sustainability – Pike & Hurricane

hejhej – Founding a sustainable business at Malmö University

Maya Diekmann — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:32:14 +0000

In 2017 Anna Souvignier and Sophie Zepnik, then-students at Malmö University, founded hejhej. Starting out by selling recycled and closed-loop yoga mats, the company now sells a range of circular yoga products. We have talked to one of hejhej’s members, Pia, about the brand, what it stands for, and what it takes to found a sustainable business as a student at MAU.

Pike & Hurricane: Can you tell us a little bit about the background of hejhej? How did Anna and Sophie get the idea to found a business selling recycled yoga mats?

Pia: When Anna and Sophie got the idea, they were studying the master’s programme Leadership for Sustainability at Malmö University. While the nature of the programme made them consider sustainability issues all the time, it was an art exhibition in Gothenburg that gave them the actual idea for hejhej. There was one piece by an artist called Pinar Yoldas that was calling out the hypocrisy of yogis: On the one hand they very much embrace the respect for the people and environment around them but at the same time they practice with equipment that is made out of plastic. And Anna and Sophie felt like they were caught red-handed. And they absolutely agreed with the artist. They were practicing yoga without even thinking about the implications of what kind of material they used. So after the exhibition they kept thinking about the issue. They never really considered the option to found a business before, so in their case the whole foundation process was very intrinsic. They departed from this problem that really spoke to them and then weighed their options: What can we do, what do we want to do? That’s how they came up with their very first product, the hejhej-mat. And when they thought about the product that they wanted to produce, and how they wanted to go about it, it was clear to them from the beginning that they wanted to reach for the highest sustainability standard, which is the closed-loop approach, the circular approach. They would never create a product that does not fulfill these sustainability criteria.

P&H: So they created a business because there was a need for it rather than because they wanted to merely supply something?

P: Exactly. hejhej follows something called the “sufficiency strategy”, which means that they openly communicate: “Do not buy our product if you don’t need it.” It’s a major part of their communication and their beliefs that you should only buy if you need it and that you ask informed questions about where and how something is produced. For their second crowdfunding campaign, they launched a video that started with: “If you already have a bag for your yoga mat, then this video isn’t for you.” That’s a pretty bold statement and they felt that this was something very courageous––of course they need people to buy their products. But they 100% believe in the sufficiency strategy and that they only want people to buy when they need it. Because that’s part of the highest standard of sustainability, that you consume when you need to, not for the fun of it.

P&H: hejhej advertises their products as being 100% recyclable. How about the resources that are used in the production? Are those 100% recycled, too?

P: Most of the material that we use is already recycled, yes. And as you said we only use material that is recyclable. Otherwise that wouldn’t meet the closed-loop criteria, if we couldn’t take back the products at the end of their lifespan and recycle them. So every product is designed to be sent back to us and be recycled.

The biggest part of the mat is the foam and that is made from recycled foam off-cuts that we get from other productions, like mattress productions for example. So it is actually waste for others but we turn this waste into a new resource and turn it into the hejhej-mat. There is a textile between the foam layers that is keeping the mat together and making it tear-proof and very durable. In the beginning it was not recycled, but a few months ago we finally developed this layer to be made of a recycled material. Often it is also a very long process for us to talk to our producers, develop new ways of doing things, or producing these materials. The one part of the hejhej-mat that is not made from recycled material is the top layer, because that needs to be medically confirmed. So there is a very thin layer on top that is made from a virgin material. We would love to also use recycled material there too it is just not existing yet. Once we recycle the mat though, we can use all of the material again––including the top layer.

The bag is made of recycled PET bottles and the zipper is made from recycled fishing nets. The strap of the bag, which is also the yoga belt, is made from hemp. This material is chosen very consciously because it uses much less water than other alternatives like cotton for example. But we actually have to import this from Asia, just because there is so little hemp being cultivated in Europe. This is the only material that we import from afar, all the other materials are from Germany or neighbouring countries, like Austria, Switzerland,France, and Italy.

The outer layer of the bolster is made from a mix of material: cotton, recycled cotton, and hemp. With these, as with all materials, we always opt for the organic version. We also, if possible, try to go for recycled materials or at least a mixture. What is also cool about the bolster is that it is filled with the husks of spelt grains. It can be given to animals as a supplement to their food or as a natural fertilizer for soil, but in the end it is mostly considered as waste product by the industry. But we can use this perfectly as a filling for our bolster instead of using a virgin material. So what we always try to do is to use material that either exists in abundance or is considered waste by other producers.

P&H: “Sustainability” is such a catch phrase these days––it’s the red thread in every major company’s responsibility report, even those whose nature is wholly unsustainable. As a circular business that whole-heartedly believes in and promotes sustainability, how would you create more awareness around the problem of greenwashing?

P: Yes, many companies have started introducing what they call “circular products” or “sustainable fashion”. The problem is that there is no catalogue of criteria that a company needs to fulfill before they can call something sustainable. So even Primark offers “sustainable” jeans now, that still only cost 20€. At this price it is self-evident that there will be workers in the supply chain that are not paid fairly, and it is virtually impossible to uphold environmental standards in the production at such a low price. The same goes for closed-loop or circular products: There are big companies that are advertising circular denim––but they are not taking the products back. They are not closing the loop, which means it is not circular. They merely use recycled fabric, which in itself does not fulfill the circular standard. We sent them a message because we are always interested to see how other companies apply the concept and they replied: “Bring the product to your local denim recycling at the end of the lifespan.” There is no such thing as a local denim recycling!

We always have to remind ourselves that not everyone is familiar with the concept of a circular economy and we have to keep explaining a lot and try to be as transparent as possible about everything. So that includes being honest about our progress, for instance the top layer of the mat. Okay, the top layer isn’t made from recycled products yet but hey, we just found a way to use a recycled middle layer. We are not perfect but we are always aiming to become better, more sustainable and circular in every aspect. And most importantly we are transparent about it. People know exactly what material we are using, where we are producing, how we are producing, that we take products back and so on. And by that we want to motivate people to ask well-informed questions-–Where is it from? Do I need it? Who is involved?––when they are buying products elsewhere, too. So hopefully people will realise that when other companies advertise something as “sustainable” or “circular” that this might not actually be the case.

P&H: What role do sustainable startups play, in your eyes, when it comes to building a truly greener economy?

