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One hundred and thirty-three companies have expressed their high-level commitment to sustainability by adopting “Sustainable Business Management Guidelines”

The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) has developed into a leading organization for corporate sustainability, now representing the top executives of 133 responsible companies in Hungary. At its general assembly, held at MOL Campus, member companies accepted the ‘Sustainable Business Management Guidelines’ thereby expressing their desire to lead by example as well as manage their companies accordingly.

The ‘Sustainable Business Management Guidelines’ comprehensively outline how a sustainable company should operate. Our aim in creating the Management Guidelines was to provide guidance for corporate leaders in Hungary in terms of sustainable corporate governance. The members of the BCSDH are responsible leaders of leading companies in this area, who, by signing the membership agreement, undertake to accept these guidelines and are committed to leading their companies in this direction,” said István Salgó, BCSDH’s honorary president, who oversaw and supported the entire process with his expertise.

‘The ‘Sustainable Business Management Guidelines’ were developed in line with the system of criteria of our parent organization, the WBCSD, based on our Recommendations for Business Leaders and as part of our Time to Transform 2030 program. To monitor the progress of our members in this process, we track their results annually through our maturity survey. Our goal is to assist them by identifying areas for development and showing them best practices that will help them achieve real change and accelerate the process,” added Irén Márta, the organization’s executive director, after approval of the BCSDH 2022 report.

The BCSDH has defined its goal for 2023 as supporting its member companies and the business sector to achieve climate-neutral operations, restore biodiversity, promote an inclusive, equitable, and diverse corporate culture and operations, and fully respect human rights in business. The organization also aims to promote the highest level of transparency.

“Now is the time for action. Along with our 133 corporate members, we believe that small steps are no longer enough, and immediate change is needed in poorly functioning systems. We believe that the corporate sector must lead these changes. Those who act earlier will clearly be less affected by external factors such as rising energy prices or supply chain disruptions. Transformation requires a mindset change that fundamentally alters business leaders’ short- and long-term thinking and decision-making. It is important for BCSDH to have a highly committed community of companies and business leaders, which is why the widespread adoption of the Sustainable Business Management Guidelines is a significant step.” explained Attila Chikán Jr., president of BCSDH.

This intention is supported by our professional short-term and long-term work. The Time to Transform 2030 program, which will define the decade, was launched to accelerate systemic transformation, including the Race to Zero initiative, which will help the Hungarian economy become climate-neutral by 2050, the Circular Economy Platform, which aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economic model, and the ESG working group, which will prepare member companies to comply with stricter regulations through knowledge sharing. The “Future Leaders” Talent Program, now in its tenth year, continues to lend support and is a much-needed program for ensuring that as many business leaders as possible understand the Sustainable Business Management Guidelines and incorporate them into everyday business operations.

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28.02.2023

Nobody Can Do It Alone – BCSDH Sustainability Matchmaking Event for Promoting Net-zero Goals

News

The world faces three critical challenges: the climate emergency, the loss of natural diversity, and growing social inequalities. Systemic changes are needed instead of isolated measures, which require profound and comprehensive cooperation across sectors and between economic actors.

The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), recognizing the opportunities inherent in synergy and partnership that its 133 leading company members can generate, organized a private Sustainability Matchmaking event for the second time on January 24, 2023, hosted by UniCredit Bank, to speed up the transition to carbon-neutral operations and encourage system-level change.

Joining the Race to Zero initiative, at the event organized in cooperation with the British Embassy, twenty companies presented their sustainability products and services and had the opportunity to have informal discussions with with more than thirty companies that were looking for sustainability solutions to help meet the goal of net zero.

On behalf of UniCredit Bank, Giacomo Volpi, Vice President and Deputy CEO, welcomed the participants.

“Glad to be part of this business-led, business-to-business event. It demonstrates that net zero makes business sense and that businesses are playing their role in driving the clean energy and economic transition” – highlighted Paul Fox, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Hungary, in his opening speech.

The most popular topics were energy efficiency, green energy, and circular economy solutions, but carbon footprint calculation and digital and financial solutions for promoting carbon neutrality were not far behind.

