presents...
Czech & Slovak Sustainability Summit, 25. 4. 2024, Cubex Centrum Prague

Conference program overview

Inspiring presentations and speakers

The 2024 edition of the Czech & Slovak Sustainability Summit will take place a few weeks before the Hockey World Championships, which will be played in Prague. This has inspired us to structure the conference program like a hockey match and break it down into three periods. This “hockey-style” division into thirds will provide participants with a more balanced overview of sustainable issues.

MAIN CONFERENCE PROGRAM
25. 04. 2024
SCIENCE CAFÉ
25. 04. 2024
8:00 – 9:00

Registration

9:00 – 11:00

First period: Blow your bubble bigger

Opening discussion: Sustainability in the Global Context

We will start the morning program with an inspirational discussion focused on the topic of sustainability in the world. Sustainability managers in the Czech and Slovak Republics, or across Europe for that matter, often forget that the Old Continent is the part of a much larger world. It is not good enough to raise sustainability in Europe while forgetting about the rest of the world. The air that Europeans breathe is the world’s air, the water that laps its shore is the world’s water, the temperatures that raise our thermometers are the world’s temperatures, and the people that attempt to cross our borders are people of the world who seek a better life than they have at home. In the opening discussion, we will talk to two local leaders who have spent their lives dealing with sustainability issues in the world to get their views on global sustainability and its impact on Europe. Among other things, we will hear that the flow of inspiration in the area of sustainable development is certainly not a one-way street.

Panel discussion: Cooperation is the Only Way to Sustainability

Nearly every company on the local market has embarked upon a path to sustainability, and the goal of the Czech & Slovak Sustainability Summit is to highlight the impressive steps taken so far on that journey. But companies cannot live in a bubble for sustainability as a whole to progress. They need to work together not only with their suppliers and clients but with other actors. These “stakeholders” likely do not have a direct impact on the profit margin of the company and may be considered secondary. But if sustainability is to advance, cooperation among various stakeholders is essential. In the morning panel discussion, we will bring together business leaders and the leaders of academia, government, and the non-profit sector to discuss how sustainability can be reached through cooperation.

11:00 – 12:00

First break: Brunch

Commented exhibition of sustainable project posters

The goal of the summit is to present the largest number of successful sustainable projects. Because not all of the nominated projects can fit into the conference program, the organizers have included a program part often found at scientific congresses: a poster gallery of sustainable projects. Posters printed on recycled paper with detailed information about the projects will be displayed in sustainable stands during the entire day. During the brunch and lunch breaks, representatives of the companies will be available in person to explain the project to interested attendees and answer their questions.

Making new contacts at the stands of partners

The Sustainability Summit is supported by dozens of partners from across the business spectrum. Some are there because they offer sustainable products, advices or solutions, while others simply want to show their support for the implementation of sustainable practices on the Czech and Slovak markets. In any case, the breaks are the perfect time to meet the partners at their contact places.

Brunch & Learn

Another new feature of the Sustainability Summit 2024 will be a program part known as “Lunch and Learn” or “Brunch and Learn” – a format common at conferences abroad. Is a one-hour brunch or lunch break too long for you? Want to get even more information while you eat? During the refreshment breaks, we will offer presentations of exclusive research conducted by leading research agencies especially for the participants of the Sustainability Summit. So load up your plate, take a seat in the special seminar room and fill your head with information while you fill your stomach with food.

12:00 – 14:30

Second period: Best practices

Case studies of projects that really work

We cannot move toward a more sustainable future simply by talking about what we need to do and complaining about what is or isn’t being done. We must take concrete steps. Many companies and organizations are already taking steps that are truly making a difference. The primary goal of the Czech & Slovak Sustainability Summit is to provide a platform to present successful projects so that other companies can be motivated to take similar steps. The best way is to share positive experiences.

In this block, you will hear the details of sustainable projects that have had proven positive results on the environment or society. In short, you will see sustainability in practice. Don’t worry about greenwashing. The presented projects are the top projects chosen by the Scientific Council of the summit, which demands that proof and concrete data are provided. These projects are the truly best sustainable projects implemented on the Czech and Slovak markets over the past year. And because they are so noteworthy, not only will the projects be presented by the very people who worked to make them a success, but those people and their projects will receive the prestigious Sustainability Star award in recognition of their hard work and dedication.

Awarding of the best projects in the field of sustainability

Implementing a successful sustainability project – one that actually achieves proven results – takes time, energy and commitment. And in the end, there should be not only a benefit for the environment or society, but also recognition for those who implemented the project. For that reason, we will be awarding the projects chosen as the best by our Scientific Council the prestigious Sustainability Star award in recognition of their hard work and dedication.

14:30 – 15:30

Second break: Late light lunch

Commented exhibition of sustainable project posters

The goal of the summit is to present the largest number of successful sustainable projects. Because not all of the nominated projects can fit into the conference program, the organizers have included a program part often found at scientific congresses: a poster gallery of sustainable projects. Posters printed on recycled paper with detailed information about the projects will be displayed in sustainable stands during the entire day. During the brunch and lunch breaks, representatives of the companies will be available in person to explain the project to interested attendees and answer their questions.

Making new contacts at the stands of partners

The Sustainability Summit is supported by dozens of partners from across the business spectrum. Some are there because they offer sustainable products, advices or solutions, while others simply want to show their support for the implementation of sustainable practices on the Czech and Slovak markets. In any case, the breaks are the perfect time to meet the partners at their contact places.

Lunch & Learn

Another new feature of the Sustainability Summit 2024 will be a program part known as “Lunch and Learn” or “Brunch and Learn” – a format common at conferences abroad. Is a one-hour brunch or lunch break too long for you? Want to get even more information while you eat? During the refreshment breaks, we will offer presentations of exclusive research conducted by leading research agencies especially for the participants of the Sustainability Summit. So load up your plate, take a seat in the special seminar room and fill your head with information while you fill your stomach with food.

15:30 – 18:00

Third period: Let’s get to work

Afternoon workshops

New in the conference program of the second edition of the Sustainability Summit are afternoon workshops that will run parallel and focus on the following topics:

  • ESG reporting
  • Financing and incubation of sustainable business
  • Social aspects of sustainability
  • Decarbonization and environmental aspects of sustainability
  • Biodiversity and ecosystems

Summit participants can join the workshops in basically three ways:

  1. They can briefly (5–7 minutes) present their projects or experiences with sustainability, followed by a discussion (10–15 minutes).
  2. They can sit at the round table for the entire duration of the workshop and actively participate in the discussion, even if they do not present themselves.
  3. They “sit on the sidelines”, listen to the debate and are so-called “free agents” who move from one workshop to another according to their mood and interest.

18:00 – 23:00

Overtime: Evening program

Networking in the framework of a “sustainable pub”

A full day of inspiration in the field of sustainability will be followed by the Sustainable Pub, i.e., a pleasant and informal end to the day with good food, drinks, entertainment, in short, the ideal space for networking.

What can you look forward to?


Networking with other susmen and -women



Delicious vegan and vegetarian food



A sudsy mug of beer from Pilsner Urquell and the introduction of the new concept of the sustainable pub called Smart Tap



Tasting of sustainable wine from gravity winery Vilavin

Build not only your knowledge in the area of sustainability but your contacts as well!

Science Café

The Sustainability Summit also includes an expert lecture section focused on news, research and development in the area of sustainability, circular economy and raw material safety. The aim is to provide a space for sharing new information or research results that could inspire implementation in practice. The standard presentation time will be 15 minutes.