P: I would say that especially startups that are financially independent from investors and follow a strong vision––something which I have often experienced to be the case––are moving towards their goals in very determined and fast ways. Larger companies, where many more people, especially investors, are involved take longer to achieve these goals. Of course you can’t generalize this, but in my perception, there are so many startups with great visions, full of ideals, that are striving to change the way people think and consume for the better. They are really acting out of their ideals and their wish to change the economy. They are not only driven by their profit but by people and the planet. They are just always a great source of inspiration and they help create a climate in which well-informed customers ask the right questions. And that pressures larger and less-sustainable companies to change their approach.

P&H: Sustainability does not just include environmental aspects but also social dimensions. How does hejhej score in this area?

P: That’s definitely a very big and important part of hejhej’s business. For one, the company is donating a Euro for every product sold to a non-governmental organisation in Cape Town, South Africa, called “Earth Child Project”. The NGO is supporting children in difficult life situations, by enabling them to have weekly yoga classes and gardening classes. The aim is to teach the children resilience: How to listen to their bodies, take care of their bodies and minds. They support kids that already have faced a lot of struggle in their young lives. Through our donations over the years we have enabled 327 kids to participate in weekly yoga classes for a year, and 235 to attend the gardening classes.

Locally, parts of the production take place in workplaces for people with disabilities. So the yoga mat bag is produced there and they also take care of sewing the label on the mats, and they handle the shipping of products. So there is a team in the workplaces that is dedicated to working with hejhej. Sophie visits them approximately once a week to keep in touch, make sure the processes are clear, and include them in the bigger process. It is Sophie’s and Anna’s goal to one day employ a team of their own that can for instance handle the shipping and that hejhej can be an inclusive team, too. Of course, for now that is not possible because we all work remotely all over Germany and we don’t even have an office. But Sophie tries to still work very closely with them.

P&H: hejhej was founded with the help of Drivhuset Malmö, the startup hub for MAU students. How was the experience with Drivhuset?

P: Anna’s and Sophie’s experience was extremely good. They just took the idea to Drivhuset and they found it really helpful to get feedback, to have someone asking the right questions, to get input from people with entrepreneurial experience. They said that before it was just them and their friends talking about the idea and planning, and then through Drivhuset they had contact to experts that helped them develop and grow their idea. They also instructed them about the next steps, which is very important because in the beginning you have no idea about so many things that are awaiting you down the line. Drivhuset also connected them with external experts who could help them further down the line, and informed them about scholarships like Leapfrog, for which they applied and received funding. They really recommend Drivhuset and are very thankful for the experience. They would suggest to anyone with even just a vague idea to go there, make an appointment, and make use of this great opportunity. The Swedish spirit of founding is so different from the German one, for instance, so for them it really was a unique opportunity to start a business. Especially because that wasn’t on their agenda before.

P&H: What are some of hejhej’s favourite circular startups founded in Malmö?

P: Seljak Brand is definitely a startup that we’d recommend. They produce wool blankets made from wool offcuts. They are located in Tasmania, Australia, but Sammy, one of the co-founders, also studied at MAU. Anna and Sophe met her during their master’s. They have been a great inspiration for hejhej because Sammy had already founded the startup before starting her studies at MAU, so she gave some really helpful advice. Basically all the lessons that Sammy had learned, she passed on to Anna and Sophie so they could avoid those mistakes.

There is also Repamera, located in Malmö. They are founded by Henning (who is the founder of Circular Monday) and they are a shop that repairs clothes. A very cool circular startup!

P&H: Is there anything that has been left unsaid?

P: I have some advice from Sophie and Anna: They say that the most important thing when it comes to founding is to really trust in your idea. There will be a lot of obstacles––there is no way there won’t be––so that basic trust is absolutely necessary. Also, talk to other people! In the beginning, they were worried to talk to others, because they worried others might be stealing their idea. But there is so much to be learned from others and advice to be gained if you discuss your idea.

Check out their website here.

Related articles:

Circular Economy – Interview with the founders of “sveeka”

Photo credits:

hejhej founders Anna Souvignier and Sophie Zepnik. Photo Credits: Maria-Bayer

hejhej mats and straps. Photo Credits: Maria Bayer

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Circular Economy – Interview with the founders of “sveeka”

Franziska Fink — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:48:06 +0000

Climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic are just the latest examples of fundamental threats to our current world order. Even though threats are usually seen as something negative and frightening, they might also bring some positive aspects with them. Often, they are merely mirroring the malfunctions of our world, highlighting all that is disastrous, wrong or ineffective within a system. Yes, climate change is slowly turning our earth into a degraded and inhabitable planet, and it is true that the corona virus is responsible for millions of deaths and a complete turn-over of our lives compared to as we have used to live them. But nevertheless, in all their dreadfulness, they have the potential of changing our world to the better. By inspiring creative and innovative minds to come up with solutions of how we can not only fight threats but avoid them altogether through the creation of a stronger, more just and more sustainable system.

These days you often hear politicians, economists and leaders of civil society claiming that the world after Covid-19 will be an entirely different one. Especially in economic terms, the voices calling for a fundamental system change are becoming louder and louder. Many people are suffering from the socio-economic effects the pandemic has brought upon them and which the system has failed to prevent. Millions of people all over the world lost their jobs, their home, and presumably a good deal of their social life and contacts, which resulted in yet another plague: a growing mental health pandemic.

How can we reorganize and rebuild the structures of our world then, to better deal with such hazardous threats such as climate change and pandemics in the future?

Even though Sweden might have not been the most exemplary model to follow in terms of its management of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country might be on the right track when it comes to reimagining of how a sustainable political economy could look like.

Earlier this year, Sweden announced that it is in the midst of transitioning to a circular economy.

At the core of the nation’s strategy is a vision: “A society in which resources are used efficiently in toxin-free circular flows, replacing new materials.”

But for effective systematic and sustainable changes to actually occur, a simple top-down approach will not be enough. Initiatives from both the state, everyday citizens and the business sector are needed for a fundamental and wide-ranging transformation.

Pike & Hurricane had the opportunity to talk to alumnis from Malmö University whose startup is a telling example for what a business model within the circular economy could look like. Katha, Lissy and Ellen are three friends that got to know each other during their time in Malmö. Together they founded sveeka, a startup that makes sustainable postcards from grass paper.

Pike & Hurricane: Tell us a bit more about sveeka and how you came up with this unusual idea.

sveeka: One of us (Katha) already knew about grass paper before as it is being produced close to her hometown. She wanted to do something with it to raise awareness for this great alternative paper.

When we were brainstorming for the first time about what could be a good product to start a business with, we decided on postcards as the most practical option. We didn’t need a big amount of money to get it going, nor a big storage space. The production was easy and also the shipping to our customer was quite manageable.

So that’s how we started with postcards!