“The program clearly shows what the most pressing challenges are for companies. Significant progress has been made in defining net zero goals, even within one year, as our latest Towards Net Zero research conducted together with Deloitte shows that the number of companies committing to carbon neutrality has doubled. At the same time, carbon neutrality goals often do not include actual, measurable, scientific GHG emission reduction commitments, so there is still a long way to go“ – said Irén Márta, executive director of the BCSDH, in her welcome speech. “The research also pointed out that there is still a lot of uncertainty, a lack of knowledge is typical, and the allocation of resources within companies is often inadequate. The main incentives for companies to reduce emissions are maintaining or increasing competitiveness and complying with regulations. By presenting opportunities and good examples in this area, BCSDH can best help its member companies and the wider business environment” – she added.

It is an encouraging finding that areas related to the focal topic of the BCSDH for 2023 – the protection of biodiversity – already started to be addressed this year at the event: services related to regenerative agriculture, nature-based carbon neutralization, and sustainable water management.

More than half of the world’s GDP depends on nature and its services. In other words, all actors and companies are affected, so everyone has the responsibility and opportunity to act.

Thanks to the Sponsors of the 2023 Race to Zero Program:

24.01.2023

Why is the phone’s dialing sound different when calling from abroad? – an exciting lab tour at Nokia at the Future Leaders Alumni meeting

News

Why is the phone’s dialing sound different when calling from abroad? How many phone calls can a phone tower handle at the same time? How is 5G made? And how do you present to your managers that sustainable investments are really worth it? These are couple of the topics from the latest Alumni meeting of the Future Leaders Talent Program, held on November 23 at Nokia.

Attila Baranyai, Nokia’s Global Logistics Quality Manager, and participant of the 2018 class, hosted the Alumni team of the Future Leaders Talent Program at the Nokia Skypark Office Building. Nokia’s team in Hungary is one of the company’s most significant and successful research and development units. The company’s engineers showed the team around the lab, and we could see how the 5G network – that is used in more and more parts of the world – is being developed in Hungary. They also told us about what we can expect in the future in the field of networks. Attila talked about the sustainability activities of the company, including the supply chain area. He also presented the project of József Pap, Nokia’s Strategic Procurement Manager, Warehouse&Packaging, and participant of the 2014 class, about the introduction of hybrid (cardboard and wood-based) pallets and how its economic/financial and environmental effects were presented to the company’s management.

“It’s a real pleasure to finally meet in person again” said Irén Márta. The director of BCSDH talked about this year’s results, the plans for the next year and together they discussed the Alumni Mentor Program as well as how to celebrate the 10th birthday of the Future Leaders Talent Program next year.

25.11.2022

The circular economy is key to halting biodiversity loss

News

Ninety percent of biodiversity loss is caused by the extraction and processing of natural resources. One million species are threatened with extinction by 2050. Over half the world’s total GDP is moderately or highly dependent on nature and its services. The circular economy and biodiversity are closely interrelated. This key message was the focus of the fifth Circular Economy Summit held on November 24, 2022, with nearly 150 people in attendance.

Only 8.6% of the global economy is circular, thus significantly less than the potential scope, even though the circular economy involves a number of tools and complex systems, and is one of the most effective things we can do to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, including the preservation and restoration of biodiversity. At the biggest circular event of the year (held with the help of ING Bank) a number of corporate and start-up examples of the circular economy were provided along with an overview of international processes.

Today, the Circular Economy Platform, which was established at the initiative of the Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSDH), the Dutch Embassy, and the Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Technology, consists of 97 members. These institutions have highlighted knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and immediate action as the platform’s most important tasks.

The impact of the linear economy is unquestionable: more than 90% of the biodiversity loss is caused by the extraction and processing of natural resources. In the last decade, the global economy has consumed 70% more virgin materials than the world can safely replenish.

The connection between biodiversity and material management is clear: the circular economy as a form of system-level change can play a role in halting biodiversity loss and can create tangible opportunities for businesses as well.

“Companies must be at the forefront of systemic changes. Those who act earlier are apparently less likely to suffer from external effects such as rising energy prices, shortages of raw materials, or disruptions in supply chains… Climate neutrality must be achieved urgently – among other things – through the spread of the circular economy, which the leading companies have already recognized… according to this year’s ‘Towards Net Zero’ research, the use of circular solutions is increasingly coming to the fore. For the time being, these solutions are mostly seen as new business opportunities alongside preexisting ‘material-intensive’ processes. But the aim should increasingly be to replace the latter, as this approach can only slow down the use of natural resources” – highlighted Attila Chikán Jr., president of BCSDH, in his speech.

