On 4 February, Aarhus University hosted a half-day conference focusing on the 17 UN goals for a sustainable development (SDGs). A special aim of the conference was to show how partnerships between the university, companies and public organisations are important in order for society to meet the 17 goals. 350 guests from a broad range of institutions participated in the conference that was headed by Connie Hedegaard, chairman of the board of AU.

The Department of Management was well represented at the conference.

Professor Jessica Aschemann-Witzel represented Aarhus BSS research with a presentation about sustainable products and customer behaviour:

A sustainable society and circular economy require that customers change their lifestyle, accept new sustainable solutions and become active stakeholders in the value chain. But how do we respond when e.g. by-products or sidestreams of industrial production become food and how can we encourage austerity in our lifestyle? Examples from the Propotato and the WasteProm projects.

In the booth area, MGMT had a booth presenting 8 research projects or results contributing to a broad range of SDGs. Contributors were:

• Professor Michael S. Dahl
• Associate Professor Franziska Günzel-Jensen
• Associate Professor Mai Skjøtt Linneberg
• Professor Helle Neergaard
• Professor Anne Ellerup Nielsen
• Professor Hanne Nørreklit
• Professor Christa Thomsen
• Professor Anders Ryom Villadsen

The research group SUSTAIN had produced a small flyer presenting their research about sustainability in organisations.

Christa Thomsen and Anne Ellerup Nielsen were present at the booth, discussing MGMT research with interested participants:
The feedback showed that many organisations are wrestling with the implementation of sustainability and the SDGs;  the strategy, the management role, the organisational changes required, the need for new competences, the communication and reporting. Spot on questions for MGMT and the Sustain research group, concludes Professor Anne Ellerup Nielsen.

Postdoc Sebastian Öttl also represented MGMT at the booth about the interdisciplinary research network Maasai Mara Science and Development Initiative. Professors Erik Reimer Larsen, Dorthe Døjbak Haakonsson, Jacob Eskildsen and Associate Professor Toke Bjerregaard run research projects connected to this network.

After the conference, the AU management has announced two new initiatives :

Funding
To support collaboration ideas arising from the conference, The Committee for Research and External Cooperation has decided to fund 2-3 SDG networks based on partnerships between Aarhus University, public stakeholders and private companies: https://medarbejdere.au.dk/strategi/ufes/sdg-network/

How do we create a Sustainable AU
Seminar for staff and students 21 March

Sustainability goals: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

AU conference programme: http://konferencer.au.dk/sustain/program/