On 24 November, a professional jury auditioned six university students’ applications at the E.ON headquarters in Budapest for the latest round of The Future Leaders Talent Program, which was started by the Business Council for Sustainable Development Hungary (BCSDH).
The 2018 scholarship was unanimously awarded to Gábor Földvári, who is presently doing an M.Sc. in Finance at Corvinus University. The jury – which consisted of corporate professionals – agreed that not only was the presentation’s quality and creativity remarkable, but so was the applicant’s high-level of theoretical knowledge and commitment to sustainability.
On 22 November, MOL Group has signed a partnership agreement with InnoEnergy during the PowerUp! competition in Budapest. InnoEnergy is the largest European sustainable energy innovation accelerator and a world-class alliance of research institutes, universities and top European players in the energy sector.
The cooperation supports MOL Group’s ambitions to become a regional source of innovation in the energy industry. Through the partnership with InnoEnergy, MOL will be able to benefit from capabilities and a good track record of the partner in working with startups, while getting closer to meeting its long-term strategic goals. The associated partner status will enable MOL Group to get a priority access to the extensive InnoEnergy network, as well as startups offering innovative products and services.
Zsolt Winkler, Head of Open Innovation Hub at MOL Group said “The 2030 Strategy announced a year ago set MOL Group on a challenging yet exciting path. Advancements in technology and new consumer habits have fundamentally changed the entire industry, and we see embracing an open innovation culture as the right response to these challenges. Following the call for innovative startups, which we recently announced, the partnership with InnoEnergy is one of the next steps supporting our strategic goals. The cooperation will help us turn into a vital part of the European innovation ecosystem, which is undoubtedly an essential part of our journey to become the first choice of customer on the move.”
In order to boost its outreach towards the startup community, MOL Group became the main sponsor of the third edition of PowerUp!, the biggest regional competition for energy startups. We took a crucial part in selecting the winners this year, as Group Strategy and Business Development Senior Vice President György Bacsa sat on the jury and evaluated the contestants.
The application was open for participants from 23 countries in CEE, the Baltics and parts of the Mediterranean, out of which 15 best startups were selected to take part in the Grand Final in Budapest. Winners of the PowerUp! competition are invited to join InnoEnergy’s program called Highway, which offers support worth €150k to the most promising sustainable energy startups, along with three prizes of up to €20k.
Winners of the PowerUp! startup competition:
HeatVentors (Hungary): Innovative thermal energy storage solution.
FLASC (Malta): Energy storage device that integrates into a floating offshore platform.
Via Alta (Czech Republic): New technology for the production of biofuel from biodegradable waste.
MOL Group as main sponsor, had the opportunity to give a wild card to a selected startup in the final, it was Mebius from Slovenia and develops new and more efficient hydrogen-based fuel cell system components.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-11-24 13:18:422017-11-24 13:18:42MOL Group Partners with a Leading European Innovation Accelerator
Decision-makers gathered in Bonn, Germany in early November for the COP23 climate conference. Through the WBCSD, over 70 companies and 200 participants were able to attend the world-renowned event. The key takeaway for business is that companies are now formally invited to provide input into the climate negotiations through reports, dialogue and analyses. WBCSD looks forward to actively engaging in this process through regional, solutions-focused multi-stakeholder meetings over the course of 2018, through to COP24. For more, read WBCSD’s Insider Perspective or check out our COP23 special edition Panorama podcast on iTunes and the WBCSD website.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-11-23 15:07:582017-11-23 15:07:58COP23 – WBCSD news from Bonn
Eighty percent of leading companies already have or are presently developing a carbon reduction strategy
According to 81% of respondents, environmental responsibility is one of the most important and most practical areas in which the long-term sustainability of corporations can be demonstrated – as revealed in the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary’s (BCSDH) own, non-representative survey. The organisation – with more than 70 corporate members who contribute 30% of Hungary’s GDP – was interested in how 110 companies that signed the Recommendation for Business Leaders evaluate their progress in taking responsibility for environmental accomplishments, and the action they have taken towards protecting the climate.
The survey reveals that while 2016 reflected an attitude of euphoria after the signing of the Paris Climate Accord – as reflected in the survey from that year – in 2017, especially after the USA pulled out, this optimistic picture became more nuanced.
“It is already quite clear that this turnaround by one of the most powerful countries in the world cannot put a stop to climate-related cooperation. This fact is also proven by the stand taken by our parent organisation, the WBCSD, which articulated its commitment to continuing its work – which we also support. High-level leaders of the largest American corporations have also reiterated their support for climate-related action, giving hope that sustainability issues will remain on the top of their list of priorities regarding their operations, and the members of the BCSDH support this.”- stated Attila Chikán Junior, President of BCSDH about the relevant points of the survey, carried out with 59 companies.
