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The Circular Economy Platform has been established in Hungary

On 29 November, 2018 the Circular Economy Platform was officially established in Hungary as an initiative of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology.

The establishment of the Circular Economy Platform took place at a solemn ceremony where 33 leaders of 41 committed companies, institutions and organizations personally signed the Memorandum of Understanding. The justification and importance of the initiative was highlighted and praised by Balázs Weingartner, Minister of State for Sustainability, when he signed the Memorandum in the name of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology.

The shift to a circular economy represents a great business opportunity. The core of the concept is not yet deeply recognized by most companies, although the use of this model can increase the resilience of the world economy and facilitate the achievement of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The circular economy will be a business opportunity worth USD 4.5 thousand billion by 2030.

“BCSDH and its partners play a prominent role in facilitating the paradigm shift and joint thinking, along with building a community of forward-thinking change leaders and sharing business solutions that make a real impact.” – highlighted Attila Chikán Jr., President of BCSDH, in his speech.

“For the new model to develop and spread, collaboration and knowledge-sharing are required, with the involvement of businesses, government and science.”– he added.

BCSDH is therefore initiating the establishment of a Circular Economy Platform jointly with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. International and mostly Dutch practices represent well-functioning and important examples that should be followed in this area.

“I am proud that we were one of the first countries to set quantitative targets for a circular economy. But this is still not enough for us – we set the bar even higher: The Netherlands is working hard to achieve an economy without waste, an economy that reuses raw materials. We want to have a completely circular economy by 2050!”– emphasized René van Hell, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hungary, in his introductory speech.

“Today we are here to officially launch such a platform by which we can get into action in the most efficient and inclusive way to achieve our common goal, the transition from a linear to a circular economy”- he added.

“ING Bank considers it a key task to assemble the most important stakeholders who envision a circular economic transition in Hungary at a forum which creates a great place for sharing global experiences”  – stressed Tibor Bodor, CEO of ING Bank N.V. Hungary Branch, who was the host of the conference and also one of the first to sign this Memorandum of Understanding.

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Circular economy

According to the current so-called linear economic model, technical and biological components are extracted from nature, transformed, and are then disposed of without recycling.

In contrast, in the circular economic model metabolic processes are involved in a closed circle, waste is almost 100% recycled, and biological and technological components are returned to the cycle with minimum loss of quality.

The Galery is available here.

BCSDH is also participating in the establishment of the National Climate Assessment

The Ministry for Innovation and Technology is establishing a national report on climate change as an overview and as a form of decision-making support.

As the first step in preparing the report, an open conference was held on 28 November, 2018, with the purpose of informing stakeholders about the concepts related to the assessment, identifying the domestic scientists and scientific organizations that are focusing on climate change, and assessing decision-making needs regarding adaptation and the reduction of emissions.

 

Irén Márta, Managing Director of the Business Council For Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), stated in her speech that the greatest challenge for the second half of the twenty-first century is to make the transition to a carbon-neutral economy. In order to achieve this, BCSDH defined four recommendations for companies in 2016 which include raising the assessment of the risk  and opportunities of climate change to a strategic level, and also introducing carbon footprint analysis.

She highlighted that responsible companies are committed to supporting the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the creation of a carbon-neutral economy. Half of BCSDH’s member companies already have strategies for reducing their GHG emissions.

Based on a survey  by BCSDH of more than 100 companies, Irén emphasized that the business sector is paying attention to the security of supply, on which stricter legal requirements will have a great impact, as will extreme weather conditions, the increasing costs of adaption, and climate change.

 

 

Background to the national report

The Ministry for Innovation and Technology is establishing a decision-supporting, solution-oriented, comprehensive national report that supports domestic decisions and their implementation regarding climate policy issues, and moreover, for supporting more relevant, scientifically well-established domestic knowledge. It is planned that this will be based on the Assessment Report made by the Nobel-peace-prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC’s national reports, which are based on global reports, appear to be effective instruments for creating consensus between various scientific areas in many countries, thereby representing a sound basis for supporting  national, or regional political and economic decision-making regarding climate change. The conference is the first step in the process of creating such reports.

