycling or utilization. One of the teams presented a mechanism allowing to use fishbones as a tool for SDG 14 "Life under water" achievement.
«I know a lot about SDGs, it is very interesting. It is important to allocate resources equally. It is a great opportunity to fulfil your potential. My friend made a project of creating an incubator, very useful in long-term aspect, her project was supported.» (Nicolas Baiderviden, Germany).
Sustainable development day concluded with the lectures of Maxim Kochetkov and Daria Goncharova.
Sustainable development day experts:
Inga Trofimova (Deloitte, corporate responsibility and sustainable development manager)
Olga Luchina (Internal Communications Manager)
Vera Dadasheva (Co-founder of Singularity University in Russia)
Maxim Kochetkov (sustainable development and ESG expert)
Elena Korotkova (the Head of ESG, Severstal)
Daria Goncharova (Polymetal, Chief Sustainability Officer)
Julia Koroleva (SUMAS (Switzerland), Professor of Sustainability Management)
RANEPA Summer Campus organizers - The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA),the Government of the Tatarstan Republic, Association of innovative regions of Russia with support of ACIG Group of Companies.