Four-fifths of all companies already have or are presently developing a carbon-reduction strategy
The practical realization of the BCSDH protocols which were created in 2016 to apply to climate protection are clearly traceable in the survey.
71% of respondents operate an environmental management system. In response to another question, 93% of corporate leaders claimed that it was important to properly measure and report carbon emissions, and 63% of all companies already have a strategy in place to reduce their carbon footprints.
This also offers hope that more leaders of domestic companies are realizing that the responsible use of natural resources and the creation of goals and measures related to this goal are similarly important.
Organizations are open to using alternative energy
Nearly half of all respondents stated that they are willing to change to using alternative energy in the future, and they have already taken steps to achieve this goal.
A further 32% responded that they already use alternative energy. This means that almost all large enterprises are undergoing a process of changing to use alternative energies. It is important to point out, however, that the uptake of alternative energy and the improvement of its composition depend very much on regulators.
The downloadable version of the BCSDH survey is available here:
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-11-17 18:00:182017-11-17 18:00:18Corporations Advance the Cause of Sustainability – BCSDH Survey 2017
At the same time with the Piac és Profit Hungarian Sustainability Summit, every second year next to the Business Ethics Prize, one person is honoured to be the current year’s ’Embassador of Sustainability’. This year Irén Márta, the managing director of our organisation was awarded with the prize, as a recognition to her outstanding professional work considering her CSR and sustainable development oriented acts.
The tribute is given to a professional, who is fully committed to spread and intensify during his or her day-to-day worklife the taken responsibility in the topic of sustainable development among the company’s clients.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-11-16 08:24:322017-11-16 08:24:32Irén Márta has become the Embassador of Sustainability
We kindly invite you to our business breakfast on International Corporate Responsibility (CR) Reporting practices.
At the event, we will present the findings of our recent international survey, The Road Ahead: The KPMG International Survey of Corporate Responsibility Reporting 2017. Conducted in the summer of 2017, our professionals analyzed the annual financial reports, corporate responsibility reports, and websites of 4,900 companies in 49 countries and regions, making it the most extensive edition ever.
We will also compare Hungarian practices with international trends, while the future prospects and development possibilities of sustainability reporting and linking this to the UN Sustainable Development Goals will be covered in a panel discussion.
Date:
23 November 2017 (Thursday), 8.30-11.00
Venue:
KPMG Conference Centre (1134 Budapest, Váci út 31.)
Agenda:
08.30-09.00
Registration
09.00-09.05
Welcome by Ságodi Attila, partner at KPMG
09.05-09.30
Presentation of the KPMG’s international survey on CR/SD reporting
· Szabó István, KPMG Senior Manager
09.30-10.30
Panel discussion on the prospects and development possibilities of CR reporting in Hungary and implementing SDG-s
· Bauer, Joerg – GE Hungary, President
· ifj. Chikán Attila – Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary, President; Alteo Group, CEO
· Jancsár Gergely – MOL Group Head of SD Program & HSE Business Support
· Klement Tibor – BorsodChem Zrt., HSE Director
· Mattheisen, Chris – Magyar Telekom Group, CEO
· Ságodi Attila – KPMG Advisory Ltd., Partner
10.30-11.00
Open discussion for all participants
The event, conducted in English, is open to the media.
Participation is free but prior registration is required. Please register here by 17 November.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-11-14 15:28:312017-11-14 15:28:31KPMG Business breakfast on sustainability reporting practices – BCSDH panel discussion – 23 November
“We must invest at least as much time and as many resources in people as we do in developing technologies” – said futurist Gerd Leonhard, concluding his presentation at the BCSDH business lunch which focused on sustainable employment and hosted the award ceremony of the ‘For a Sustainable Future’ Prize that recognized outstanding management achievement.
The jubilee business lunch of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) – celebrating its 10th anniversary – hosted the award ceremony of the newly founded For a Sustainable Future Prize, and a presentation of recommendations that pave the way for the business sector to move towards a more sustainable labour market.
This is the first year that the For a Sustainable Future Prize was presented , which has three categories: Change Leader, Leading Women, and Business Solutions.
There’s no technology without humanity – speech by futurist Gerd Leonhard
“Efficiency should never become more important than humanity, because not everything that can be automated should be – and happiness cannot be automated”– said futurist Gerd Leonhard, one of the top influencers in Europe (Wired magazine, 2015) and Future Agency CEO emphasizing the role of the mankind in a digitalized society in his live video speech.
“The future is already here – but most of us haven’t noticed. We are facing exponential technological change and it’s only just the beginning. Humanity will change more in the next 20 years than in the previous 300 years. 50% of our jobs will be automated within the next 10 to 15 years. This could be heaven – or it could be hell; all depends on how we collaborate going forward.”
“Therefore, we should invest at least as much energy in people, in ourselves, as we do in technology. It will make us successful both in terms of personal and economic factors” – he added.
