Launch of the Copenhagen Sustainability Initiative (COSI)

A partnership between the University of Copenhagen (KU), Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and Copenhagen Business School (CBS)

20/11/2014

cbs dtu

When: Friday, 28 November, 15:30

Where: Room RS.20, Råvarerbygningen, Porcelænshaven 22, 2000 Frederiksberg

About the Copenhagen Sustainability Initiative (COSI):

It is becoming increasingly clear that ensuring social, environmental and economic sustainability requires new approaches to resource use, new business management models, deep political engagement and new technological and scientific solutions. This calls on Danish universities to provide applicable, cross-disciplinary knowledge platforms upon which to develop green growth and other sustainability initiatives.

In this context, the CBS Sustainability Platform, co-directed by Professors Mette Morsing and Stefano Ponte have joined forces with the University of Copenhagen Sustainability Science Centre, led by Professor Katherine Richardson and the DTU Global Decision Support Initiative (GDSI), directed by Professor Michael Zwicky Hauschild, to meet this demand. The result of this cooperation is the Copenhagen Sustainability Initiative (COSI), which endeavors to build a regional platform for sustainability in Copenhagen by establishing joint sustainability activities on research, education and engagement with business, civil society and the political system.

This is an invitation to join us at the launch of COSI, where speakers from each university involved in the partnership will present their vision on how social science, business studies, science and engineering can contribute to tackling the most pressing sustainability challenges of today. These presentations will be followed by an open discussion and by a small reception.

Program:

15:30 – Welcome and introduction to COSI by Mette Morsing, CBS

15:40 – Keynote by Michael Hauschild, DTU, ‘Engineering Sustainability: Eco-Efficiency and Eco-Effectiveness’

16:00 – Keynote by Katherine Richardson, KU, ‘The Climate Change Challenge and Planetary Boundaries’

16:20 – Keynote by Andreas Rasche, CBS, ‘Managing CSR in a Multi-Actor Governance Structure’

16:50 – Panel discussion and Q&A facilitated by Stefano Ponte, CBS

17:10 – Next steps and activities for COSI outlined by Stefano Ponte, CBS

17:15 – Reception

Short biographies of keynote speakers:

Michael Hauschild is professor and Head of the Quantitative Sustainability Assessment section and Global Decision Support Initiative (GDSI) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). His research investigates the methodologies utilized in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) to quantify sustainability. Among other elected posts, he is Chairman of the UNEP- SETAC task force on life-cycle impact assessment of toxic impacts. He is a co-recipient of the Nordic Council’s Great Nature and Environmental Award (1997).

Katherine Richardson is a professor in biological oceanography at the University of Copenhagen (KU) and leader of the Sustainability Science Centre. As a former Chairman of the Danish Commission on Climate Change Policy, she assisted with a roadmap for how Denmark can become independent of fossil fuels by 2050. She is a lead author of the book ‘Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions’ (2009).

Andreas Rasche is professor of Business in Society at the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at Copenhagen Business School (cbsCSR). Public-private sustainability partnerships and their governance form the core of Rasches’ research pursuits. Among many other publications on this relationship, he co-edited ‘The UN Global Compact: Achievements, Trends and Challenges’ with Georg Kell (2010). Rasche currently serves as a member of the Global Compact LEAD Steering Committee.

Organized by: COSI Initiative