The world needs a new generation of leaders – sustainable leaders. This was stated during the ESG&FRIENDS 2025 conference by the special guest – lecturer Ellen Wasylina. The fourth edition of the conference, organized by the first specialized media for promoting ESG in Bulgaria ESGnews.bg, was held at the Hilton Sofia Hotel.
Wasylina emphasized that it is an honor for her to be appointed as a special guest of ESG&FRIENDS 2025. She also expressed her desire to expand her academic contacts with Sofia and Bulgaria.
Inspiring and sustainable leaders
There is currently a new cold war – a war that is becoming more fierce with each passing day, said the special guest of ESG&FRIENDS 2025.
”Definitely the main topic of the last few days is security. But there is also another war that has been going on for some time – an energy and technological war. And to win the battle, we need a new generation of leaders. Leaders who can sustainably adapt to the development of the world in such a way as to provide goods and services to their customers, while respecting environmental, social and corporate principles,” said Wasylina.
She also indicated what qualities sustainable leaders should possess today and in the future:
“They must be able to think in a new way. This is no longer just necessary, but mandatory. They must understand trends in the global landscape – both economic and geopolitical. To be considerate and understand the people they are surrounded by. To be able to reduce carbon emissions in their business, and from there in their industry and ultimately in their country.”
Wasylina also drew attention to one of the great challenges facing humanity – the fight against climate change:
“If the pledges of the Paris Agreement are to be kept, by 2050 4.5% of global GDP should be spent on climate change. By the end of the century, this percentage will increase to 5.1%. Those countries that pay for the green transition will have a more sustainable economy. Those that do not will be left behind, their economies will suffer, and their people will have more and more health problems.”
Of course, new leaders must seriously consider not only the first component of ESG – the environmental one, but also the other two – the social and governance ones, emphasized Wasylina.
“All these factors are intertwined and lead to a better future. Because companies with a good ESG rating will always attract more investments,” she is convinced.
Wasylina pointed out that innovation and development are extremely important conditions for the success of sustainable leaders.
“Yes, leadership requires new ideas and a bold approach, but they must be based on science, research and accurate numbers. Look at the top countries in the Global Innovation Index – Switzerland, Sweden, the USA, Singapore, the UK, South Korea, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark. They invest a significant percentage of their GDP in research and development, and that’s why they’re successful,” she said.
Who is Ellen Wasylina?
Ellen Wasylina is the founder and executive director of the Trocadero Forum Institute. She is a respected specialist in European affairs with extensive experience in leading projects in public, private and non-profit organizations in France and Europe.
Over the years Ellen has managed to build a career in the field of sustainable development, working as Director of the Environment Department of a French city, President of the Paris-based think tank International Geostrategic Maritime Observatory (IGMO) and Editor-in-Chief of their flagship publication Geostrategic Maritime Review, senior expert at EUROPEAID, lecturer in several French schools and consultant on sustainable development in Washington.
She later founded her own consulting firm, Transatlantic Global Advisory (TAGA), where she developed and delivered corporate training for the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) at George Washington University, as well as for many large companies. She was a member of the Franco-American Chamber of Commerce, where she founded the first Green Economy Committee, a member of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group, where she has been a mentor since 2015.
Ellen Wasylina is the author of several books, and during the pandemic she created a podcast called “Mediterranean Partners for Sustainable Development”, which is currently listened to in English and French in 76 countries.