Companies are ready to take action to reduce their carbon emissions

The Paris Agreement and IPCC 1.5 report: are we on track? – is the title of an event organized by the French Embassy in Hungary, the French Institute in Budapest, the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary, Climate Reality Europe, and the Hungarian Embassy in Poland, which will be held in Katowice on 3-14 December as part of the COP24.

At a conference held on 26 November, 2018, Irén Márta, Managing Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), presented the climate-change-related commitments of member companies and the business sector at a round-table discussion with representatives of the stakeholders of the climate agreement.

She highlighted that the business sector is leading the way in terms of formulating the concrete goals and activities required for change, and that 80% of domestic companies already have or are working on a carbon reduction strategy, according to the BCSDH’s Survey of 2017. Additionally, there are many companies that have become carbon neutral, but there is still a need for further engagement and urgent action in all sectors.

At the conference it was recognized that many commitments have been made by countries, companies and organizations in connection with the Paris Agreement, but more drastic action and a higher level of involvement is still needed. In the light of the IPCC 1.5 report (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the UN) that was released in October, it is increasingly urgent that further steps are taken. Now is the time for action.

 

Invitation – The Paris Agreement vs the IPCC 1.5 report – are we on track? – 27 November 2018

The Embassy of France, the Budapest French Institute, the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary, the Climate Reality Project Europe and the Embassy of Poland would like to cordially invite you to attend our conference to be held on November 27, 2018 in Budapest as an official preparatory event of the COP24 in Katowice, Poland. The conference will provide a possibility to analyse the challenges of Hungary in the light of the recently published IPCC 1.5C report and how stakeholders can contribute to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Invited speakers: Csaba Kőrösi, Director of Environmental Sustainability at the Office of the President of the Republic; Barbara Botos, Deputy State Secretary for Climate Policy, State Secretariat for Energy and Climate, Ministry of Innovation and Technology; Wojciech Burkiewicz, deputy director responsible for climate and energy policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Poland; Henri Waisman, Coordinator, Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI); János Zlinszky, member of the Bureau of the European Environment Agency on behalf of the European Parliament; Gábor Szarvas, Director, Community Affairs, Environment, Health and Safety, Budapest Airport; Irén Márta, Director, Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary; Ádám Harmat, Manager, Climate and Energy Program, WWF.

Venue: French Institute, 1011 Budapest, Fő utca 17.
Date: November 27, 2018; 9:00-13:00, followed by a light lunch. Please find the draft program attached.

The event is open but registration is kindly requested before November 25 – thank you!

The languages of the conference are Hungarian, French, English with simultaneous interpretation.

REGISTRATION

Invitation – Sustainable Transitions in Business Conference – 29 November 2018

The Business Council For Sustainable Development in Hungary, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the ING Bank N. V. Hungary, we cordially invite you to the Sustainable Transitions in Business Conference.

As published recently by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), urgent and farreaching action must be taken by governments, corporations and society in order to prevent irreversible damage to Planet Earth. Fortunately, there have been a variety of methods developed by corporations to do so. Our responsibility is to share this experience and foster the transmission of best practices. We strongly believe that a concise conference can provide an interactive field to introduce these. Participants will hear about welltested methods of embedding sustainability into corporate strategy and operations from internationally recognized experts and local market leading corporations. ING, the Business Council for Sustainable Development, together with the Royal Netherlands Embassy has decided to provide a Circular Economy Platform for stakeholders to discuss how to ensure impact in the form of a conference on sustainability and innovation.

 

Date: 29 November 2018, 09:00-14:30 (registration from 8:15)

Venue: ÖbölHáz, (1117 Budapest, Kopaszi gát 2.)

 

Click here to see the detailed agenda of the conference.

If you would like to participate as a corporate leader, please contact us.

The official language of the conference is English (no interpretation will be provided).

 

The “For a Sustainable Future” Prizes have been awarded

“We would like to recognize the outstanding activities of leaders and companies in the field of sustainability”- said Irén Márta Managing Deirector  of BCSDH at the award-giving ceremony of the “For a Sustainable Future” prize on BCSDH’s business lunch.

