On the 13th of October, Change on Campus organized a sustainability strategy case workshop together with B Lab, Student Impact, the Social Business Club and Start ROSE. After a brief introduction to the SDGs, the highly motivated participants received an in-depth explanation of various impact and value generation assessment tools used in practice by B-Lab Switzerland and START Rose. The Impact Business Model Spectrum Chart (IBM SC) was designed by B-
Lab and is used to analyze the operational feasibility, cultural impact, economic effects, and materiality of measures and strategies to achieve specifically defined social or environmental goals. START’s ROSE-framework on the other hand was developed in partnership with leading venture capital firms to facilitate the assessment of the return on society and environment (ROSE) of startups. It is specifically tailored towards the needs of venture capital firms and capabilities of startups. The framework is based on the Sustainable Development Goals and
helps startups evaluating their impact and internal practices as well as elaborating improvement goals.
All participants were given the chance to solve company case studies in different industries and apply these two assessment tools in a real-life context. In groups, the students presented their cases, specific strategies and recommendations to representatives of B-Lab Switzerland and different university associations. The presentations were followed by open discussions between all participants and representatives.
The overall participation in the workshop was incredible. We had more registrations for the workshop than available spots. The teams had a lot of fun solving and presenting the cases. Each presentation led to a lively discussion. It became clear how difficult it actually is to conduct business in a sustainable and responsible way.