Now for our Christmas edition we made foldable cards as well and we are looking forward to what the next year will bring…

P&H: Have you heard about the circular economy before? In what way did this influence your business concept?

s: We definitely heard of it before and especially Lissy is quite a fangirl when it comes to the concept of circular economy. We first got introduced to it when we did a field trip back in Malmö where we visited Repamera, a circular clothes repairing business whose founder also started the initiative Circular Monday (former white Monday).

When creating our products, sustainability was always included in our decision-making process but it never occurred to us that our product could be circular.

When we randomly got in contact with the Circular Monday team they reassured us that we are actually providing not only a sustainable but a circular product – and therefore sveeka can be a Circular Monday buddy alongside other popular companies like toogoodtogo, hejhej mats, Recup, wye and many others. As we are using grass and recycled paper for our postcards they are falling under the circular category of “reusing”.

P&H: Where are the buyers of sveeka postcards located?

s: Most of our customers are located in Germany, that is also where we have the most retailers selling our postcards. Nevertheless, we have also had customers from Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

P&H: Katha and Lissy, you are from Germany, Ellen is Dutch but grew up in Germany… however you started your business while you were all studying in Sweden, one of the first countries that has committed to transforming to a Circular Economy. Do you think there is a difference regarding mentalities of sustainability between Germany and Sweden?

s: Maybe Sweden is a bit more connected to sustainability as there is more nature around and people live more in the countryside and are doing outdoor activities, but you can see that Sweden is already ahead when it comes to the circular economy. For example, providing citizens with tools such as “smarta kartan” to live more sustainably and to use circular offers in a city is a great initiative that we haven’t seen in Germany in the same way.

In general, we are super happy to see that the circular economy is getting more known all over the world, including Germany, and initiatives like Circular Monday and new startups working within the circular economy are definitely a big reason why.

P&H: In your starting phase, sveeka was supported by Drivhuset, the Malmö University’s support team for student start-ups. How big of an impact do you think that had for sveeka’s success? Do you think you would have gotten similar support in Germany?

s: It was great to have somebody to talk to and to get honest and professional feedback for our ideas. If we would have founded the company officially in Sweden it would have helped us even more, as getting businesses off the ground is their daily business.

There are similar support organizations in some German universities but having Drivhuset already around, coming to lectures, holding events and reminding students to apply for grants and to take part in boot camps definitely leads to an entrepreneurial spirit at Malmö University which also encouraged us to just start our own business.

P&H: How is sveeka doing now? What is your vision for the future?

We are super proud that we have sold all of our Christmas cards and will now work on our next collection. We also started doing personalized design for companies and private people. Moreover, we are thinking about expanding our portfolio, but we do not know yet if that is going to happen already in 2021. After all it is our hobby, and we need to work our normal jobs next to it as well.

sveeka founders Katha, Lissy and Ellen (from the left)

Related articles:

Nigeria: from recession toward sustainability

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Would you eat that? A perspective on food saving

Nina Kolarzik — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 18:40:46 +0000

What are rules and laws there for? To protect us. Take the example of food–there are hygienic reasons for best-before dates but it can be criticised, as the desire to constantly sell contributes to the throwing away of food too early. Since food production costs tons of energy and resources, that behaviour has a negative impact on the environment and green activists call for a more reasonable dealing with food.

But would you still eat something that is deemed not good enough to be sold in a supermarket or restaurant? Methods like dumpster diving are highly contested, but creative heads all over the world have already developed new projects to promote food saving. One is Zeenath Hassan’s Malmö based organisation “Rude Food”. To get to know their idea of food saving and whether it is a grey zone or not, I interviewed one of the activists and food savers, Hampus Mattson.

“Rude Food is an organization that collects surplus from restaurants, supermarkets and fruit and vegetable stands. Then we donate 60 percent of that to charity and we use the other 40 percent to make caterings. So we try to upcycle food before it becomes waste,” explains Mattson.

It is always the question of how small projects can make a difference in saving our environment. So I ask, how Rude Food can be seen as part of a broader environmental movement and whether local initiatives can have an impact on the global environment.

“[Rude Food] is a very small one, so I think in terms of the overall environmental movement, I hope that Rude Food is some mode of inspiration to other entrepreneurs to find these gaps in the system and take advantage of them, because that can help things in the bigger picture in the environment I think,“ says Mattson.

He explains, that “[the influence] is very country specific. We have met people from Australia that were involved in a thing called “Oz harvest”. And they do basically what we do […]. The difference between them and us is that they are huge, a massive organization […]. In Sweden, it’s very difficult for us to work with larger businesses. Everything is so slow, it takes forever, there are lots of hoops to jump through […]. I would say in our context in Sweden, I don’t know how much these types of small organisation like Rude Food can make a big difference in the overall picture, other than to inspire people. But then if you look at Oz harvest, they actually can make a significant dent in the food waste problem.”

Mattson mentions “gaps in the system”- that raises the question how exactly do the laws regarding food saving look like? For the topic for this issue, “Grey Zones”, this is an important aspect. Mattson explains the legal side of Rude Food:

“Since we were one of the first, maybe the first one doing it– when we approached municipal government offices that have anything to do with food safety, they didn’t really know what to say or what to think about it. So it became that we just follow the exact same rules that any other restaurant or food business does. And I would say that in legal terms, there is not actually a grey zone, because we are not taking food that has already been thrown out. It’s food that’s still edible, it’s still in a fridge, we are just moving it to another location and then we are using it. But culturally, maybe we are, because that is actually been the bigger hurdle […] whenever you talk about food waste and turning food waste into food, like regular food, people think it’s maybe dirty food or it’s rotten or it is spoiled, whatever. Overcoming that kind of mindset, that has been more of the difficult thing, I think, for Rude Food.”

A Cultural Grey Zone?

I want to go a bit deeper in the expression of a “cultural grey zone” and ask Mattson to explain it a bit further.

“I can start with looking at the business side of it. There is also this kind of unsettled thing in that we are getting a lot of our resources for free. So sometimes we hear ‘that is not really fair’ […] But usually that can be solved by telling them that we are not for profit, so we don’t actually make any money from this. It’s just a service that is meant to raise awareness about food waste. If you explain to people what it is, then you can overcome that […] If it’s in a grey zone, it’s because it has not been done before, so people don’t know how to react to it.”

So once people get into contact with the projects of Rude Food, how is the general reaction? Are they rather disgusted or do they appreciate and support the work?

“Generally, it’s–at least in my personal experience–good. We get positive feedback all the time, both in terms of ‘it is great what you’re doing’, in the sort of social sense and environmental sense and also we get compliments on the food as well. So everything has been positive” Mattson concludes.