“Use the current crisis to build a circular, regenerative and future-proof economy that not only stops the destruction of the Earth but restores the damage that has been done” – stated Efstathios Andreou, Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary in his opening speech.

Guest speaker at the Circular Economy Summit was Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Cramer, a renowned expert on the circular economy, professor at Utrecht University, chair of the board of the Dutch Circular Hotspot, former Dutch Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment and author of the book Building a Circular Future, published in 2022, who sees that a clear way to accelerate the process is to join forces and launch as many pilot projects as possible: “Coalitions and alliances need to be built with those willing to take the lead in making a circular future a reality, and the number of pilot schemes needs to be expanded with more and more donors and active government involvement.”

Hungary is currently not managing its natural resources well, and is far from circular, but it is encouraging that, as in Europe, the legislative process has started to address the issue of the circular economy. These are important steps that can ensure that Hungary’s further development does not take place by using up natural resources. Tamás Rentz, Head of the Department of Sustainability and Awareness Raising at the Ministry of Technology and Industry, reported on the progress made so far and on the next steps.

The transition to a circular economy is today’s big business opportunity. The essence of the concept is not yet well understood by most economic actors, but it is a model that can increase the resilience of the economy and facilitate the achievement of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Creating a circular economy could represent a global business opportunity worth USD 4.5 billion by 2030.

“Sustainability is at the heart of ING Bank’s strategy. We see the shift to a circular economy as essential to preventing climate change, and financial institutions have the responsibility to be the drivers of this process, as we banks can provide the finance to make the transition“ – added Tibor Bodor, CEO of ING Bank, host of the event.

The role of finance, regulation and companies in conserving natural diversity and circular solutions associated with this were the topics of the roundtable discussion moderated by Irén Márta, Managing Director of BCSDH, at which Tibor Bodor, CEO of ING Bank, Dr. Barbara Botos, Travelling Ambassador for Climate Affairs and Climate Diplomacy of the Ministry of Technology and Industry, Norbert Holczinger, Head of Department of the Hungarian National Bank, and Marianna Pinczés, Managing Director of Virgin Oil Press Ltd., discussed the relevant issues, also providing insights into relevant events at COP27, which concluded last week. The key message is that the current crisis is forcing an acceleration of change, but we need to prepare for this in the longer term. It is no longer enough to set long-term targets: we need intermediate targets, metrics, and concrete steps to drive real change and ensure that the taxonomies that are being developed do not come as a shock to the business sector.

The second roundtable discussion of the event moderated by Bálint Horváth focused on international business development experiences with the circular economy and sustainability. Among the participants were Roman Gdovjak, Cyrkl (Expansion Manager & Country Manager Slovakia & Hungary); Agata Frankiewicz, CEO and Founder of Deko Eko; Martijn Veltkamp, Design Manager at FiberCore Europe; Lennard de Klerk, owner of Irota EcoLodge; and, Martin Basila, CEO of Sensoneo.

The main message of the panel discussion was that waste is ‘eternal,’ so it can be an eternal problem or an eternal business opportunity. The interlocutors shared their experiences in terms of how they create opportunities related to this problem and how they have expanded their activities to several countries and continents, and what plans they have for expansion in Hungary.

BCSDH – one of the founders of the Circular Economy Platform – strives to be a community of highly committed companies and business leaders, and is encouraging and supporting its nearly 130 member companies – and, following them, the business sector as a whole – to go ‘beyond emissions’ and focus on biodiversity conservation and restoration and reversing growing social inequality.

This is what our Time to Transform 2030 (a decade-defining program built on the achievements of Action 2020) is all about, to which our Circular Economy Platform is also connected.

Thanks for the sponsors of the Circular Economy Platform in Hungary:

24.11.2022

The 2022 ‘For a Sustainable Future’ awards have been announced

News

The ‘For a Sustainable Future’ 2022 award-giving ceremony took place at the BCSDH Business Lunch on October 13. The prize, created to recognize outstanding corporate and leadership performances that contribute to achieving the SDGs and to systems transformation, was awarded for the sixth time by the jury in the categories of Change Leader, Leading Women, and Business Solutions.

