We are pleased to invite you to the second Business & Society Symposium, a day of multi- stakeholder collaboration and learning with inspiring speeches, interactive workshops, and training with experienced facilitators to equip participants with critical tools to ensure collaboration is an effective lever for advancing social and sustainability objectives.
The past decades have witnessed fundamental changes in the organisation of our societies: from rapid globalisation and a growing disconnect between the real economy and financial markets to growing inequality, climate change and other environmental and social challenges. Alongside these changes, the complex network of relationships between business, regulators, civil society and investors is in flux.
The current proposal at the EU level for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is an example of a complex relationship between stakeholders. Companies worry about the practicalities of implementation. Regulators fail to incorporate demands for a level playing field between large companies and SMEs. Civil society groups criticise the limited potential for impact, advocating for a broader supply chain approach involving collaboration with suppliers, NGOs and local governments. How can we bridge these gaps for an effective, aligned approach?
Building on the first Symposium in June 2022, the distinctive approach of the second UCB-SBSEM Symposium is to co-create actionable solutions based on case studies around this year’s theme: advancing multi-stakeholder collaboration for a more inclusive, equitable and green society. We will use case studies co-created with participants as a springboard for discussion in interactive workshops at the Symposium itself, during which different stakeholders will identify pain-points, solutions and opportunities to collaborate more effectively.
Moving beyond discussion, we invite you to imagine concrete solutions to overcome barriers that delay change, exploring answers to the critical question: How can critical stakeholders collaborate effectively towards a better future of business and society in Europe?
What will you gain from attending?
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Network and learn with peers, thought leaders and a diverse range of stakeholders - in business, regulation, investment, civil society and beyond - through dynamic workshop style discussions designed to unearth the distinct yet connected challenges around multi- stakeholder collaboration in a safe environment.
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Learn about best practice in multi-stakeholder dialogue and crowdsource tools, frameworks and solutions to accelerate your own contribution to multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Agenda:
9:30 Registrations
10:00 Welcome by Jean-Christophe Tellier, CEO of UCB
10:10 Academic keynote address: Stakeholder involvement in complex problem settings by prof. Cathy Macharis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
10:45 Intro to the cases by prof. Estelle Cantillon, Solvay Brussels School
10:55 Coffee break
11:10 Parallel sessions on case studies
Case introduced by one of the main protagonists sharing their challenge about multi-stakeholder collaboration.Cases under preparation by Brussels Capital Region, CSR Europe, ETEX, Finagri Chair (Sorbonne), SNCF and UCB
12:50 Lunch
13:50 Keynote address by Barbara Trachte, State Secretary for Economic Transition, Brussels Capital Region
14:20 Dessert and coffee
14:45 Parallel session on case studies
16:10 Plenary closing session: debrief panel, commitments and closing remarks (Case protagonists & Prof. Bruno van Pottelsberghe, Dean of the Solvay Brussels School)
17:10 Drinks, farewell