Positive feedback is always good and something that keeps these organisations running. Without the engagement of its activists, Rude Food would not be able to exist.

As we can conclude from the interview, there is still a long way to go and many things we can do. Every one of us. Rules need to be redefined from time to time and it can be necessary to cross some lines or try something completely new. That potentially means, that you move in a grey zone between right and wrong. But as the idea moves on, this question will clarify.

By Nina Kolarzik

Photo Credit:

Portrait Hampus Mattson (chairman of the board at Rude Food) by Nina Kolarzik

Rude Food at the Parabere Forum by Malin Nilsson

Food Save Volunteer by Alexander Olivera

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Bike lanes: the path towards sustainability in Malta?

Zarifa Dag — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:07:24 +0000

What if Malta’s temporary solutions are replaced by permanent solutions? What if the state focuses on reconstructing continuous bike lanes instead of flyovers? It is worth wondering what kind of impact this would have on traffic congestion in Malta, and in return, if there would be an increase in the feeling of safety among Maltese pedestrians?

Maltese traffic

Being a university student in Malta with a busy timetable, starting early in the morning is an enormous headache––I have to wake up two hours before catching a bus for a ten minute bus ride, which often ends up lasting 45 minutes due to the morning rush hours.

Traffic congestion, characterised by queueing vehicles, exaggeratedly long travel times for short distances, and slower speeds, has been a major issue in Malta for a tremendous amount of time. The problem presented by traffic congestion has led to severe accidents among vehicles, pedestrians and the limited amount of cyclists on the roads.

In the last decade, the amount of cars has increased up to more than 350 000. This is more than half of the population of Malta which is currently around 430 000. This is why Malta has been ranked second for the highest number of cars per inhabitant in the European Union in a statistical research report by Eurostat in 2017.

These already high numbers of vehicles have increased throughout the years due to a number of counterproductive incentives lacking longsightedness regarding the effects such incentives would bring. In recent years Malta’s main solution to traffic congestion has been to create more space by wider roads and an increased amount of car lanes. A very recent project relating to this is the Kappara Junction Project, which was meant to reduce traffic at major points around Malta by 50% by building flyovers. However, as of now, it can be argued that the Maltese population is waiting to experience any real results in the form of alleviating traffic congestion.

Scrutinising the North

Public transport, which consists of mainly public buses, are used by one fourth of the Maltese population. Commuters using the public transport in Malta argue that the public transportation is not efficient enough. However, I will argue the contrary. Legislatives need to adjust certain factors on the roads and let the users feel safer on the streets. Malta is a small country indeed, yet this does not mean that the state should keep focusing on projects targetting the infrastructure with the aim of, for example, widening roads. Instead, there should be a focus on encouraging commuters to bike for instance.

Furthermore, the benefits of alternative ways of commuting do not end at reduced congestion levels. Bikes occupy less space, hence there is more space for other commuters; a bike does not use fossil fuels, as most vehicles do; and finally, cycling keeps the user active with added health benefits. According to Emilia Simeonova, an Assistant professor at Carey Business School, Maryland, U.S., there has been a major decline of asthma attacks amongst children living in Stockholm. The decline began after the implementation of the congestion tax, and the beneficial effects are sai to be due to the reduction of air pollution, ever since the tax legislation came into force in Stockholm.

A shift like this in commuting practices obviously requires further planning and investment. But this would be investing in a more sustainable future. We can always look at the Nordic countries to confirm that the construction of bike lanes and the implementation of campaigns for more sustainable traffic practices reduces traffic congestion indeed.

Adaptable initiatives for cycling

If bike lanes are to be properly introduced in Malta, there must be a transport system that regulates bike congestion during rush hour. An example of a system like this is the Green Wave in Copenhagen, which allows cyclists to pick up their cycling speed to reduce traffic. As cyclists have no velocimeters to show their speed per hour, green lights have been installed on cycling lanes. Cyclists know that they are cycling 20km/h by seeing the green light flickering, and if the green light is not showing up, users will know they need to speed up their pace.

What I have come to understand during my exchange in a Nordic country is that achieving permanent changes for more sustainable traffic in Malta requires longterm planning and investment in the future. Transport management education should already start in kindergarten, as in the Finnish education system, where traffic safety awareness training begins early on. This type of systematic learning has not yet been very evident in Malta, as the main focus has been on infrastructure. Yet, we should be inspired by the examples of others, such as the Nordic countries where traffic safety and reliability encourages younger generations to reach the goals of sustainable development.

By Zarifa Dag

Photo Credit:

Bikes by Allen Holt, CC BY 2.0

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Fenix – Close to nature, close to the students

Judith Roos — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:05:50 +0000

Environmental issues are real and so is the work done by the student organisation Fenix that works to promote more sustainability. From vegan dinners to cloth swapping events, Fenix puts a lot of effort into reaching people and spreading ideas.

Fenix is a non-profit student organisation at Malmö university. The organisation has its focus on environmental policy and sustainable development. Committing to the environment, sustainable development and fair trade are just some of the main goals that the organisation has.

Just a few months ago, I started attending their regularly organised vegan dinners. Curious about more of their work and events, I had an interview with Bori Yordonova, Judith Schmidt and Theresa Volbert––three young and motivated members of the active Fenix group.

Interview with Bori Yordanova, Theresa Volbert (left)

Interviewer (I): I know that you work for more sustainability. What are your main goals that you focus on in your organisation?

Theresa: I would say we want to raise awareness. Especially for students about these environmental issues, but also about simple things; for example using a sustainable coffee cup instead of a paper cup. We just want to show them that there are many things you can do and that you can join to make your everyday life a little better.

I: So, you show a lot of things for individuals, really concrete things. Are you acting like role models?
Judith: Yes, that’s why we have workshops!

Theresa: Exactly! One example: Maybe not everybody is that much into vegan food but once you’ve been to the vegan dinner you get to know “Oh my god, this is all vegan and it tastes so good! Why should I not try to reduce my meat consumption?”

Judith (nodding): And I also think it is not only raising awareness, but we also want to create commitment, educate people about issues that are going on in our world and are connected to sustainability.

Bori: Yes, and we also like to provide strategies for action on a personal level. It is remembering that it is a system, we are not disconnected from one another and from the institutions we are part of.

Judith nodds and adds that another important goal they have is to have fun. The issues Fenix promotes are undoubtedly very serious, but their aim is to do it in a nice way where people can enjoy what they are coming together to achieve. Theresa explains that otherwise people can easily feel overwhelmed summarizing the common feeling: “there are so many problems but where should I start? I can’t do anything against it!”