Márta Irén, director of the BCSDH and a member of the professional jury, explained: “In 2022, we announced the ‘For a Sustainable Future’ Award, founded by the BCSDH, for the sixth time. The current situation poses serious challenges for business. This year we announced the award with a focus on the areas where companies can make the greatest impact on systems transformation. Reading the applications, we were pleased to see that, despite the serious challenges, significant progress has been made in many areas of sustainability.”

Winners were selected by a five5-member professional jury : Dr. Gábor Bartus, Szilvia Krizsó, Irén Márta, István Salgó, and Diána Ürge-Vorsatz

CHANGE LEADER AWARD:

Ágnes Vadnai

Business Development Director
Progress Restaurant Chain Co.

An inspiring, innovative, responsible change leader who attaches great importance to incorporating long-term, sustainable thinking into business management.

LEADING WOMEN AWARD:

Ida Kiss
Design Director

DVM Group

She is characterized by goal orientation, dynamism, initiative, and a strong approach to sustainability, and her innovative thinking motivates others to look for new points of view.

Marianna Pinczés
executive owner
Virgin Oil Press

She is a passionate, tireless, and purposeful leader who, as an inspiring personality, has achieved significant results in a critical sector, agriculture, all through her own business.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS AWARD:

Circular economy category:

MasterPlast – Hungarocell Green Program

It is an extremely important step from the point of view of the circular economy that this prominent conceptual approach has also appeared in the construction industry. The company produces raw material from the recovery and recycling of insulation waste.

The award was received byRichárd Nagy, Head of International Marketing and PR at MasterPlast.

Climate protection and adaptation category:

E.ON Hungária Group – The urban energy efficiency and energy community model is an exemplary, complex, and integrated solution implemented in cooperation with stakeholders, especially the city of Szolnok.

The award was received by Zsolt Jamniczky Deputy CEO of E.ON Hungaria.

Sustainability awareness program category:

Generali Insurance – the “Generali Enterprize” program provides effective financial, professional, and communication support to small businesses for the implementation of their sustainability projects.

The award was received by Mihály Erdős, CEO of Generali Biztosító Zrt.

13.10.2022

It’s time for action – 73% of companies have a net-zero goal

News

We are already living in the age of climate change, but we have all the tools and opportunities we need to act. Everyone can do their part to avoid the worst possible consequences. Company leaders have a special responsibility and opportunity to make positive systematic changes. The only question is how. This was the topic of the BCSDH’s business lunch held on October 13, which focused on the Time to Transform 2030 program which is aimed at fostering systemic change, and the Race to Zero program, which is helping to achieve net-zero emissions.

At the event, which was hosted by BNP Paribas, outstanding managers, leading women, and business solutions in the field of sustainability were recognized in three categories with the ‘For a Sustainable Future’ award this year.

Budapest, 13th October 2022 – “Business as usual” is not only being questioned but has been disrupted. We still have a chance to make the world a better place, but we only have a short window of time to transform our companies, our dysfunctional systems, and our society. What is needed for these changes to happen? Who can lead this change, and how? At the business lunch of the Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSDH), the framework of the Time to Transform 2030 program launched this year was presented in search of answers to these questions.

This year, for the sixth time, BCSDH – comprising 128 member companies which produce around 30% of Hungarian GDP – presented the ‘For a Sustainable Future’ award in the categories of Change Leader, Leading Women, and Business Solution.

Csaba Kőrösi, President of the UN General Assembly, joined in live via video link from New York, greeted the participants, and thanked the BCSDH for recognizing and certifying outstanding work for sustainability. In his thank you speech, he emphasized that we are at the beginning of a new historical era. It is necessary to put action onto a new track: to manage the crisis and implement transformation at the same time. To solve the challenges of water, climate, energy, food, and inequalities in a transformative way, which requires leaders of change. The management of the complex crisis must be based on scientific evidence.

Gergely Litkai, the founder and director of Dumaszínház, who as a climate activist is committed to the cause of sustainability, drew attention to the need for personal responsibility in his humorous yet serious performance: “There is an increasing chance that we will exceed 1.5^oC, and our current lives will surely change. We are not mentally prepared for this. Everyone must first clarify what they can change. We need to mentally prepare ourselves so that we don’t experience this change as victims, but act in the hope of a good life. We need to rethink our systems to see if the measure of success is really what we think it is now, and we need to find new values that are sustainable. And what we can do, we must do, because everyone has responsibility. Individuals must change first, because all systems are built from them“ – Gergely Litkai explained.