 

18 October, 2018, Budapest – The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), which embraces 82 member companies that contribute approximately 30% of Hungary’s GDP, has now presented the For a Sustainable Future Prize for the second time in three categories: Change Leader, Leading Women, and Business Solutions.  

 

Irén Márta, Managing Director of BCSDH and member of the professional 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 set an example, and moreover, to promote and increase the contribution of business to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.”

 

The jury, consisting of five professionals (Dr. Gábor Bartus, Szilvia Krizsó, Irén Márta, István Salgó and Diána Ürge-Vorsatz), selected the laureates from the applicants.

Winner of the Change Leader prize: Ferenc Molnár (Ilcsi Szépítő Füvek)

 

Winners of the Leading Woman Prize: Zdravka Demeter Bubalo (MOL), Anita Urbán (Grundfos), Barbara Verő (Nestlé)

 

 

The best Business Solution prize-winners are:

Biofilter: ‘Circular approach in digital switchover’ digital office program,

Heineken: ‘Plastic-free movement in May’ compostable cup program,

MOL: ‘MOL Limo, the future of driving’ car-sharing program.

 

The winners of the “For a Sustainable Future” prize in 2018:

 

LEADING WOMAN PRIZE:

 

Zdravka Demeter Bubalo HR Director, MOL Group

…who is a proactive, strategic thinker and as a cooperative leader operating beyond Hungary’s borders is playing an active role in promoting gender equality to increase the opportunities of women and girls, thereby personally contributing to the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

 

 

Anita Urbán HR Director, Grundfos

….who is always thinking long-term, and as a committed and innovative leader is actively involved in creating high-quality workplaces with flexible forms of employment and opportunities for lifelong learning, thereby personally contributing to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

 

 

Barbara Verő Head of HR, Nestlé

…who is an innovative, inspirational leader that constantly questions the usual processes, and goes beyond normal company activities through promoting the employment of young people, talent management, and a start-up culture. Through her sustainable employment activities, she is contributing personally to meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

 

 

CHANGE LEADER PRIZE:

 

Ferenc Molnár Owner, Managing Director, Ilcsi Szépítő Füvek

…who is an innovative and environmentally conscious leader and pioneer at producing professional, certified, natural cosmetics. He has a major interest in promoting sustainable lifestyles and natural resource-saving forms of production, as also evidenced in his  personal lifestyle.

 

Photo: Ildikó Fülöp

 

BUSINESS SOLUTION PRIZE:

Biofilter’s ‘Circular approach in digital’ is an innovative, far-seeing program that sets an example for other companies and industries. Beyond regular business considerations, it continues to expand its own responsibilities and thus contributes to meeting the Action 2020 Hungary and United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

 

 

Heineken’s ‘Plastic-free movement in May’ program is an innovative, eye-catching business solution that seeks and finds answers to a major ecological problem. It could easily be extended to other market players within and beyond the industry, thus contributing significantly to the achievement of the Action 2020 Hungary and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

 

MOL’s ‘MOL Limo, the future of driving’ program is an innovative and forward-looking response to a large-scale problem, and a good example of responsible, strategic and business thinking. It also sets an example for other actors in the market and contributes significantly to achieving the Action 2020 Hungary and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Time is pressing – new business models are necessary

“Leaders have a primary responsibility to ensure sustainable value creation in an era of major change”- said Doreswamy Nandkishore (‘Nandu’) at BCSDH’s business lunch which focused on sustainable lifestyles. The award-giving ceremony of the “For a Sustainable Future” prize was also held at the event to recognize outstanding leaders and business solutions. 

18 October, 2018, Budapest – An introduction to the two-point recommendation for the business sector showing the way to promote sustainable lifestyles was presented at the business lunch of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH).

The organization, which embraces 82 member companies that contribute approximately 30% of Hungary’s GDP, has now presented the For a Sustainable Future Prize for the second time in three categories: Change Leader, Leading Women, and Business Solutions.  