I: So, would you say, you want to give people the opportunity to start?

Bori: Yes, we want to empower them. Because if you talk to the general population, an average citizen, he could feel disempowered because it’s a whole new world. It might be that this citizen doesn’t know anything about it. It can then feel very much like: “I can’t do anything.” That’s why, maybe next semester, we can have more fun activities. Like pub quizzes, something that is more entertaining than, rather..

Judith: It sounds like our workshops are not entertaining! (everybody laughs)

Bori: No they are! They are! And that’s the thing. You come here and you see a group of people that are trying to do the same thing! So, you don’t feel alone anymore in that kind of fight.

Just that moment, as Bori finishes her words, I remember a situation from one of the vegan dinners. I was talking to a woman who was looking very happy and enthusiastic. She told me it felt so good for her to be there at the dinner where she totally felt part of the community where veganism is treated as something normal.

And this resonates exactly with what Bori continues: “That’s the goal, to make it normal. Not to make it sound freaky or something that requires many efforts.”

I: That is a good transition to your actual events. Could you tell me more about them?

Judith: I wrote them all down, because it is a lot! You know already about the vegan dinners, which we had every other week this semester. …

And as she begins to talk about the events, I find out about so many I never even knew existed in Malmö.

Judith: We have the coffee cup campaign, and this is an ongoing event that we have every now and then.We give away free coffee to everyone that brings their own cup. We do that to raise awareness to not use single use coffee cups. Then we had an upcycling workshop, where we made our own purses out of trash. We are planning to have another one soon.

We also have different talks. The two we had this semester were one with Gram, a zero waste shop, about zero waste and one with Rude food about food waste. Movie screenings are another part of our events. The last one was a big success! It was “a plastic ocean”.

To me, society as a whole should be included in a holistic program of sustainable development. Economy, ecology and society all need to be in balance. I was wondering how Fenix was looking at this kind of approach.

I: As you said your international dinner was more about social inclusion, do you think it belongs also to sustainable development?

Theresa: Yes, exactly! Most people think it is about the trees and about the environment and about being green. If we look at the SDGs, the sustainable development goals, we find out that there are different topics. They are all connected to economy, ecology and society. So it is not only about the environment.

Bori (nodding): But the environment is our main focus. (everybody agrees)

I: It seems like you’ve done and are doing a lot! What ideas for the future do you have?

Judith: We are planning a clothes swap next semester, where everyone can bring their clothes. Then you can leave a piece and take another. This is about trying to reduce clothes consumption. Second hand clothes are just as fine as new clothes.

Theresa: And you even buy with the thought: “Okay, I can just wear it a summer and then I will buy some new stuff.” (everybody agrees)

Judith: So, we wanna change that!

Theresa: Yes, it is about changing the mindset.

Amazed by the enthusiasm and the big goals that the three interviewees are telling me about, I ask further about their ideas for the future.

I: Do you have more plans?

Judith: Yes, we do! So the next thing is that we are designing a flyer we want to put in the welcome packages for new students. There will be written some tips how you can be more sustainable in your everyday life and a few facts about sustainability.

Bori: And places to go in Malmö which offer sustainable options. This could be second hand stores, markets or restaurants.

Judith: Then we have also the soup lunch which is every Wednesday, each time organised by another student association. We already had one but we will definitely have more.

Fenix also wants to have a bigger media presence on instagram and facebook to have more students being attracted to their organisation and events. I was even introduced to the plan of having short youtube videos of all the events Fenix has; a plan to produce some entertainment while spreading their ideas. In my interview with Fenix I learned that they want to expand in general: having more discussions, more lunches, more everything.

The interview was slowly coming to an end, so I wanted to use the final chance to find out a little more about my interviewees by asking my last question.

I: What are you personally changing to contribute something for a better world?

Theresa: For me it’s like breaking the big, global challenges into smaller things on the local scale and then trying to implement it in your everyday life like using a reusable coffee cup, trying to reduce your waste production, your meat consumption. And then it is about finding people who have the same mind and share the common goals. Together you can take it up to a bigger issue and then try to create a change. I am a nature lover and I want to keep that!

Bori: That’s actually one of the biggest motivation for people, if you point at what kind of benefits the nature has. You know, whether if it’s going up in the mountains or having clean oceans or clean air in the cities. People want to keep this, so that’s something that motivates them.

I really don’t support this kind of approach in which you are more negative or trying to judge. I would much rather have a curious discussion with someone and see where he or she struggles. Just coming from my own experiences, I am trying to support them. I hope that I can be more of the side of education and that I can manage getting people together for the cause.

It is very important to remember that we are not alone in all this and that we have to fight this with communal efforts instead of being lonely soldiers. Just build those communities that believe that there is a way out of the mess.

Judith: Wow, it is hard to add something to that! You absolutely nailed it. I can then maybe say what it means to me to be sustainable or to make a change. For me it is, if I put it in one sentence: Trying your best.

I: Thank you for these words! I especially like that you say that it is about trying.

Theresa: You can’t change yourself within one day by for example going to zero waste. That’s impossible. But if you just challenge yourself every day, you will change.

Judith (nodding): Yes, you cannot change all of the points.

Theresa: Exactly! But the more you get to know about the whole issue and the more you talk about it with other students, the more opportunities you discover.

Judith: And it is a really good feeling just knowing you are not alone, that you are not the only one trying to not destroy the world. And it’s a good feeling. You know you are making a difference!

I was grateful for this summarization by my intervewees: it showed me that they as individuals have the same goals as the whole organisation has. To me, this is the base for every group that wants to achieve something and reach people with their messages.
Fenix needs this base since the organisation has big plans. They do not just want to have more events like lunches, movie screenings and a bigger media presence. An even bigger plan is to become an NGO (a non governmental organisation), so Fenix would not be a student organisation anymore but an official organisation that is supported by the Swedish government.

Their mission to make sustainability something normal will not change but the frame around it will hopefully help to reach a bigger audience and spread their enthusiasm about having a more sustainable and better world soon.

Check out Fenix’ facebook channel “Fenix Miljöförening” or instagram page “fenix_miljoforening_malmoo” and get inspired!

By Judith Roos

Photo credits:

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The Dark Side of the Sun

Merle Emrich — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:05:43 +0000

Every day we use energy. We use it to make the first cup of coffee in the morning, to check our emails and listen to music while writing essays on our computers. Energy has been used to produce our coffee mugs and our computers. It has taken energy to deliver these products to us. And while conventional sources of energy – fossil fuels and nuclear power – are still in use, we increasingly produce energy from renewable energy sources as for example solar panels. Yet, while solar panels are considerably less harmful for the environment, they are still not as clean as generally assumed.