In his introductory remarks, Attila Chikán Jr., President of the BCSDH, highlighted: “Now is the time for action. The pace and extent of changes so far are smaller than expected. We have all the tools for avoiding climate catastrophe; we just have to use them. The current crisis cannot postpone these steps. We still have a narrow window of time for the basic and immediate transformation of our systems. As the president of BCSDH, it is clear to me that companies must be at the forefront of systemic changes. Those who act earlier are apparently less likely to suffer from external effects such as rising energy prices or disruptions in supply chains. Transformation requires a change in attitude that will fundamentally change the short- and long-term ideas and decisions of business managers. This is what our Time to Transform 2030 program, which defines this decade, is all about.”

Things have to change, but how? – this question was the focus of the CEO round-table discussion moderated by Irén Márta, managing director of BCSDH, in which Dr. Zsuzsanna Diószegi, managing director of EUROAPI Hungary Kft., Sándor Baja, managing director of Randstad Hungary Kft., and Rajmond Percze, managing director of Agroloop Hungary Kft. shared their opinions.

Based on the data from the BCSDH corporate maturity survey, in the case of 85% of the participating companies sustainability aspects are integrated into management at some level, but often to a lesser degree than the development of their visions – i.e., economic aspects still often override sustainability action.

Further, according to 2022 Towards Net Zero research, the proportion of companies targeting carbon neutrality has more than doubled (73%) compared to last year’s survey, and 79% of companies have some kind of emission-reduction goals, but only 60% have specific goals, and only 44% are measuring at least Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Main sponsor of Race to Zero program: Budapest Airport. Highlighted sponsor: E.ON, Denkstatt: Sponsors: Alteo, Buildext, Leaseplan, Unilever.

Sponsor of BCSDH’s carbon-conscious events: LeasePlan.

13.10.2022

How are ESG aspects embedded into company operations?

News

How are ESG aspects embedded into company operations? The meeting of the BCSDH ESG working group also discussed the theory and practical implementation of this. Eleanor Leach introduced the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s guidance developed in collaboration with the Institute of Internal Auditors on embedding ESG and sustainability considerations into the Three Lines Model. Afterwards, we heard an exciting presentation from Mátyás Bellaagh, Director EHSQ, CSR & BIM at Colas, about the challenges and opportunities of ESG integration and the importance of stakeholder involvement in the entire process.

26.09.2022

Canadian Chamber of Commerce hosts to highlight the urgency of feeding 8 billion people. Hungary in an exceptional position

News

Hungarian agriculture has an opportunity to attract massive inward investment to take advantage of the growing need for alternative and sustainable food across Europe. Consumer interest in sustainable food is growing rapidly, as is the cost of traditional food sources. Technologies harnessing plant-based protein are positioning themselves nearest the sources of raw materials. Infrastructure to support this growth is also critical – as are the inputs, such as corn, barley, and water and skilled labour.

Investors see opportunities not only in new businesses coming online in the wake of growing demand, but also anticipate opportunities stemming from rapidly unfolding environmental challenges facing our communities.

A major shift in consumer behavior across the global market has sparked a growing interest in alternative food sources, such as plant-based and microbial-based proteins. Also, a growing number of people are turning to more environment-friendly products. The demand for alternative proteins is mainly fueled by the perception that these proteins are healthier and more environmentally friendly than animal-derived proteins.

The global trend in food industries is to develop food products using alternative ingredients that provide superior sensory appeal and nutritional and health benefits. As a result, there has been an increased global demand for alternative proteins. In addition, factors including the potential of insect, microbial, and plant proteins, and the increasing inclination towards vegan diet are expected to provide significant growth opportunities for alternative food ingredient manufacturers.

Developing new food and drink products is a complex process – requiring knowledge of ingredients, processing techniques, packaging materials, legislation and consumer demands and preferences. In a constantly evolving environment, technology and strategies play a key role in the resilience of the food industry. From sustainable food production systems to novel ingredients, environmental impact within manufacturing processes to enhancing nutritional quality, and innovation in technology will lead the response to the challenges ahead for the future of the food industry.

