At the first joint event "Open Your Horizon" organised by Alumni UniBE and Rochester-Bern, around one hundred participants attended presentations and stands to find out about the challenges and opportunities for a sustainable future.
Sandra von Flüe
Read the original uniAKTUELL article here.
What does a sustainable world look like? Perhaps the key realisation of this day is that it consists of many individual sustainable building blocks. From concrete measures, products and lessons learnt that solve problems in very different areas of the environment, the economy and society.
Dana Rulf summarised this insight visually and compactly at the end of the event in the visualisation shown above.
But let's start at the beginning: the rain didn't stop the participants from heading to the vonRoll University Centre on Saturday, 26 August 2023, where Fabrikstrasse 6 had been transformed into a market hall. The first thing at the reception was a bottle of water, which - in the spirit of sustainability - had to last the whole day and be refilled accordingly.
To kick things off, the participants were treated to a rousing presentation by Karl Schmedders, Professor of Finance at the International Institute for Management Development IMD Switzerland and Rochester-Bern. He provided hard facts on climate change and showed that it is a problem of a lack of externality. According to Schmedders, it is also challenging to react to a long-term development such as climate change with the short terms of office of politicians.
Participants were then able to find concrete solutions for more sustainable consumption at the companies' market stalls. These included the largest wardrobe in Bern. In line with the motto "Share your style", the aim of the sharing concept of the young company "TEIL" is to minimise clothing consumption in society and the associated pressure. The young company "Aare Südhang" produces locally produced organic lemonades. "Drip Roasters, also a Bernese company, pays attention to fair conditions in the production of coffee and also in the supply chain. With its self-service shop, which is accessible around the clock, Rüedu AG showed how sustainable nutrition and support for local agriculture is possible in the centre of the city.
Participants were also able to discuss their contribution to sustainability with companies at numerous other stands. This was followed by the next round of presentations. Antoinette Hunziker-Ebneter, CEO and founder of Forma Futura Invest AG, explained what contributions the financial sector can make to a more sustainable world.
For the Coop Group, sustainability means above all: "Together instead of alone", says Salome Hofer, Head of Sustainability/Economic Policy. The company relies on partnerships to establish sustainability as a fundamental part of its corporate strategy. These are indispensable in wholesale and fundamental to sustainable measures.
Christoph Oberlack from the Centre for Development and Environment CDE at the University of Bern is investigating how social and environmental challenges in coffee and cocoa production can be overcome. According to the researcher, certificates and cooperation are needed here.
Claude Messner propagated the "seduction of positive behaviour" as the goal of marketing measures. "It is not knowledge that drives our behaviour, but motives," explained the professor at the Institute of Marketing and Management (IMU) at the University of Bern. He explained this using everyday habits such as reaching for a muffin, which tempts us to leave the fruit behind. At the end of the event, the participants were able to discuss their impressions and insights over a drinks reception.
SHORT SUMMARY OF ALL PRESENTATIONS
ABOUT ALUMNI UNIBE
Alumni UniBE is the academic network of the University of Bern. Together with students, alumni, alumni organisations and supporters, it forms a networked community and aims to be a network for life. Alumni UniBE connects its members with the specialist organisations of their own discipline. In this way, Alumni UniBE provides access to personal and professional relationships as well as links to research and knowledge at the University of Bern.