Welcome to the Machine

While, at the moment, we would manage just fine with conventional energy sources, some problems lead to the necessity of increasingly developing and using alternative energies. One of these problems is that many of us will most likely experience the day when fossil fuels run out. It is estimated that we will have access to oil and gas for roughly 50 more years while coal will last for more or less another 100 years. But not only the limited amount of fossil fuels poses a problem. The coal industry negatively impacts the environment by, for example, destroying landscapes, polluting water and air, and producing methane which contributes to global warming. Oil and gas production (and consumption) emit greenhouse gases that amplify climate change. And even when there is no accidental oil spill, some of the oil finds its way into soil or water.

Nuclear energy does not have problems such as carbon emission. Yet, as the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in 2011 has shown, it is not risk-free and accidents in as well as cyber attacks on nuclear power plants can have catastrophic consequences. However, in the long run, it is not the big disasters that cause problems and call for alternatives. The production of nuclear energy generates nuclear waste which remains radioactive for a time beyond human imagination. The question of how to dispose of this waste is still open, and the longer nuclear power plants run, the bigger the problem gets. Therefore, an alternative not only to fossil fuels but also to nuclear energy is needed.

The Great Gig in the Sky

Solar panels as an energy source have a far smaller impact on the environment than conventional energy. But this form of energy production still involves certain issues. The majority of photovoltaic cells is made out of quartz which is the most common form of silica. It is extracted from mines and then needs to be refined to produce elemental silicon. In the refining process furnaces are used and keeping them hot needs a great deal of energy. After the refining process the silicon needs to be transformed into polysilicon. Yet, during that process toxic silicon tetrachloride is created as a by-product. While it could be recycled to extract more polysilicon some companies simply throw away the silicon tetrachloride. When it is exposed to water, which is difficult to prevent, silicon tetrachloride releases hydrochloric acid which emits harmful fumes and acidifies the soil.

In China, where about half of the world’s solar panels are produced, the waste is often dumped in rivers and on fields turning the soil barren, causing health issues and leading to the death of livestock. Due to the overall lower environmental standards in China and the high number of coal-fired power plants, the carbon footprint of a solar panel produced in China is twice as high as that of a panel made in Europe.

A large number of solar panels that are produced in China is exported to Europe and the United States. If panels produced in China were installed in China, the time needed to balance out the production’s greenhouse gas emission would equal the energy-payback time. The energy used during the production and the energy saved would cancel each other out. But if the solar panels are exported to and installed in Europe or the US, that time becomes twice as long.

The rapid growth of the solar industry has also increased the amount of its hazardous waste and especially new companies have to send their waste to special waste facilities since in most cases, they have not yet invested in on-site recycle equipment. At the moment, there are not enough places to recycle solar panels. Waste facilities are often located hundreds of miles away from the plants and the fossil fuel-consuming transport by truck or train is currently not considered when calculating a solar panel’s carbon footprint. Therefore it takes the solar panels several months to balance out the energy used during their production, including transport and disposal of toxic waste.

High Hopes

Despite the problems of pollution through toxic waste and greenhouse gas emission during the production, solar panels are still much cleaner than fossil fuels and safer than nuclear power. One solar panel lasts about twenty years, making solar energy one of the cleanest energies available at the current time. One of the big issues with solar panels, though, is the issue of transparency. Leaving out factors, such as the transport of toxic waste to waste facilities, of calculating solar energy’s carbon footprint creates a distorted image of solar energy’s actual impact on the environment.

Yet, there are efforts to solve the problems present. Scientists are, for example, developing different technologies to produce solar panels, and are considering alternative chemicals that are easier to dispose of than the ones that are used now or are created as a by-product. And even though solar energy has not been perfected yet, and cannot be considered one hundred percent green, it still is an environmentally preferable source of energy. The solar energy industry has the chance to solve the problems at hand and thus, there is the possibility to create even cleaner renewable energy in the future.

By Merle Emrich

Photo Credit:

Solar Flares, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, CC BY-NC 2.0

Oil Well, Dave3006, CC BY-ND 2.0

Solar Panels, Kiran Jonnalagadda, CC BY-SA 2.0

100% Solar, Ken Bosma, CC BY 2.0

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Cry me a river: where does all the plastic flow?

Julia Glatthaar — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:05:39 +0000

Plastic is everywhere, in your muesli and milk packaging, in your toothbrush. It is in the Tupperware container with your lunch, in the take away coffee from the student union, it is in your laptop, your bike tire and your winter jacket.

Plastic can serve you for many years or just live for 10 minutes, the time you need to drink your coffee before throwing the cup away. If you are a student, you can probably manage at least 4 cups of coffee in 10 minutes.

So, why this article?

Plastic lasts forever, which is a good thing, if you want to use your Tupperware container for many years. However, most items only get used once, and then lie around or get thrown away. It is estimated that almost 9 million metric tons plastic have been produced on this planet.

But, where is all this plastic?

Some of the plastic gets recycled, some is horded and stored in landfills, and a lot ends up in our oceans. Currently, we have about the same amount (in weight) of plastic as fish swimming and drifting in the oceans. It can be found inside 90 percent of all bird life, and in almost all fish and mussles. There is plastic in the fish caught in UK fishing grounds and in mussels of the European shoreline.

Today, 8 million tons of plastic end up the ocean every single year, according to the organization Plastic Oceans. But with the human population growing, the plastic production is also increasing and may triple by 2050.

Wait, but how does it all get into the ocean?

Plastic littered along the shorelines is swept up by lakes and rivers and then flows along with the water, eventually ending in the oceans. It follows the circulation and then creates large garbage patches. The pieces then slowly dissolve, sink to the ground, or get eaten, first by animals, then by us.

Even the plastic we throw away properly does not just disappear. With 80% of the plastics in the ocean coming from land-based activities it is not hard to imagine that even though you might throw everything into the bin, some plastic might still find its way to the water.

Why is nobody doing anything?

Plastic is a polymer that is usually extracted from crude oil but in recent years, science has developed and now makes use of other materials such as corn and soybeans. Anyone can produce any type of plastic anywhere in the world. There are no regulations regarding the production and distribution of plastic. While organizations, individuals and countries are working to develop a way to free the oceans from plastic, no one seem to be concerned with the root cause – the production.