Gerd pointed out how digitalization, one of the key factors, influences the labour market, and also added that human skills such as emotions, emotional intelligence, intuition, imagination and creativity are essential for a deep understanding of technology.
The recommendations of BCSDH for a sustainable labour market
The labour market has been changing at an accelerating pace, and there is no company in Hungary which is not affected by these changes. Ever-greater labour shortages can threaten market positions, and may become serious impediments to development. – said Attila Chikán Jr., Chairman of the organization, in a speech that introduced the recommendation of three points developed in cooperation with the leaders of BCSDH member companies that are designed to help the business sector achieve employment targets.
The recommendations of BCSDH for a sustainable labour market:
Create employment systems which fit the life status of individuals
Promote lifelong development
Support the career paths of women
Over 70 senior executives, civil and scientific experts took part in the preparation and wording of the recommendation. As a result, solutions for both the business sector and its stakeholders were identified that might can positively impact the employment situation.
For a Sustainable Future Prize 2017 – Leaders for sustainability
As part of the jubilee business lunch of BCSDH, the award ceremony of the For a Sustainable Future Prize, established on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of BCSDH, was held.
Irén Márta, BCSDH Managing Director and member of the jury explained: “We have established this complex prize with the purpose of recognizing and disseminating to a wide audience the activities of leaders and companies in the field of sustainability. The goal of the prize is to promote and increase the contribution of business to meeting Sustainable Development Goals.”
The jury (made up of Gábor Dr. Bartus, Szilvia Krizsó, Irén Márta and István Salgó) selected the laureates from 26 applicants.
The winners of the Change Leader prize were: László Károlyi (Legrand) and Károly Kovács (BDL). Winners of the Leading Woman Prize were: Kamilla Csomai (MAVIR), Andrea Istenesné Solti (Shell), Márta Pálfalvi (Heineken), and Mónika Vörös (Unilever).
The best Business Solution prize was awarded to TESCO Globál Áruházak Zrt. for its “Not a single bite of food can be wasted” program that is designed to reduce the amount of food waste.
Key sponsors of the prize were: Alteo, Coca-Cola, Greenpro, Inest, SCA. Further sponsors were: E.On, K&H.
The winners of the For a Sustainable Future prize:
Leading Women Prize:
As a charismatic, consistent and empathic leader, Kamilla has played an active role in integrating energy from renewable sources into electricity systems while ensuring her staff’s commitment to creating an organization ready for transformation and renewal and adapting to the challenges of sustainable development. She has thereby contributed personally to the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals.
Kamilla Csomai CEO, MAVIR
As an energetic, value-driven and committed leader, Andrea is doing a lot to incorporate diversity into the corporate environment. As a result of her active professional and public efforts, an increasing number of companies are committed to promoting the values of diversity, contributing to the establishment of equal opportunities, and meeting Sustainable Development Goals.
Andrea Istenesné Solti HR Manager for Downstream Central Eastern Europe, Member of the Board, Shell Hungary
As a conscious, goal-oriented manager who strives for maximum performance, Márta has inspired not only her colleagues but also business leaders. She has also contributed to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals by setting an example through her commitment to sustainability and equal treatment for men and women.
MártaPálfalvi Human Resources and Corporate Affairs Director, Heineken Hungary
As a diverse, cooperative and inspirational leader with outstanding professional skills and role model qualities, Mónika has made great strides in fostering women’s career paths by encouraging flexible working hours and telework, thus contributing to meeting Sustainable Development Goals.
As a credible, recognized and innovative leader, besides being committed to his profession and sustainability, Károly places great emphasis on knowledge sharing. His strategic decisions are not only driven by business values, but economic, social and environmental considerations. His leadership activity and his professional public messages are credible and coherent.
Károly Kovács Managing Director, BDL Plc.
As a widely recognized, creative, systematic and humane leader, László has formulated a new business model. He was among the first to join several initiatives for promoting sustainable corporate operations, and is committed to the training of prospective business leaders in the fields of both management and ethics.
LászlóKárolyi CEO, Legrand Hungary
Business Solution prize:
’No single bite of food can be wasted’ program
The “No single bite of food can be wasted” programme by Tesco Global Hungary is an innovative awareness-raising initiative that goes well beyond regular business solutions, and which can easily be extended to other market players to help the business sector significantly contribute to accomplishing the Action 2020 Hungary objectives and Sustainable Development Goals.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-11-06 12:30:202017-11-06 12:30:20People: the key to the future – The first For a Sustainable Future Prizes are presented
As a result of KPMG’s Global Cyber Day upwards of 30,000 students across six continents received cyber security training. 29 countries including KPMG Hungary participated at the initiative, which aim was to teach students about the importance of cyber security and encourage them to make better online choices. Together with Kék Vonal Child Crisis Foundation KPMG staff hold interactive training sessions in three different school for teenagers.