There’s a need for change and new business models, but sustainable value creation should still be the focus – Speech of Nandu Nandkishore

We are living in an era of big changes, where  the survival of organizations depends on their capability to adapt and change  – said Doreswamy Nandkishore (Nandu), former Executive Vice President for Nestlé SA, and currently Executive Fellow of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School – “But one thing cannot change: commitment to principles and values, as this is the basis of trust, and is not concrete, but is still the permanent and everlasting basis of the value of companies. Thus, creating sustainable value and building trust are the primary responsibilities of leaders.”

Nandu highlighted that it is increasingly urgent for businesses and companies to make changes, and managers need to prepare their companies for wider changes in business models.

BCSDH’s recommendations for promoting the uptake of sustainable lifestyles

“According to a report by the United Nations, we only have 12 years left to stop climate change and step onto a path of sustainability. For this to happen, it is essential that sustainable lifestyles become more general. In promoting their uptake, companies have a clear role and responsibility. Fortunately, the commitment of companies to this goal is increasing both globally and on the domestic level too” said Attila Chikán Jr., President of the BCSDH in a speech that also introduced the two-point recommendation which was put together by BCSDH and the leaders of its member companies to help the business sector take the steps necessary for promoting the uptake of sustainable lifestyles.

BCSDH’s recommendations to the business sector for promoting sustainable lifestyles:

  1. Change business models to make sustainable products and services competitive
  2. Shift consumer demand towards sustainability through brands

Over 80 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 have been identified that can positively impact the sustainable lifestyles.

Click here to see the photo gallery of the event.

 

Sponsors of the Action2020 program in 2018:

 

Cooperating partners:

We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN

Summary for Policymakers of IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C
approved by governments

 Limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society, the IPCC said in a new assessment. With clear benefits to people and natural ecosystems, limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C could go hand in hand with ensuring a more sustainable and equitable society, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said on Monday.

The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. It will be a key scientific input into the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December, when governments review the Paris Agreement to tackle climate change.

“With more than 6,000 scientific references cited and the dedicated contribution of thousands of expert and government reviewers worldwide, this important report testifies to the breadth and policy relevance of the IPCC,” said Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC.

Ninety-one authors and review editors from 40 countries prepared the IPCC report in response to an invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) when it adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015.

The report’s full name is Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.

“One of the key messages that comes out very strongly from this report is that we are already seeing the consequences of 1°C of global warming through more extreme weather, rising sea levels and diminishing Arctic sea ice, among other changes,” said Panmao Zhai, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group I.

The report highlights a number of climate change impacts that could be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2°C, or more. For instance, by 2100, global sea level rise would be 10 cm lower with global warming of 1.5°C compared with 2°C. The likelihood of an Arctic Ocean free of sea ice in summer would be once per century with global warming of 1.5°C, compared with at least once per decade with 2°C. Coral reefs would decline by 70-90 percent with global warming of 1.5°C, whereas virtually all (> 99 percent) would be lost with 2°C.

“Every extra bit of warming matters, especially since warming of 1.5°C or higher increases the risk associated with long-lasting or irreversible changes, such as the loss of some ecosystems,” said Hans-Otto Pörtner, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.

Limiting global warming would also give people and ecosystems more room to adapt and remain below relevant risk thresholds, added Pörtner. The report also examines pathways available to limit warming to 1.5°C, what it would take to achieve them and what the consequences could be. “The good news is that some of the kinds of actions that would be needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C are already underway around the world, but they would need to accelerate,” said Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Co-Chair of Working Group I.

The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050. This means that any remaining emissions would need to be balanced by removing CO2 from the air.

“Limiting warming to 1.5°C is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes,” said Jim Skea, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.

Allowing the global temperature to temporarily exceed or ‘overshoot’ 1.5°C would mean a greater reliance on techniques that remove CO2 from the air to return global temperature to below 1.5°C by 2100. The effectiveness of such techniques are unproven at large scale and some may carry significant risks for sustainable development, the report notes.

“Limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared with 2°C would reduce challenging impacts on ecosystems, human health and well-being, making it easier to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” said Priyardarshi Shukla, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III.

The decisions we make today are critical in ensuring a safe and sustainable world for everyone, both now and in the future, said Debra Roberts, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II.

