Companies That Do Not Make Society Better Should Not Exist

Extreme weather conditions and climate change that we are witnessing are a wake-up call – the clock is at five to twelve to change our way of thinking and behaving. The state of the economy and society is a consequence of inaction, and the change that awaits us is so radical that there is no sphere of life and work that sustainability can afford to bypass.

What is expected from companies, institutions, and individuals on this path, and how to clearly and simply communicate sustainability messages, are the topics of the second day of the Croatian Chamber of Economy Support Sustainable_2021., which is held on September 16 and 17 at the House of Arts Arsen in Šibenik.

Among the most prominent speakers on the second day of the conference was former Unilever CEO Paul Polman, who positioned this company on the global throne of sustainability over a decade. Although we experienced a deterioration in the economic situation in 2020 due to the pandemic, Polman believes that the signs of the decline of our system were already present. “Only nine percent of the materials we produce are reused, and we have everything we need to tackle the problems of climate change and inequality,” Polman stated, emphasizing that most sustainable development goals are related to business.

– Companies have the resources, technology, creativity, and a sense of urgency to address problems, but the business sector must first transform itself. It must not create problems but solve them – Polman emphasized.

How to achieve understanding among all those who need to be involved in solving global problems was explained by another sustainability star, Swedish designer Jakob Trollbäck, who is behind the visuals of the sustainable development goals. This new table of chemical elements of the world, as Trollbäck calls it, is crucial for the application of the goals. “Information is not the same as communication, and visuals and symbols help us remember complex things more easily,” emphasizing that this is also key to sharing knowledge, among other things, in preventing developing countries from repeating others’ mistakes.

Among the speakers was also the special advisor to the President of the Republic of Croatia for energy and climate, Julije Domac, who pointed out that sustainability should not be understood as repression and bans, but as a path towards a better and more advanced society. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Croatia, Diana Helen Madunic, who participated in the development of the national sustainability strategy in Sweden, also addressed the attendees.

Conference participants learned what the EU is doing to enable the changes ahead of us, why we have a “green list” of sustainable economic activities, and whether all business models presented as sustainable are truly such, as well as what funding sources are available.

The conference was also supported by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development

At the House of Arts Arsen in Šibenik on Friday was also the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Ćorić, who emphasized that a small open economy like ours, along with the funds available to us, can do what we should have done decades ago – development oriented towards digitalization and sustainability. He was joined by the Vice President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy for Industry and Sustainable Development, Tomislav Radoš, who emphasized that the HGK wants to raise awareness in the business community to consider sustainability in every move, from investments and funding sources to relationships with employees.

– A way of functioning where the main goal is profit is simply no longer possible, and sustainability is not a story for shareholders and the public, but the only way to do business. We must live what we preach – concluded Radoš.