“Pannonia Bio is committed to its ongoing alternative protein investments, which are founded on Hungarian GMO-free corn and barley, as well as microbial fermentation. As for our parent, ClonBio Group Limited, since it has operations in both Canada and Hungary, it appreciates that Canada and Hungary are, in similar ways but with important differences, each poised to be major players over the next decade. We believe that there is substantial cross fertilization possible between these two countries in the field of alternative proteins”.- said Ferenc Hodos, Strategic Director of Pannonia-Bio Zrt.

In response to the new market forces and consumer concerns, industry leaders are rolling out a range of products and ingredients using different plant-based proteins (soy, pea, barley), new animal sources (insects), and biotechnological innovations (cultured meat or fungal protein).

“As consumer interest in alternative food options is increasing globally, food industry players that want to capture the opportunity must understand the evolving market dynamics and where to place their bets. The Food and Water Sustainability Forum will allow everyone to get fully immersed in the alternative protein and broader food technology landscape while providing networking access to key industry players. This event is seeking to attract the attention of investors and technology owners in Europe and Canada with concentrated dialogue on sustainable food and water matters. This is an opportunity for Hungary to show that it is an important stakeholder in this evolving marketplace.” – said Dr. Judit Lovas, the managing director of the CCCH.

“We are excited to sponsor of the Canadian Chamber’s upcoming Food & Water Sustainability Forum. Food production and water are integrally linked and sustainable agriculture, aquaculture and water reuse are just a few examples. Xylem, as a global water technology company, is uniquely positioned to help solve the world’s water challenges and sustainability is at the core of everything we do. We look forward to collaborating with industry and thought leaders in Hungary and globally to advance our mission.” – said Nicole Springer, Managing Director, Eastern Europe Central, Xylem

The panels of the Business Forum are in the following topics: Health and Nutrition, Sustainable Food Processing Systems, Technology and Innovation in the Food Industry, Sustainable Water. See the details of the event here.

“Hungary has an opportunity to take a leading position on how technologies are funnelled into the future of how we feed our communities around the world. Sustainable food technologies looking to offer new and renewable sources of nutrition will focus on areas where there are natural and renewable resources in agriculture. As an agricultural powerhouse, Hungary is ideally located for this in the centre of Europe and presents a stable and viable environment for businesses that are seeking a strategic position as well as the mature inputs.” – said Nicholas Sarvari – President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary.

“We’re looking for interested company leaders from Hungary and abroad, in the food and water industries and beyond, to join us as we explore new ideas and approaches to being responsible and running sustainable businesses.” – said Dr. Judit Lovas, the managing director of CCCH.

The venue of the conference is the Liz and Chain Bar of the Marriott Hotel on October 4. with its charming roof top terrace and amazing panorama. Tickets are available here.

26.09.2022

Self-driving, ABS, sustainable mobility – BCSDH weekend as a guest of Continental Automotive Hungary Kft

News

BCSDH’s weekend provided an exciting program for the 13 senior executives and their partners involved on 27-28 May.

Both days were hosted by the Veszprém factory of Continental Automotive Hungary Kft. As part of the first half-day program, we gained insight into the development, production and testing activities of the Veszprém company with the help of Zoltán Dapsy, plant manager, and Zoltán Hornyacsek, Continental’s sustainability sponsor.

Csaba Livják, the founder-owner of BuildEXT, spoke about the use of building information systems and the hi-tech tools of digitalisation in the construction of the Continental factory and the process of factory construction.

The next morning on the test track, we were also able to experience how the developments to promote safe and sustainable mobility that we learned the day before work in practice.

It made the experience unforgettable when participants sat down next to the test drivers to experience the same for themselves.

The two-day program ended with a pleasant lunch on the test track. We thank the host Continental and their leaders for their comprehensive professional program and hospitality.

01.06.2022

It’s a life-and-death fight to save the Earth – Mark Maslin at the BCSDH Business Breakfast

News

Climate change is now a matter of fact. Numerous pieces of data support the claim that human impact is having an unquestionable impact on this negative process. However, we have the tools, and we have the opportunity to reverse these effects – we just need to prepare for this serious fight. Prof. Mark Maslin pointed this out at the BCSDH Business Breakfast and Forum on May 10, focusing on the now-launched Time to Transform 2030 program, which aims for system-wide change.

Mark Maslin, FRGS, FRSA, and professor of Earth Systems Science at the University College of London, as well as the author of 2021’s How to Save Our Planet: The Facts, called for action and was guaranteed to equip everyone with the knowledge they need to change at the Business Breakfast and Time to Transform 2030 Forum of the Hungarian Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSDH).