“This report gives policymakers and practitioners the information they need to make decisions that tackle climate change while considering local context and people’s needs. The next few years are probably the most important in our history,” she said.

The IPCC is the leading world body for assessing the science related to climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and possible response options.

The report was prepared under the scientific leadership of all three IPCC working groups. Working Group I assesses the physical science basis of climate change; Working Group II addresses impacts, adaptation and vulnerability; and Working Group III deals with the mitigation of climate change.

The Paris Agreement adopted by 195 nations at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015 included the aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”

As part of the decision to adopt the Paris Agreement, the IPCC was invited to produce, in 2018, a Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways. The IPCC accepted the invitation, adding that the Special Report would look at these issues in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty.

Global Warming of 1.5°C is the first in a series of Special Reports to be produced in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Cycle. Next year the IPCC will release the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, and Climate Change and Land, which looks at how climate change affects land use.

The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) presents the key findings of the Special Report, based on the assessment of the available scientific, technical and socio-economic literature relevant to global warming of 1.5°C.

The Summary for Policymakers of the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) is available at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15 or www.ipcc.ch.

Source: IPCC, Photos: The Guardian,

Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, @IPCC WGIII Vice-Chair, presented the emission pathways and system transitions, consistent with 1.5°C global warming #SR15 during the scientific workshop in Hanoi.

Companies can play an important role in promoting the uptake of sustainable lifestyles

By shaping the demand and supply of sustainable products and services, companies can do a lot to promote sustainable lifestyles more widely  – emphasized participants at the CEO round table discussions in June and in early September that focused on Sustainable Lifestyles through the Action 2020 Hungary program.

BCSDH’s CEO round-table discussions were held in June and continued in September. The purpose of the events was to define those focal areas in which BCSDH can define concrete recommendations and activities for the business sector. The hosts of the round-table discussions were BCSDH’s member companies Legrand Zrt., Daikin, Heineken, and ING.

Participants agreed that all companies, regardless of industry and size, have great potential in this area. The introduction of new business models, most of all the circular economy, can not only reduce ecological stress but also costs, thereby contributing to making sustainable lifestyles more affordable. Growing demand for sustainable products and services can be perceived in many sectors, but consumer education is still a big challenge for companies and brands.

The aim of BCSDH is to define recommendations and activities for the business sector regarding sustainable lifestyles with which companies can create real impact. Moreover, companies can introduce their business solutions on 18th October at  our business lunch and in related publications so that they can be adapted by other companies.

The main sponsors of the  Action2020 program in 2018 are Mastergood and Nestlé;  highlighted sponsors are Alteo, McDonald’s, MOL and Unilever; further sponsors include Allianz, E.On, Essity, Folprint, Hungarocontrol, HVG, KPMG and Rossmann.

 

Photos taken at these events can be found on a gallery at our website.

BUDAPEST ENERGY SUMMIT – 3-6th December 2018

Budapest Energy Summit will be organized on the 3-6th of December 2018 at Budapest, Hungary. 

BEST2018 includes the CLEAN ENERY Forum, the INNOVATION Hub and also the first WOMEN in ENERGY Conference.

 

Date: 3-4-5-6 December, 2018 (Monday-Thursday)

Venue: Hotel Marriott Budapest

 

Some confirmed speakers of the summit:

Maros Sefcovic, Vice President, European Commission

Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

László Palkovics, Minister of Innovation and Technology

Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Member of the Board, COO, E.ON

Lászlo Varró, Chief Economist, IEA

Elena Burmistrova, CEO, Gazprom Export

Anita Orbán, Vice President, Tellurian

Léon Wijnands, Global Head of Sustainability, ING Bank

Gergely Szabó, Country Chariman Hungary, MET Group

Andrew Walker, Vice President Strategy, Cheniere

Mohamed Anis, Tech Evangelist, INFOSYS

 

Book your EARLY BIRD ticket with 20% discount on our website

www.budapestenergysummit.hu

Would you have any question we are happy to answer them – please contact us:

bernadett.forizs@whitepaperconsulting.hu

 

Platina Sponsor:

Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary
1118 Budapest, Ménesi street 9/a.

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