It’s Time to Inspire Change for a Shared Future!

Finally, the time has come! Amazing news for you: a brand-new project team and a new topic! We at connectUS 2023 are proud to present our inspiring topic that will guide us through the next year and that we have been developing since the project handover in July 2022. Have we sparked your interest? Learn more about it here!

It’s Time to Inspire Change for a Shared Future!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” - Barack Obama

The last few years have been challenging for organizations and society. We all are readjusting back to normality after a hard-hitting pandemic. We were taught once again that flexible leaders and an open mindset are becoming more and more important. COVID-19 is far from the only challenge that we are facing. This year, the war in eastern Europe has become a major concern, causing much uncertainty and resulting in crises such as energy and gas shortages. With many other present and critical matters having immediate effects on life, a crisis that has gained more attention but is still overlooked is just as significant: Climate change. Working towards being an environmentally conscious company is more important than ever considering the risks imposed by climate change and resource scarcity. In the midst of this chaos, a generation has found its voice and is demanding change. We need to start listening, understanding, and finally take action. This has been demonstrated by the purpose-driven business movement. Businesses need to tell their story and give meaning to what they want to achieve in the future. We need to change for a better future with meaning and without empty promises. In other words: it's time to inspire change for a shared future! During the handover meeting with the project team from last year and our first meetings in July, we quickly became aware of the importance of sustainability. We were inspired by connectUS 2022 with its "Vision Zero" framework and wanted to expand on this from a different perspective. The ESG model offered us the perfect opportunity to do so. Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, the late Kofi Annan was key to the creation of ESG principles. The purpose was to encourage companies to think about their impact on society and the environment, not just their bottom line. A study by our partner KPMG in Switzerland shows that around half of the 100 largest companies have already published their reduction targets for 2020 and above. This significant increase over the last three years demonstrates management attention and the need for immediate action. We focused specifically on the following aspects within the context of the ESG framework:

Protecting the environment

Working towards being an environmentally conscious company is more important than ever considering the risks imposed by climate change and resource scarcity. To conserve our environment, we need to have sustainable practices in place to offset the existing damage and prevent further harm.

Empowering Society

As part of our society, companies have the responsibility to address pressing social issues. This is where social development becomes effective by removing barriers and enabling growth on a collective and individual level. Companies can contribute to social development by investing in local communities and applying inclusive hiring strategies. This is a key move since society’s success relies on the well-being of its citizens.

Encouraging Governance

Leadership is generally guided by a set of principles and objectives and communicating them to employees can be challenging. Hence, a code of conduct is an important building block of an organisation’s governance framework. Effective governance is facilitated by incorporating and clarifying the values that employees should uphold. Providing the workforce with sustainability awareness training contributes to an organisation’s integrity as a governing body.

For about three months now, we have been working on the project with enthusiasm and dedication, and have learned something new about sustainability but also teamwork. We are very much looking forward to insightful discussions, speeches as well as broadening our horizons. To get more information about us or our project, visit our website or social media channels.

Your connectUS23 team.