In November, KPMG hosted the first session of a special program-series about cyber bullying, the joint initiative of American Chamber of Commerce and the Code Teatrum Student Stage. 80 students from different high schools attended the event and had the chance to discuss the rules and best practices of safe internet access with several professionals, including KPMG IT security experts.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-10-30 15:56:142017-10-30 15:56:14Approximately 30,000 students reached through KPMG global cyber security initiative
The Antal József Knowledge Centre hold the SUSCO Budapest 2017 – „The Global Energy Landscape”- national conference about sustainable development for the fourth time.
Irén Márta, General Manager of our organization was asked to present the final, summing speech after the workshops and presentations. The event focused on the energy supply of our future and its technological and regulation questions.
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-10-26 11:12:362017-10-26 11:12:36Irén Márta was the final presentator of SUSCO Budapest 2017
Provident Pénzügyi Zrt received the „Global Sustainability Leadership” award, the international jury recognised Botond Szirmák, Country Manager of Provident, also in the individual category at the World Sustainability Congress on 11-12th October in Dubai.
The World Sustainability Congress is an international professional organisation that gathers, shares and acknowledges sustainability best practices developed in business, non-profit and governmental sectors around the world. The annual Congress was hosted by Dubai this year with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, as main patron. For several years, the presentations and workshops of the Congress have been building bridges among the different business cultures of the Western and Eastern hemisphere – dozens of nations are represented from the United States of America through Germany and the United Kingdom to Malaysia. The founder of the conference and the award is Dr. R. L. Bhatia, an Indian-born Human Resources Professional, who supports the World CSR Congress with his decades-long experience as international advisor and with his network of partners.
Provident was rewarded for its successful, detailed and practical sustainability programme that has been operating for years. The programme treats the Company’s social impacts as priority with special attention to responsible lending, and has developed effective means of sustainability in its all aspects: social investments, volunteerism, stakeholder dialogues, environment protection, transparency. Botond Szirmák, the Country Manager of Provident Hungary, received the “CEO of the Year” award for exemplary and exceptionally high-impact representation of sustainability principles both inside and outside the Company.
The awards were handed to dr Zsuzsanna Jánosy and András Kőszegi, managers of the BrandTrend branding consultancy, representing Hungary as members of the advisory board of the event.
Botond Szirmák, Country manager of Provident:“A few years ago nine out of ten people – even in a corporate environment – were uncertain of what sustainability means, even though it directly affects business results. The main goal of a sustainability programme is to create value for all stakeholders, including customers, employees, shareholders and society as a whole, by responsibly managing social, business and environmental risks related to the Company’s operations. I’m glad that our results in this field in Hungary have won international recognition and we are all really proud of these awards with my colleagues.”
Dr Zsuzsanna Jánosy and András Kőszegi , CEOs of BrandTrend:“It was uplifting to take sustainability awards for a Hungarian company at an international event. In the past few years we’ve experienced that Hungary gradually catches up with the global forefront: These awards prove that Hungarian businesses are capable of not only learning but also developing and sharing best practices that are competitive in the international environment.”
Corporate Social Responsibility has a decade-long history at Provident Pénzügyi Zrt. Apart from the initiatives aimed at responsible lending, Provident’s Family Treasure programme has provided up-to-date economic, financial and job market skills to almost 30,000 households through hundreds of education specialists. “Provident Guardian Angels” have supported medical, educational and social institutions with over 70,000 hours of voluntary work at a hundred locations.
About Provident Pénzügyi Zrt:
Provident Pénzügyi Zrt – five times listed as Hungarian Superbrands – has been one of the key participants in the personal loans market in Hungary for 15 years. The company of British background has 130 years experience in the business. Its parent company, International Personal Finance (IPF), listed on the London stock exchange, serves 2,4 million customers in 11 countries. With its 3000 employees, Provident is one of the largest employers in Hungary. It has twice won the Best Employer of Hungary Award (Aon Hewitt 2012, 2014) and it was chosen the sixth best employer in the Central European region. Provident was among the 32 best employers in the world in 2013 (Great Workplace Award of the Gallup Institute), and with this it became the first Hungarian participant in the history of the award. Provident serves over 300,000 customers with over 90% customer satisfaction rate. Customers represent the entire creditworthy population. Provident won the Excellence in Customer Service Award in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014. The company pursues a wide range of CSR activities. In the past few years, Provident employees spent 70,000 hours helping educational and social institutions all over the country as volunteers. Additionally, Provident also runs an economic and financial educational programme (www.csaladikassza.hu).
00eszter.chikankovacshttps://bcsdh.hu/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/bcsdh-logo.pngeszter.chikankovacs2017-10-24 14:57:012017-10-24 14:57:01Provident Hungary wins Global Sustainability Leadership Awards
’No single bite of food can be wasted’ program
