Finance
September 7, 2020 2021-02-04 11:13Finance
Challenge Track
Finance
How can we make investments from both the financial sectors as organisations feed into achieving the SDGs?
Why Sustainable Finance?
Sustainable finance refers to any form of financial service integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into the business or investment decisions for the lasting benefit of both clients and society at large.
Sustainable Finance covers a wide range of issues starting from a specific location to the 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 transformation to a more sustainable economy requires enormous investments from both the financial sectors, as organisations specifically (e.g. in energy production or waste management).
In order to run a sustainable business, the management of ecological and social risk factors becomes increasingly a prerequisite for a resilient company and, therefore, a factor of utmost importance for the financial system as a whole. However, traditional investment criteria may not adequately cover these risks because of the long-term character of the environment, resources or climate change impacts.
The financial sector, as an intersection for capital allocation, is to play a major role in promoting sustainability and sustainable management. For example, financial service providers should, in their loan portfolios, adopt new lending criteria related to long-term risks. It is essential for all banks and financial service providers to address the strategic and organisational implications of this regulatory and socio-economic change at an early stage.
Global issues & activities comprise concerns about:
- A new definition of value – investment in social & green bonds
- Novel ways of financing: Green Bonds, Social Bonds, Sustainable Funds, Impact Investing, Micro Financing, active ownership.
- Credits for sustainable projects and development of the whole financial system in a more sustainable way.
- The development of a unified classification system for sustainable economic activities
- The effective coordination of sustainable finance initiatives
- To help scale up the mobilisation of private capital towards environmentally sustainable investments.
While the location-specific issues are for instance:
- At the risk management level, the lending and compliance risks
- At the management level, the development of a sustainability strategy
- At the IT department level, the collection and processing of new data
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
Jose Delgado
Finance Consultant
Copenhagen Business School and FLAME University
Simone Pies
RPunkt management & beteiligungs GmbH
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!
