November 27 2023 at 03:23PM
Sustainable Summit: Learning to Take Action Together
On November 8, the Sustainability Summit 2023 took place. This event brought together Project Management professionals, Business Leaders, and Students to focus on why the Sustainability of our planet matters, what we can do about it, and how each of us can make a difference.
With almost 600 participants and speakers, this year's Summit was the first Pan-European event focused on Sustainability. Organized with multiple PMI Chapters working as a single team. This event's success was threefold:
- Amazing feedback from our almost 600 participants and speakers
- Europe-wide support for our first Pan-European event focused on Sustainability.
- Collaboration across multiple PMI Chapters, working as a single team to produce this event.
The Results of this Event:
15 speakers, 6 panels, and 2 keynotes. All of which are available for replay here. Access the play list
Attendee Feedback
"The dialogue was more radical than many PMI events, reflecting a shared view of the seriousness and urgency of tackling the Climate-Biodiversity-Pollution triple crisis."
"It's not often that in one event, the risk of civilization collapse and the healing power of nature are mentioned!"
"The breadth of perspectives was incredible: legal, finance, wildlife, business, technology, innovation, renewables, building & construction, reforestation, retail, insurance, transportation, activism, youth enablement, and more."
"Wild Ise and Simon King's presentations were outstanding. The data shared was devastating, but the call to action gave me hope."
Presentation Highlights
Simon King's "Enough!" Keynote message focused on the balance of our closed system. He shared data on where we are today and what we can do to change the catastrophic trajectory we are heading for. Simon provided practical advice and actionable ideas.
Panel sessions were deep discussions about business and its contribution to climate change.
Project management examples in Europe and Africa highlighted our ability to create change and increase sustainable impact.
Speakers covered all aspects of business, ecology, understanding of the Sustainability of projects, and more. We received a clear explanation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how this helps to Drive Sustainable Impact. We heard stories of the tragic impacts of climate change, human suffering, and biodiversity loss and examples of actions to mitigate the issues.
Olivier's closing keynote, titled "Together We Can," shared PMI's view on the importance of Sustainability and the necessity to start thinking about projects, values, and outcomes differently.
Our closing panelist answered questions about corporate social responsibility, next-generation leadership, the importance of stakeholders, dialogue, and fostering adaptability.
Innovations from our University Hackathon
With 11 teams made up of 60 students. We heard ideas that touched on the following:
- Food security - by using 'ugly' foods
- Waste reduction - recycling coffee into containers
- Water quality - removing plastic from our rivers
- Transport emission improvements - tracking via tech apps
- Health improvements - by increasing food awareness
These ideas were thoughtful and practical. They also included detailed designs to move from idea to action. The Student presentations and event replays are available on our YouTube Channel.
If you missed some speakers or want to watch for the first time, you can see the replays on our Sustainability Summit YouTube Channel here @ Access the Playlist.
Summarizing comments from the closing session, let's move ahead with actions to contribute to creating a better, more sustainable world. So, let's begin! And see you at the Sustainability Summit 2024.
