SDG SUMMER ACADEMY
Raising the bar for ESG leadership
Leuven, Thursday 24 August – Programme in Dutch
CONCEPT
A full-day filled with a plethora of influential and inspiring speakers: turning sustainability knowledge into policy and practice.
Addresses a variety of sustainability-related matters by experts in their field.
Thematic workshops based on the 5 Ps of sustainability: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership.
Open to all actors in society. Everyone is welcome!
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Venue: Irish College Leuven , Janseniusstraat 1, 3000 Leuven. Find more information on how to reach the venue here .
Date: Thursday 24 August 2023, from 9 am until 6:30 pm.
Language: Dutch, no translation to other languages.
Speakers
Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor City of Leuven
Living in a city is about living together, which is being considerate of each other and making things better. It is also about empathic, committed leadership.
Anne Snick, Systems thinker, Member Club of Rome
People are more and more realising we are part of nature, the interest in the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) is growing. It is crucial that we all think what kind of world we want to live in before we develop further technologies.
Luc Van Liedekerke, Professor and SDG expert, University of Antwerp and KU Leuven
While the SDG Framework has not yet changed our structure, we observe that it changed our political language, which is a first step
Valérie Trouet, Scientific Director Belgian Climate Centre
Whether or not a society succeeds or fails in the face of climate change, depends upon their resilience. Throughout history, other societies have experienced climate change before, however, the current pace of change is unprecedented. We know that we are the culprits, and we have all the capital, but we are missing social will.
The CSRD will not only enforce companies to report on their progress, but also force them to look ahead, to make a transition plan for the climate.
Bart Devos, Vice President of Public Policy Responsible Business Alliance
It is not about raising the bar or inventing new bars, we need to focus on what works and make it legally binding. We need clear standards, expectations toward companies, and soft guidelines about what we want.
We need to add complementary policy with social partners to legislative initiatives.
Yannis Derbali, Head of Sustainable Development Office of the Belgian Minister of Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development & Green Deal
The process behind the VNR is more important than the document itself, it focuses on a participative process that brings together multiple governments.
Julie Bynens, Secretary General Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office
The SDGs need to be embedded in key themes. Our biggest challenge is the synergy and the coherence between the different policy areas, we need an integrated vision.
Wim Dries, Mayor City of Genk, Chair Association Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG)
The three main challenges for local authorities are: getting a seat at the table, applying transversal approaches to problems, and taking on a role in the ecosystem for collaboration to succeed.
Anton de Ryckere, Director Association of Flemish Provinces (VVP)
Provinces need to build a supra-local network to bring actors together and facilitate cooperation.
Sandra Pellegrom, SDG Coordinator of The Netherlands, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
If you want to reach all the SDGs and the synergies between the SDGs, you need a system change.
Stefan Goethaert, CEO Colruyt Group
Collaboration between enterprises and the government is crucial to rapidly obtain an impact on a large scale.
Jens De Vos, Director Projects Voka
Enterprises are the engine of change for innovation and sustainability
Mapping the ecological impact is not so evident for social profit organisations. In the healthcare and welfare industry, the biggest concern is the increasing need for care due to the aging population.
Profit is important, but how you handle this profit is even more important; investing in innovation and circularity.
Consuming less is ever more important, together with recycling and the reduction of products.
Dirk Franco, Professor, Strategy and Policy Advisor University College PXL
Education should promote interdisciplinarity: initiatives around sustainability are already present in social and engineering programs but need to be extended to other departments and faculties.
Karel Van Acker, Professor Circular Economy KU Leuven & Chair Sustainability Council KULeuven
The word ‘collaboration’ refers back to the Brundtland-report ‘Our common future’: we need to take care of our future together
Rob de With, CEO Global Goals Community
The current students are the next generation of leaders, so this is where our focus should be; educating them about sustainability.
Tie Roefs, Programme Manager bachelor Social Work and advanced Bachelor Global Citizenship & Development at UCLL
The Inner Development Goals and transferring important values is the basis of education.
Naomi Queeckers, Sustainability Writer for Children at Sustainable Stories
Changing the mindset of adults is difficult, therefore, we need to start with sustainability education as early as possible.
Robbe Lamers, Student Green Office Ghent University
Student organisations arise from the feeling that there is a lack of tools to tackle wicked problems.
Koen De Vidts, Director Zinnings
Peter Wollaert, UNITAR Fellow and Managing Director CIFAL Flanders
Programme
08:15 Registration open & welcome with coffee & tea
09:00 Welcoming speech
Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor City of Leuven
09:15 Setting the scene
- Anne Snick, Systems thinker, Member Club of Rome
- Luc Van Liedekerke, Professor and SDG expert, University of Antwerp and KU Leuven
- Valérie Trouet, Scientific Director Belgian Climate Centre
- Katelijne Norga, CEO and Founder Pantarein
- Bart Devos, Vice President of Public Policy Responsible Business Alliance
- Lieve Verboven, Director ILO Office to the EU and Benelux Countries
10:15 Panel Debate: Policy coherence for sustainable development
- Yannis Derbali, Head of Sustainable Development Office of the Belgian Minister of Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development & Green Deal
- Julie Bynens, Secretary General Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office
- Wim Dries, Mayor City of Genk, Chair Association
Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG) - Anton De Ryckere, Director Association of Flemish Provinces (VVP)
- Sandra Pellegrom, SDG Coordinator of The Netherlands, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
11:30 Coffee Break
12:15 Panel Debate: The role of enterprises in sustainable development
- Stefan Goethaert, CEO Colruyt Group
- Jens De Vos, Director Projects Voka
- Ingrid Lieten, CEO Verso and Vice Chair CIFAL Flanders
- Karla Basselier, CEO Fedustria
- Leida Rijnhout, Chief Executive World Fair Trade Organization
13:30 Vegetarian lunch
14:30 Panel Debate: The role of higher education in sustainable development
- Dirk Franco, Professor, Strategy and Policy Advisor University College PXL
- Karel Van Acker, Professor Circular Economy & Chair Sustainability Council KU Leuven
- Rob de With, CEO Global Goals Community The Netherlands
- Tie Roefs, Programme Manager Social Work and Global Citizenship & Development, University of Applied Sciences UCLL
- Naomi Queeckers, SDG Writer for Children at Sustainable Stories
- Robbe Lamers, Student Green Office Ghent University
16:00 Coffee Break
16:45 Intro & pitch “Open Space”
17:00 Parallel Workshops
- SDG Game
Geert De Wael, Founder The Forge
- Justice is the new sustainability
Koen De Vidts, Director Zinnings
- Migration for a sustainable future
Didier Vanderslycke, Coordinator ORBIT vzw
- Mindset change
The Devil’s Avocado (short film by Rijnko van Diepen)
- CSRD Reporting
Eva Schobyn, Sustainability Consultant at Pantarein Publishing
- Art, culture and language
Nikkie Melis, Sustainability Coordinator at LUCA School of Arts
18:15 Closing words
Thanking to the team
19:00 Apero and veggie BBQ
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