By Julia Glatthaar

Photo Credits:

Waste in a natural reserve by Paolo Margari, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Beach Invasion by Jason Karn, CC BY-ND 2.0

Marine Litter by Bo Eide, CC BY-NC 2.0

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Leaders of today: Hannah Stanton on sustainable development and the power of youth

Ida Scharla Løjmand — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:05:33 +0000

In November, the Association of Foreign Affairs at Malmö University had the pleasure of hosting a lecture with Hannah Stanton, programme director of TheGoals.org, an online learning platform for creating awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).

Hannah Stanton, 2016

Hannah Stanton has previously led the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) delegation to the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women and the Agenda 2030 negotiations. Currently, she focuses on her work in the UN Major Group for Children and Youth and as director of TheGoals.org.

TheGoals.org is an interactive web app created to educate young people in the age of 14 to 30 years about the SDG’s. The aim is to inspire the users to take action against climate change, gender inequality, and hunger or in other ways work to fulfill UN’s 17 SDG’s. The philosophy of TheGoals.org is that education can appear in various forms and forums different from traditional school. And according to Hannah Stanton, such a platform connects young people pursuing a more sustainable world and shapes the future decisionmakers.

A world of unlocked potential

Hannah Stanton gained her own leadership skills and experience working with young people through the girl scout movement. She has attended various international events, meeting scouts from all over the world and she strongly believes the young generation has the power to push for a more sustainable world.

The sustainable development goals projected on the UN headquarters, New York 2015

One may wonder what a teenager can do to stop climate change or what difference a student from the far North can make for women in Zambia. When asked why it even matters to involve young people who are not influential decision-makers, Hannah Stanton answers resolutely:

“The unlocked youth potential is the biggest driving force of making a change. We are dealing with the most growing generation – look at a country like Jordan where 65 percent of the population are under 30. Not using this group would be a huge loss. Youth is often disregarded and not included. If we can affect this, the decision-makers cannot neglect the youth anymore.”

She also stresses the importance of influencing the young generation from the beginning:

“Young people are still learning and if we can shape their behavior to be sustainable from the start they do not have to relearn anything. The older people, including ourselves, have to learn a lot of new things. If we give the young people a good start, they can be responsible adults from the beginning.”

Hannah Stanton at Malmö University 2017

Different kinds of change

So according to Hannah Stanton, we are dealing with a huge generation – as more than half of the world’s 7 billion population is under 30 years – of potential to change, just waiting to be realised. And even though the background and resources of those young people vary, she believes that the young generation can make much more of a difference than some people might assume.

“What exactly young people can do depends on where they come from and what kind of agency they have,” she says and brings up an example from her work as UN Major Group for Children and Youth Global Focal Point for SDG 14 (Conservation and sustainable use of the oceans):

“Look at the small island states – or large ocean states as I think they should be called – for example. Here we need to bridge the gap of understanding between young people in the islands and in other landlocked countries. Government indicators may not be the best tool for this purpose. The young people in landlocked countries need to understand how our consumption behaviours and climate change impact put these islands at risk, and how we can change and stop that to save our ocean and the islands.”

Young participants at the UN Ocean Conference, June 2017

She admits that there is a difference between the youth and the older decision-makers who set the indicators for sustainable development. However, according to Hannah Stanton, this is not an obstacle for younger people to contribute to change.

“For me, the focus here is understanding the global context and what I can contribute with and not so much thinking ‘I need to ensure sustainable fisheries in the small island states’,” she says and turns her eyes towards the ceiling with a grimace. “I mean, that can be overwhelming or just too far from home for some. Now, if you are into marine biology or work in an environmental group, that will be closer to home and will be your focus. But for me, at this stage the most important part is that young people globally understand the significant impact our lives and lifestyles have on the ocean and the significant impact the ocean has and will have on our lives.”

So, what should the young people do once they achieve this understanding? According to Hannah Stanton, this is again a matter of context.

“In this part of the world [the West/Nordic countries, ed.], we must change our consumption patterns and transport manners and lead by example. I think those tasks are the easiest for us to fulfill, for instance here in Malmö,” she says. “For other parts of the world, I think the issue is to not develop like a developed country but to be sustainable from the beginning and not fall into the trap of seeing owning 50 types of the latest car model as a status symbol. To make sure to recycle, not burn the plastic, and so on.”

Hopes to inspire

To think less materialistically seems easy for a well-educated woman living in Sweden, one of the world’s most affluent and gender equal countries. Young people from a poor country, who compare their life to the ideal presented in the media, might find it easier to relate to the strive for owning a car than for conserving the oceans. But this manner of thinking is also a thing Hannah Stanton aims to address with TheGoals.org.

Hannah Stanton, 2016

“We are hoping that this materialistic aspiration is just not encouraged by the way we educate [on TheGoals.org, ed.], for example by providing realisations like that you need to wear a piece of clothing 80 times in order for it to be sustainable,” she explains. “If we succeed, we will have the first sustainable generation. And I hope – well, i am sure – that we can do that.”

The belief in the power of the youth is crystal clear when Hannah Stanton talks. Despite global differences, she firmly maintains her trust in the people’s ability to make a change already while they are young.

“I hate – with passion – the notion of ‘leaders of tomorrow’,” she says. “We are all leaders of our lives today. The choice I make today has an impact today and tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and so on. I am not the leader of tomorrow, I am very much the leader of today.”

By Ida Scharla Løjmand

Photo Credit:

SDG Media Zone by United Nations Photo, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Hannah Stanton by United Nations Development Programme, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

UN Headquarters by United Nations Photo, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

UN Ocean Conference by United Nations Photo, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Hannah Stanton by by United Nations Development Programme, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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Meat the Problem

Laura Korte — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:05:22 +0000

Around 51 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions comes from animal agriculture. 1 kg of meat uses between 5,000 and 20,000 litres of water to produce, compared to 1 kg of potatoes which takes around 290 litres. Livestock produces 37 percent of methane emissions. Animal agriculture uses up to 30 percent of our planet’s land mass. And so the list goes on, but the topic of animal agriculture continues to take second place after the issue of burning fossil fuels when environmental protection is discussed. Not that it is not important, but why do we not address the elephant in the room?

It is not unreasoned. The amount of money circulating in the food industry globally has been estimated to be annually around 4.8 trillion USD and counting. And with money comes greed and power and thus, lobbyism.

Lobbying is a form of advocacy from individuals, companies and lobby groups with the purpose of influencing the decisions of the government — and sometimes we forget what the topics being lobbied against or for are about. The overall attitude towards our governments and decision-makers is often that whatever is decided is for the greater good and not to thicken one CEO’s wallet. However, examples from all over the world lead to the question about what actually happens behind the curtains.

