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The need for action in the area of sustainability is also increasing for smaller companies. The Volksbank is therefore starting a series of virtual events for SMEs in various federal states with the CSR experts from respACT. Best practice initiatives from regional companies will also be presented.
Wien, 09.06.2021 - For large companies, terms such as SDG compass, EU taxonomy or disclosure regulation (SFRD) are no longer foreign words, because many of them have already set up their own departments for corporate social responsibility (CSR). But even small companies can no longer ignore the topic of sustainability, because many of them are part of national or global supply chains. In addition, banks will in future have to take more sustainable criteria into account when granting loans, which will subsequently also affect SMEs. In addition to the risks, there are, above all, countless opportunities that result from the implementation of CSR measures in companies.
CSR experts from respACT are on board
“With this series of virtual events in the federal states, we want to bring Volksbank's SME customers closer to the value and market potential of sustainable development,” explains Gerald Fleischmann, General Director of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG and spokesman for the Volksbank Association. In cooperation with the CSR experts from respACT, practical implementation options are conveyed at the online events. A best practice model of a regional company is therefore to be presented in the federal states.
“All 193 UN member states have agreed on 17 sustainable development goals that should make our planet more livable by 2030. These goals include social, ecological and economic aspects and the aim is nothing less than the transformation of our world, ”emphasizes Peter Giffinger, respACT President and CEO Austria at Saint-Gobain. Ending poverty is just as much a part of these goals as sustainable consumption and production. “In times of globalization without borders, this means consciously concentrating on regional products and services: on-site production, with raw materials from 'next door' such as gypsum from local mining or wood from sustainably managed forests - and always with an eye on the entire supply chain as well as the reduction of the CO2 footprint ”, Giffinger continues.
Steirische Volksbank rushes forward
Volksbank Steiermark will kick off on June 24, 2021, and has been headed by an all-female board member for some time. “As we know from a recently conducted survey of entrepreneurs by the Volksbank, women are particularly committed to sustainability. So I am really delighted that the General Director of Volksbank Steiermark, Regina Ovesny-Straka, has taken on a national pioneering role here, ”explains Fleischmann. The specialist lectures come from respACT expert Joram Fridtjof Sobanski. Link to event registration: www.volksbank-stmk.at/nachhaltigkeit
Volksbank implements a consistent sustainability strategy itself
Volksbank Wien has also already set a date for its online event, other Volksbanks will start in early autumn. The online events are all under the motto “Opportunities and challenges of corporate sustainability in practice” and are continuously supported by respACT and the Volksbanken. In addition, a Volksbank customer from each region will present their own initiative in the field of sustainability management. In Styria, this is Jakob Edler, Managing Director of BioEnergie Köflach GmbH. The Association of Volksbanks itself also pursues a consistent sustainability strategy for its own business model. The sector sees itself as THE sustainable, regional house bank in Austria and would like its corporate customers to benefit from this expertise.
Picture: DI Gerald Fleischmann, General Director of VOLKSBANK WIEN AG © Robert Polster
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