Monday 15.03.21
Nutrition seminar with betteryou AG
The Sustainability Week started with an insightful event about nutrition. Ben from betteryou, a Startup from Zurich specialized in nutrition consultancy, introduced the students to the field of plant-based nutrition. By showing what has to be kept in mind while eating plant-based and the potential benefits of such a nutrition he’s shed light into this important sustainability topic. Whereas specific vitamins and minerals may fall short if you don’t pay attention, an increase of antioxidants and carbohydrates can make a substantial change to your body and well-being.
Live Cooking with Oismak
In our Live Cooking Session with chef Kristina from Oismak by oikos we prepared a creamy, spicy Quinoa-Lentil-Dal with Spinach and homemade Naan. The event was also part of the "Food Challenge" which was going on the whole week in order to raise awareness for a plant-based diet. While cooking, we were able to exchange some kitchen tipps and tricks. For example, how one can make coconut milk at home. It was quite challenging to simultaneously prepare the dish, engage in some small talk and follow the instructions but fun for sure! Especially being rewarded with a tasty dinner was worth joining this event.
Tuesday 16.03.21
Nestle’s Water Privatization: Panel with Campax and Wellington Water Watchers
Nestle is the biggest company based in Switzerland. While we don’t read that much about them here in Switzerland, there are many issues associated to them. One of such is the water privatization. Therefore, community representatives from North America joined us in this panel to show the devastating effects of Nestle’s water privatization.
Wine & Yoga:
You might already know how to do a down dog or even warrior 1, 2 and 3. But have you ever practiced yoga while drinking a glass of wine? Probably not, Wine and Yoga are a relatively uncommon combination.
However, there is no good reason why not to and therefore, we had our Wine N' Yoga event on Tuesday night, March 16! Nathalie Roh, the yoga instructor, guided 25 persons for an hour through an excellent wine yoga routine, following the mantra "if you can't go outside, go inside".
It was a fun and active event for beginners or advanced yogis.
At the beginning of the event, Sheirlyn, as part of the SUS team, roughly explained why it is essential to check if your wine is BIO, sourced from organic and sustainable vineyards, and VEGAN, with non-animal fining products.
Wednesday 17.03.21
Sustainability Consulting: Workshop by ecos
On Wednesday morning we dived into the world of sustainability consulting. A workshop together with Tobias Meier from the swiss company ecos started with him giving insight into their projects and work. Then the group was split into two which gave the possibility of individually working on two current projects: Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 and Prozirkula. The questions were challenging, and very interesting discussions took place within the groups. The workshop was a great and fun possibility to develop a sense of what it is like to be a sustainable consultant.
Nikin
As a lunch break event on Wednesday (March 17), we invited Nicholas Hänny, co-founder of the Swiss fashion and lifestyle brand NIKIN, to talk about Entrepreneurship sustainably driven.
He and his co-founder, Robin Gnehm, wanted to start a joint project for a long time. Their vision was a fashion label that has an ecological impact. More than 30 participants had the opportunity to listen to Nicholas Hänny's experience and advice as an entrepreneur driven by sustainable ideas, showing another career option as an HSG student and explaining his current challenges with his business. We had an insightful round of Q&A with great questions and participation of the students. It was so interesting to learn how NIKIN is managing its fast growth and the challenges of expanding to the German market.
Ultra Fair Sportswear made by FC St. Pauli
On Wednesday evening, the Sustainability Week received a visit from FC St.Pauli, playing in the 2. Bundesliga. As many football clubs like to claim that they are more than just a club, few really show it. This is not the case with FC St.Pauli. They recently launched their project DI!Y which involves the production of a complete merchandise collection in a sustainable value chain. Bernd von Geldern, sales manager, presented the business model of FC St. Pauli at this year’s Sustainability Week. The participants were then given a short business case to complete. Bernd von Geldern was so pleased with the results that he promised all workshop participants a new DI!Y jersey from FC St.Pauli.
Thursday 18.03.21
Credit Suisse: Workshop
On Thursday, 18 March a team of Sustainable Investing advisors led by Ms. Martina Bühler from Credit Suisse offered a workshop to 20 participants. Students had the chance to analyze a number of case studies from the perspective of advisors and analyze diverse clients profiles. By taking into account the specific sustainable investing needs and criteria of the clients, participants could recommend specific investment approaches and a review of the clients´ existing portfolios. This highly interactive exercise offered an opportunity for appreciating the significance of sustainable investment decisions and fit in well with the rest of the events during the 2021 Sustainability Week at the University of St. Gallen.
DIY Workshop: Beewax and Tawashi Sponge
I am Blanche and I was part of the Sustainability Week team this year! Together with Anna I organised a DIY workshop to upcycle old clothes. Did you know that a t-shirt or tote bag can be easily turned into the famous bees’ wraps? Or that old socks can have a second life as a sponge in your kitchen? Well, that’s exactly what we demonstrated during our workshop, and it was fun! Even in a virtual setting we managed to spread the word on more sustainable and zero-waste alternatives. Goal achieved!
Switzeland carbon-neutral by 2050? Panel Discussion
As a worthy closing of the Sustainability Week St.Gallen 2021 Raphel Wüthrich (Jugendparlament SG AI AR) hosted a panel discussion about Switzerland’s long-term climate strategy 2050 in order to become carbon-neutral. The guest portfolio was very diverse in order to have a dialogue including many different perspectives of this topic. Prof. Dr. Wüstenhagen from the IWÖ-HSG represented the academic perspective. Andrea Burkhardt as the leader of the section climate of the BAFU (Bundesamt für Umwelt) represented the government. Nicola Siegrist, vice-president JUSO CH and climate activist, represented the role of the youth and politics in general. Christian Heierli the project leader of Alpinsolar by Axpo completed the round with the private sector perspective. As a conclusion we came up with the agreement to vote yes in the upcoming election for the “CO2-Gesetzt” and to take initiative in our daily lives through creating value in a company or by becoming active ourselves.