Environment
September 7, 2020 2021-02-04 11:12Environment
Challenge Track
Environmental Sustainability
How can we avoid the depletion of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality?
Why Environmental Sustainability?
The Environmental Sustainability track is looking for solutions to help avoid depletion or degradation of natural resources and allow for long-term environmental quality and a liveable habitat for humans, plants and animals alike.
Environmental sustainability covers a wide range of issues starting from a specific location to a global dimension. Do you have an idea, or do you want to co-create alongside a network of experts? Learn more about the challenges below & sign-up now!
The practice of environmental sustainability helps to ensure that the needs of today’s population are met without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
When we look at the natural environment, we see that it has a rather remarkable ability to rejuvenate itself and sustain its viability through a closed cycle. For example, when a tree falls, it decomposes, adding nutrients to the soil. These nutrients help sustain suitable conditions so future saplings can grow.
When nature is left alone, it has a tremendous ability to care for itself. However, when humans enter the picture and use many of the natural resources provided by the environment, things change. Human actions can deplete natural resources, and without the application of environmental sustainability methods, long-term viability can be compromised. This is already obvious as we are currently facing the sixth mass extinction in history.
Looking after environmental health is crucial to ensuring we, and future generations, can live healthy lives on a healthy planet.
Environmental sustainability is talked about in relation to all aspects of our lives – from creating eco homes and environmentally conscious communities to sourcing sustainable food, low impact furniture and clothing.
Global issues comprise concerns about:
- Sustainable food, land, soil, water and oceans
- Pursue efforts to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems to prevent future pandemics and ensure healthy ecosystems
- Environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
- Promoting business & society in harmony with nature and understanding that humans exist within nature
- Sustainable agriculture and production processes, transportation, distribution and disposal
- Promoting a circular economy to close nutrition streams
While the location-specific issues are for instance:
- Soil erosion & quality,
- Water management,
- Sustainable agriculture & livestock farming
- waste management
- and air and water pollution.
The Challenges
Below you see the frontrunners stepping up to transform their company - or organisation towards the SDGs. They've identified the challenges that hold them back for becoming more sustainable.
Impact Experts
Within the circle17 impacthon, multidisciplinary teams will be connected with <b>impact experts </b>to reflect, exchange and develop the best possible understanding of their sustainability challenge, and a systemic and sustainable solution.
Founder, SATI
(Sustainable Alpina Tourism Initiative)
Circular Economy Forum Austria, director
Global Leader on System Change & Circular Economy
Theresa Doppelbauer
VCÖ - Mobilität mit Zukunft
Reverse Logistics Group (RLG)
Umblick, Project Lead
Challenge Track Partners
We are extremely thankful for all Challenge Track Partners, who ensure that the industry’s top knowledge is represented.
Susanne Formanek
GRÜNSTATTGRAU
Matthias Wagner
Mentor
Marie-Theres Lutz
OeEB
Markus Linder
Inoqo
Esther Hummel
AeroSQAIR
Fabian Artacker
Carpacity
Michael Friedmann
ROSENBAUER
Richard Kahlbacher
APUS
Martin Stohanzl
Social Innovator
Philipp Kranewitter
Greiner AGOeEB
Challenge Lead 2020
Alexander Juranek
farmNOW
Michaela Stephen
Sleepify
Christoph Hornik
Epiclay
Andrés Campaña
DAQFrequently Asked Questions
For more in-depth questions on how your journey could look like, please see our full FAQ section.
What is Circle17?
circle17 supports the design of practical business solutions to the most urgent sustainability challenges, by facilitating a platform for startup collaboration with corporates and non-profit organisations.
In order to identify these most pressing sustainability challenges, circle17 co-operates together with corporates- and non-profit organisations. These sustainability challenges function as a strong foundation, inspiration and validation for the design of system-changing solutions.
The development of these solutions is not a straight-forward given. It requires an inclusive and experimental approach, modern methodologies, creativity and an innovative out-of-the-box mindset.
This is where all social innovators come into place: startup founders, academics, changemakers, enthusiasts, coders and creatives come into place. The circle17 Impacthon is an open-call for all those who believe it’s important to unite, in order to solve the most pressing sustainability challenges together.
Not only does circle17 provide a safe space for eye-to-eye level exchanges, but an inclusive growth platform where the potential that lies with multi-stakeholder collaboration can be understood and unleashed.
Who’s behind circle17?
The circle17 project is brought to life via the two Non-Profit organisations AustrianStartups & respACT.
AustrianStartups
AustrianStartups is Austria’s largest start-up platform and think tank for innovative entrepreneurship
With a team of around 50 startup enthusiasts, the non-profit organization organizes more than 60 events annually, operates communication platforms for more than 30,000 followers from the startup environment and publishes Austria’s largest startup study – the Austrian Startup Monitor.
respACT
respACT has been supporting its more than 300 member companies for over 20 years in achieving ecological and social goals economically and independently. On a national level, respACT cooperates with ministries, scientific institutions and interest groups. As the coordinating office of the Global Compact Network Austria and partner of the WBCSD and CSR Europe, respACT is also the right contact at the international level.
How does the circle17 program work?
The circle17 programme consists of three phases.
MARCH
1. DISCOVERY
The discovery is all set to identify and determine the most critical sustainability challenges. Corporates and Civil Society leading the change particiapte in two consecutive workshops (hosted by circle17) to explore trends and define challenges within the sustainable development goals.
Learn more about the programme’s offer on our Lead the change-Page.
MAY
2. IMPACTHON
The circle17 Impacthon is an online hackathon designed to share and rapidly develop practical solutions. Startup founders, entrepreneurs, academics and enthusiasts come together to work on society-level solutions to the sustainable challenges, posed by our network of (corporate) organisations.
Learn more about the impacthon, and how you can get involved here.
SEPTEMBER
3. MATCHMAKING
Our circle17 Matchmaking event is a day in which we’ll bring all programme participants and project innovations together with an external network collaboration partners, and offer supporting modules to match interests and needs.
How can I join circle17?
We are looking for bold and innovative thinkers & do-ers that can help to develop solutions to the large-scale sustainability challenges that withhold us on individual, business and societal level to become more resilient.
For this to work, circle17 needs a strong community. We need you!
You can get involved in four different ways:
CHALLENGE LEADS
Challenge Leads are corporate- and non-profit organisations that have submitted sustainability challenges, they face inside- and outside of their organisation.
SOCIAL INNOVATORS
We are inviting all gamechangers, from creators, IT specialists, startups, academics and enthusiasts to participate and show us how you would solve various challenges through creative thinking and the (potential) application of technology.
Are you, or the organisation you are working with, faced with sustainability challenges in your daily operations? Are you interested in working together with a broad network of young innovators, startups and academics to dive deep into your challenge and work on solutions that could benefit your business- and society at larger scale?.
MENTOR
We’re looking for mentors who can coach the participants during the Impacthon and experts who can answer questions along the way.
Are you a superhero mentor, interested in partaking in our programme to support the development of sustainable project innovations? – learn more on this page on how you can get involved!
SPONSOR
The circle17 programme is a non-profit establishment, aimed at the development of resilient and sustainable business solutions. Are you, your company or organisation interested in exploring opportunities to support our cause? Contact us!