It is time to face the facts and realize that the relevant knowledge and technology are already in our hands and that companies must play a leading role. The business breakfast of BCSDH, with its 120 member companies that account for 30% of Hungary’s GDP, was followed by a workshop with the participation of CEOs and experts to identify domestic goals, opportunities, and challenges in the key areas of the now-debuting Time to Transform 2030 program.

In his introductory remarks, Attila Chikán Jr., President of BCSDH, emphasized: “Now is the time to act. The pace and extent of change so far is less than expected. We still have a tight time window for the fundamental and immediate transformation of our systems, with companies playing a leading role. Science has made it clear what needs to be done; economic actors need to take the necessary steps to do it. Transformation requires a change of approach that fundamentally changes the way business leaders view the short and long term. That’s what our Time to Transform 2030 program is all about.”

The world is facing three critical challenges: a climate emergency, the loss of natural diversity, and growing social inequality. The global average temperature is already around 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels, 68% of wildlife has already been lost, the richest 1% of society own 44% of global wealth, and the poorest 50% barely 2%.

“Climate data is disappointing, but no matter how bad the environment is, [the situation] can be reversed and we have all the tools at hand. These changes must start from bringing individuals together. Small deeds, when multiplied by millions of people, can change the world. But it is a life-and-death struggle for our planet with ourselves for ourselves. Individuals, governments and companies need to work together. In addition to accelerating the process by innovating and transforming their own activities, businesses need to help change individuals, change consumer habits, [and] help them to play a role in the fight against climate change, to support local communities, and create platforms” Professor Mark Maslin explained.

The guest of surprise at the event was Maryna Saprykina, managing director of CSR Ukraine, who presented concrete ways in which domestic companies can help them in the current situation.

According to preliminary data from the ongoing BCSDH Corporate Maturity Survey, the respondent organizations intend to increase their commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity by 2025. At the same time, for most of them sustainability indicators are incorporated into management to a lesser extent than the development of this vision – i.e., economic considerations still often override sustainability needs.

“It’s time to do more than just talk about sustainability, carbon neutrality. This is our last chance not to have to suffer the harshest effects of climate change. It is not easy for a company to operate profitably and sustainably at the same time. In the short run, these solutions may be more expensive, but in the long run, these transformations will make companies more resilient and competitive. The goal is to preserve the Earth for future generations, and that can only be succeed together, bringing together consumers, business leaders and government decision-makers. ”– Added László Károlyi, CEO of Legrand Zrt., Host of the event.

“The goals of our vision are still achievable. But the next eight years are critical, and every single day counts. This decade of BCSDH is defined by the Time to Transform 2030 program, which builds on the results of Action 2020. The three key elements of the program are the nine Paths and the Action Plan to 2050, the high level of commitment of our members, and the maximum transparency that embraces them” – said Irén Márta, Managing Director of BCSDH, when presenting the new program.

The business breakfast was followed by the Time to Transform 2030 Professional Forum, the primary aim of which is to initiate joint thinking and define the domestic goals associated with the nine paths of the new program.

*****

Prof. Mark Maslin, FRGS, FRSA.

Mark Maslin FRGS, FRSA, is a Professor of Earth System Science at UCL. He is the Director of Rezatec Limited, Founding Director of the London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership, a member of the Cheltenham Science Festival Advisory Board, a CSR Board member of Sopra-Steria, NetZeroNow and Sheep Included Ltd. and a member of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group.

Maslin is a leading scientist with a particular interest in understanding climate change and the major challenges facing humanity in the 21st century. He has published over 180 papers in journals such as Science, Nature, and The Lancet. He was the climatologist on the original 2009 The Lancet report on climate change and global health and has been one of the authors of the annual Lancet Countdown reports since 2015.

Mark has written 10 books and over 60 popular articles (e.g., for New Scientist, Independent, Guardian, Telegraph, New York Times and The Conversation). His latest book is How to save our planet: the facts (Penguin, 2021).

Mark also co-founded Rezatec Ltd. in 2012, which employs 50 staff, and is now one of the world’s leading geospatial analytics companies, providing AI “big data” solutions to environmental issues for companies, NGOs, and local and national governments. Mark is also the UNFCCC-designated point of contact and COP26 lead for UCL.

10.05.2022