Strong meat and dairy lobby

When we, the common folk, see the government published dietary guidelines, the norm is to accept them and follow them, or at least to try to. The dietary guidelines are visible in school lunches and are up on waiting room walls. But if we only listened to independent scientists and not the government on this topic, we would realise that there is a lot that is added to the guidelines and a lot that is left out. As for the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for the US, scientists point out that the amount of red meat recommended is far more than actually recommended. Why? The guidelines are issued by the US Departments of Agriculture (USDA). The aim of the departments is to help the market for US grown meat and animal produce, and in the US alone the USDA spends 550 million USD annually to advertise animal products with slogans such as “Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.”

Legislation such as the US Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act is supposed to protect all animal enterprises from damages caused to the property or profit line. With the legislation, even acts committed without violence, such as blogs posts and Youtube videos, can be convicted as acts of terrorism. The legislation was passed in the US Congress after heavy lobbying from pharmaceutical, fur and farming companies in 2006, and has since then faced criticism on its infringement of the right to free speech.

As someone who grew up in Finland for most of my childhood, I vividly remember the school cafeteria walls being covered in milk advertisements sponsored by Valio. Valio receives 1,8 million euros as campaign funds from the European School Milk Scheme of the EU. The European Milk School Scheme does not only provide campaign funds for privately owned companies like Valio, they also subsidise the cost of different dairy products for the EU states.

The US and Finland are not singular nor peculiar examples; this sort of lobbying affects legislation all around the planet.

Burning of the Amazon Rainforest for the use of animal agriculture

Towards a more sustainable diet?

Those who have made the decision to stop consuming animal products are often labelled as eccentric hippies or met by counter-arguments about the lack of protein and other nutrients, and how soy production for vegan food has a tremendous impact on climate change and Amazon deforestation. However, according to WWF, 75 percent of the soy produced is fed to the animals, which are then consumed as food , although 12 billion of those animals are thrown away as food waste yearly. And only about 6 percent of the remaining soy is actually used in human food. The rest is used in other soy products like biodiesel.

Even though it needs to be recognised that livestock produces vital food and resources for many people, meat and other animals products cannot be sustainably produced for the whole population of this planet. And just by doing the maths for this; land and water use of the animal agriculture industry are far beyond sustainable.

Although meeting someone whose diet and lifestyle is 100 percent sustainable has so far been a mission impossible, it is more and more common to see how people continuously weigh their choices. We are repeatedly put into the test of sustainability, and whether we fail or succeed, the impact of the result will be global.

To realise that we all – not excluding animals – live on this same planet and breath the same air is vital for our survival. The separation of ourselves into different groups, into a pyramid of hierarchical order, acts as a hindrance for our goal of sustainable living. As sustainability becomes more and more critical to incorporate into our everyday lives, we could make a start by supporting each other in the process.

By Laura Korte

Photo Credit:

7018-agriculture-animal-534 by Gratisography, CC0

Burning of rainforest for the use of animal agriculture by Genetic Engineering Network, noncommercial use only

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Nigeria: from recession toward sustainability

Anna Bernard — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 23:03:43 +0000

Sustainable business practice is a hot topic because ensuring the continuity of today’s economical survival into the future is of great concern. The core question is how a country can reconcile the need to be environmentally and socially sustainable with the demands of a market-based system, whose key measurements of success are growth and profit. Nigeria is just climbing out of recession and while the government is focusing on structural reforms to diversify the country’s economy, financial institutions have adopted a guideline of sustainable business principles that help evaluate the effect of their operations on the quality of lives, the economy and even the very existence of the Nigerian economic system as a whole.

Giant strides and setbacks

Firstly, we need to remember that Nigeria is a mammoth in all respects: in it resides the biggest population of the continent of Africa (the 7th biggest in the world) and its capital, Lagos, is one of the fastest growing megacities of all times. Nigeria also plays a key geopolitical role in West Africa while being one of the rising African economic giants side by side with South Africa and Egypt.

The risk is that when a giant falls, it falls hard. Nigeria slipped into recession in 2016, battling with unpredictable fluctuations in oil prices; a falling naira, the Nigerian currency; and an inflation rate higher than in more than a decade. The population of the country is relatively young and filled with potential, but at the same time it is a critical challenge to be checked – a tinderbox waiting to flare up if desperation and disillusionment creep in.

Just a year ago the prospects for a reemerging Nigeria seemed gloomy to say the least: its economy is reliant on oil and susceptible to knockouts when crude prices crash and Nigeria is perturbed by the threat of extremist terrorism. An ongoing task for the Nigerian officials has been to reassure Nigerians and foreign investors that President Buhari, who was on medical leave for most of 2017, is strong enough to steer the country out of harms way.

President Muhammadu Buhari

Sustainability a.k.a. how to stay in business

When the going gets tough, the tough get going and that is exactly what Nigeria is doing as it is emerging from its first recession in 25 years. The climb back has been nerve-wracking with the aforementioned internal challenges and external variables, such as fluctuating oil prices, putting additional pressure on the economy and the Nigerian society.

However, due to the recession, the government has become aware of the urgent need for structural reforms to properly diversify the country’s economy. Infrastructure for agriculture, energy, and transport, are necessary for a more sustainable Nigeria that would not depend on oil for growth.

Bank alert

Already as early as 2012 the Nigerian business sector emphasized the necessity of sustainability within its own framework. The Bankers’ Committee adopted in July 2012 the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles that oblige “banks, discount houses and development finance institutions to develop a management approach that balances the environmental and social risks identified with the opportunities to be exploited through their business activities”.

What makes balancing like this ever more daunting is that sustainability comes with a price that does not necessarily square with the profit incentives that the market has to offer. It is all too common to hear that many companies succeed by doing nothing at all to be more sustainable; others even survive by doing harm.

However, according to Ibukun Awosika, the Chairwoman of the First Bank Nigeria Limited “business sustainability is an approach that creates long-term stakeholder value by implementing a business strategy that considers every dimension of how a business operates in the ethical, social, environmental, cultural, and economic spheres.” A wholesome approach like this seems critical in a complicated situation with which Nigeria is dealing as it is leaving the recession behind.

In the future Nigeria should expect evermore complex challenges; however if it practices what it preaches and strides forward with its sustainable aspirations while learning from its experiences in the recession, the mammoth need not fear extinction.

By: Anna Bernard

Images:

Global Panorama, Nigeria Flag, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Global Panorama, Gen Buhari, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

David Holt, Money 013 nigeria 1995, Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Satanold, IMG_0454, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

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