The third edition of the ESG&FRIENDS forum, organized by the first specialized media for promoting ESG in Bulgaria ESGnews.bg, will be held on February 27 at the Hilton Hotel in Sofia. The keynote speaker at the “Re-position, Re-think, Re-grow” forum will be Prof. Dr. Wayne Visser, one of the ten most influential ESG experts in the world. Prof. Visser will talk during the forum about revolutionary business strategies for regenerating nature, society and the economy.
In the practical part he and Indira will share the scientific principles of thriving, with practical exercises that introduce the technique of systems mapping. Participants will learn the the six steps of integrated value management, including realigning partners (stakeholder materiality), renewing principles (business values), refining purpose (strategic goals), re-assessing performance (ESG reporting), and redesigning portfolios (product/service innovation). The workshop will be interactive, with group exercises and participant discussion.
Visitors to the forum will have the opportunity to receive his latest book, “Thriving”, which is an Amazon bestseller, as well as get a personal autograph from him.
Here is what Prof. Visser told ESGnews.bg before his arrival in Bulgaria:
Prof. dr Visser, you are a comprehensively developed person, with many interests and experience behind you. Could you describe yourself in a few words?
I often describe myself as a pracademic (a practical academic), a poet and a possibilist (someone who believes that positive change is always possible). I have had a 35 year career in sustainable business, which has taken me to over 70 countries. Current roles include faculty positions at Cambridge University and Antwerp Management School and previous roles include Director of Sustainability Services at KPMG and Vice President of Sustainability at Omnex. I have written or edited 44 books.
What is your mission and vision for developing a responsive and sustainable business in the coming decades?
My vision is for business to move beyond sustainability – especially triple bottom line and ESG approaches, which are not working, to thriving, which is sometimes also referred to as net positive or regeneration strategies. My mission is to increase the focus of business on the nature positive agenda, i.e. tackling and reversing the biodiversity crisis, which is at least as serious as the climate crisis, but so far receives less attention and action.
What are the main challenges and opportunities facing companies in our modern world?
I frame the challenges and opportunities in terms of six great transitions, where companies need to help us move from systems that are breaking down to solutions that are breaking through due to innovation and scaling in the market. Hence, moving from degradation to restoration of ecosystems through the ecoservices economy, from depletion to renewal of resources through the circular economy, from disparity to responsibility in workplaces through the access economy, from disconnection to rewiring of technology through the digital economy, and from disruption to resilience in the face of crises through the risk economy.
How can a business become more sustainable, but at the same time be profitable?
There is extensive evidence that there is a strong business case for sustainability. I summarise this as 10 Rs. Investing in sustainability reduces risk, improves reputation, builds resilience, increases resource efficiency, anticipates regulation, ensures recruitment and retention of talent, boosts revenues, increases returns, stimulates research & development, and clarifies a company’s reason for being i.e. its purpose.
What are the key principles and strategies businesses should implement to achieve sustainability and responsibility in your business?
I have developed a process of implementation which I call integrated value management, which includes six steps: rethinking patterns is about understanding the external forces that are influencing the company, re-aligning partners requires mapping the key concerns and expectations of stakeholders, renewing principles is about finding out the lived values of the business, redefining purpose requires the setting of bold strategic goals, reassessing performance is about translating those goals into key performance metrics, and redesigning portfolios requires innovation of the company’s core products and services.
Can you share some successful examples or stories from business practice that illustrate the importance and opportunities for responsive and sustainable business?
In my book, Thriving, I share hundreds of examples. Some are big companies – like Unilever, Patagonia and IKEA – that have integrated sustainability into their core strategy and are having significant impacts due to their scale. Others are entrepreneurial startups – like Impossible Foods, Zipline and Circularise – that are at the leading edge of applying research and technology to deliver sustainable solutions, and which may become the next market leaders.
You have over 40 books behind you. Where do you get your inspiration for them?
I usually write books to make sense of what I have been learning myself. Often, I will develop a framework and then test it against my knowledge and experience of what is happening in sustainable business. The inspiration typically comes from science (e.g. the science of complex living systems), pioneering cases (e.g. the transformation of Ørsted from a fossil fuel to a renewable energy company) and thought leaders (e.g. Paul Hawken or George Monbiot). In all cases, I am trying to share ways to transform business and society to create a better future.
How can we inspire the next generation to commit to sustainable development?
I’m not sure we need to inspire them, since they are well aware of the significant challenges we face, and they have plenty of energy and ideas for solutions. However, since the current generation has the power and influence, we must lead by example – in our businesses or personal and professional lives. We must show that we are ready to step up and play our part in transforming our world, rather than resist change and raise barriers. We can give the next generation hope based on the bold, positive action we take today.
You will be the main speaker in the next edition of ESG&FRIENDS in Sofia. What can ESGnews.bg readers expect?
I expect that those who attend will be shocked by the facts and figures I will share, informed by the many innovative examples I will bring, and inspired by the vision of thriving that I will present. I will show that the future will be brighter than most of them imagine, and that thriving is not only possible, it is already starting to happen.
Indira Kartallozi will be among the participants in the third edition of the ESG&FRIENDS forum. She is the founder of Sustainability Leadership Kosovo and recognized as one of the Top 100 CSR leaders. Read her interview with ESGnews.bg before her arrival in Bulgaria:
