A circular economy must be sustainable for the wallet as well as the environment. The world’s first EnergyVaasa Talks looks at the issue from a company perspective.
Circular economy has become a popular buzzword to throw out in different contexts. At the same time, business leaders are hard at work keeping their companies up and running – otherwise they cannot be sustainable.
So what does a circular economy mean for your company or organisation in practical terms? How can you make money from it?
These are central themes for the first ever EnergyVaasa Talks, an online series of webinars that replaces Vaasa EnergyWeek this year.
”EnergyVaasa Talks – Sustainability and circular economy” launches with a bang and aims to set a high bar for subsequent talks.
Intense and interesting
The organizers promise lots of interesting content delivered at a fast pace and from many different angles. The line-up is both local and international in character, mixing best practices with actual implementation.
The speakers are leading international experts, sharing their experiences about what has already been done in different parts of the world, for example. Local regional experts pick up the ball and discuss how the lessons can be applied here in Ostrobothnia.
The events are hosted by the regional development companies through the CERM project. Nora Backlund acts as a reporter and moderator, interviewing and asking questions.
What makes it profitable
Future customers and investors place increasing demands on sustainability, which must be addressed in order to do business.
Göran Östberg, project manager of VASEK, argues that there is a pressing need for Ostrobothnian companies to develop insights into the importance of working with a circular economy.
– Image and competitiveness will be shaped by this, and if we do not start working on it, we will soon be left behind, says Östberg.
Image and competitiveness will be shaped by this.
In many areas organizations are already required to work with these issues to even be in the game.
– It already affects many investment opportunities, business offers and procurements, and the requirements will only increase further, says Rasmus Hautala from Dynamo Närpes.
The CERM project has developed a roadmap for practical implementation, which will be published during the event.
– The roadmap describes a larger movement within the region, says Tomas Knuts from Concordia.
Attended by the leading authorities within the field
Pär Larshans from Ragn-Sells in Sweden is one of the speakers at the seminar. Larshans has made a name for himself on the international level and has worked with the Swedish government on climate issues.
Niina Aagard from Nordic Innovation addresses the views of investors and requirements for companies. It is an area in which we are likely to see major changes soon.
Anna-Maija Pajukallio from the Ministry of the Environment presents new requirements for companies. She keeps track of the legislative changes and regulations that are underway, such as from the Waste Act and other programs.
Kasper Larsen from KLS PurePrint in Copenhagen talks about what working for a more circular economy has meant for his company.
The printing company changed their business model many years ago in order to survive in an increasingly competitive market. At the same time, they managed to create a competitive advantage without increasing costs and even improving product quality.
– This is exactly what it is all about. We need to find methods and tools that allows you to make money by adapting: Green Cash, says Östberg.
This is how it happens:
All webinars are free of charge and in English, as is typical for most of the EnergyWeek’s programme.
The launching event ”EnergyVaasa Talks – Sustainability and circular economy” takes place on 26 January at 2 p.m.
You can register for the webinar here. Registering also allows you to receive a calendar and text message reminder at no extra charge.
Watch the live stream of the event here:
Take part in the live chat here, once the event starts: