A MAGAZ INE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ® MAIA ZINE APRIL ISSUE, 2023 FOOD WASTE AND SUSTAINABILIT Y Zero emission cars are now over taking gas cars. SUSTAINABLE FASHION Do you know how much your wardrobe is costing the planet? ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING Why we should all learn to love leftovers and consider our consumer choices.
FEATURES CONTENTS Fighting Food Waste Some of the facts about food waste, and some ways you can help Electric Vehicles - Will You Drive One? How EVs will be part of your cleaner, more sustainable future Cocoa Beans - Stop Modern Slavery How your consumer choices can help save people and the planet The Fashion Dilemma Have you thought of how you can cut carbon emissions from your closet? SPOTLIGHTS UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA MCPHS LEIDEN UNIVERSITY Leiden University College The Hague BOCCONI UNIVERSITY SHL LUCERNE IE UNIVERSITY BISHOP’S UNIVERSITY BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY DICKINSON COLLEGE RUTGERS UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY TIPS Easy tips you can try to help fight food waste. 22 Interested in learning more around sustainability? Here are some activities that you could complete and add to your resume. 67 6 10 14 24 26 30 36 44 48 56 60 64 What the term actually means, and how changing the way we think and learn can have an impact on our world 2
You may have heard this word a lot lately and assumed it is something relatively new. You may even wonder exactly what it means! What’s Sustainability? Sustainability is simple: it is about finding ways to meet our needs without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It’s about protecting the planet, and creating a fair and just society for all. It isn’t really new Sustainability has a rich history in many Indigenous cultures who developed ways of life based on deep respect for the natural world and for community. It has also played a role in movements advocating for social justice, conservation, and internationalism. Achieving sustainability requires long-term thinking and collaboration. Time for a change This is why Education Curriculum Consultant Diya Kanoria founded Make The Change in Switzerland. She says thinking in an isolated, specialized way was great for invention development but ignored the impact of one system on another. As a result, problems we thought were fixed are coming back, and we’ve created new ones. She wants to change the way people think by changing our style of education. “We need to bridge the gap between traditional education and its lack of realworld skills. There is an urgent need for young people to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to solve today’s complex world problems. If all 2 billion people on the planet of school-going age are educated with the same mindset, we exacerbate rather than solve our problems.” says Diya. Diya believes that education needs a radical reinvention to become holistic and build in more real-world experiences. She believes it must be interdisciplinary and emphasize systems thinking, creativity, and collaboration. She also believes that making mistakes needs to be seen as part of the creative process of trying to solve problems. “In this model, teachers become coaches and students become leaders, willing to learn about themselves and their motivators. They will gain the skills needed to adapt and thrive in an uncertain world. Systems thinking, circular economies, self-discovery, and community partnerships are at its central core. Values will drive the learning.” S u s t a i n a b i l i t y c re a t i n g a b r i gh t e r f u t u re A Jobs of Tomorrow (WEF 2023) paper predicts that in the next seven years almost 100 million new Green and Social Jobs will be created to build a sustainable and inclusive future. Diya believes that it is the forward-thinking Gen-Zs who will become change-makers, ready to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century. Will you be one of them? Diya Kanoria is based in Switzerland and offers 1618 year olds an immersive summer experience, going into companies and the environment to learn from real challenges and real solutions. These experiences are designed to give students the drive, the confidence, and the tools to take action in their own communities.
From our environmental studies majors with specialization tracks in policy and urban environments, to dedicated sustainability research opportunities in the US and abroad, to career preparation programs focused on climate and energy careers, the University of Chicago is a prime destination for students interested in the environment and sustainable urban development. COLLEGEADMISSIONS.UCHICAGO.EDU UChicago’s Environment, Geography, and Urbanization Major The Environment, Geography, and Urbanization major prepares students to understand and confront the wide-ranging societal, historical, and spatial dimensions of contemporary planetary environmental crises, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and other forms of large-scale socio-environmental transformation. The curriculum emphasizes multiple theoretical approaches to urban environmental studies and sustainable urbanism; energy histories and geographies; environmental economics; environmental humanities; spatial and environmental data visualization; and environmental policy, design, and practice. During the fall, students have the option to take their environmental studies to Germany for the “Berlin: Conflict, Community, and Sustainability” study abroad program. The program introduces students to topics in urban planning—including housing, conservation, urban design, and transportation—and focuses on the lived experiences of current Berlin residents and related political questions around community and the environment.
COLLEGEADMISSIONS.UCHICAGO.EDU Green Careers Climate and energy are critical issues facing all industries and sectors—from for-profit businesses to advocacy organizations, to governments at all levels. For undergrads seeking to develop their professional goals and aspirations in climate and energy, the Office of Career Advancement offers the UChicago Climate and Energy Careers program: a multi-industry career preparation track focused on energy, climate change, and more! Key programs in the track include: Energize Energize is UChicago’s largest networking event for students and employers with a distinct focus on energy, climate, and sustainability. Students can learn about career pathways focused on climate, energy, and the environment through networking with alumni and employers. Green Data Program The Green Data Program is an early engagement program for first and second-year students to accelerate their professional development at the nexus of data, public policy, and climate change. Clean Energy Track The Clean Energy Track is an interactive program designed to foster exploration into clean energy career pathways. This program immerses students in the theory and practice of innovative advancements in physical sciences and engineering disciplines, with a focus on battery storage and electric vehicles. Sustainable Research: The Environmental Frontiers Campus at the Mansueto Institute The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation—UChicago’s hub for urban science—offers programs and research opportunities for students interested in cities and sustainable urban development. The Institute’s Environmental Frontiers Campus research projects train undergraduates to use UChicago campus data as a case study for understanding a path to a more sustainable future: the projects help students craft research inquiries, effectively define a scope for data analysis, and use rigorous quantitative methods to determine a set of viable recommendations. Past EFCampus research projects produced tree ecosystem analyses, water conservation assessments, and energy efficiency evaluations of UChicago’s labs and LEED-certified buildings. “In the Midwest, it’s easy to forget that everyday existence is inextricably tied to our watersheds, and projects like this one remind us how important water is to our ecosystems, communities, and institutions.” Ruby R., third-year economics and environment, geography, and urbanization double major COLLEGEADMISSIONS.UCHICAGO.EDU “It was gratifying to hand over a polished report containing attainable recommendations for the University as well as all of the necessary information for students to continue our research in the future.” Jasmina S., third-year mathematics major and statistics minor
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At University College Roosevelt you get an education built around you. You create your own program by choosing courses from nearly for ty disciplines. From Ar t Histor y to Life Science and from Economics to Robotics, there is always a combination that will suit you. In and outside your classes you interact with engaged professors and motivated students. Our tight-knit community enables you to find and explore your passions and interests while enjoying a wonderful student life in Middelburg, the Netherlands. Project: Developing an artificial esophagus Someone close to me has been suffering from cancer. I’ve been wanting to ease their pain for a long time , and am using my knowledge of Biomedical & Life Science combined with Material Science to develop an ar tificial esophagus. I’m looking forward to seeing this improve the situation for real life patients. Project: Is this painting real? At University College Roosevelt I was able to combine my passion for Ar t Histor y with my interest in Material Science and Engineering. For my final Research Project, I wanted to tackle a real world problem. I’m using the electromicroscope to investigate pigments in old paintings to tr y and determine whether these pigments would have been used at the time . This can help identify fakes. ARTS & HUMANITIES Antiquity & Archaeology Ar t Histor y Film, Theater and Media Studies Histor y Linguistics Literature Musicology Music Performance Philosophy Religious Studies Rhetoric & Argumentation ENGINEERING Data Sciece & Ar tificial Intelligence Electronics Energy and Flow Sustainable Materials Interdisciplinar y Projects SOCIAL SCIENCE Anthropology Economics Human Geography Law Politics and International Relations Psychology Research Methodology & Statistics Sociology SCIENCE Biomedical Science Chemistr y Cognitive Science Computer Science Ear th Science Environmental Science Life Science Mathematics Physics Premedical Program Discover your passions, build your own curriculum, choose from the following: www.ucr.nl/ucr-101 Become par t of a close-knit community of 600 students and 80 faculty Put together your own curriculum from close to 40 different disciplines Live in guaranteed and affordable housing for the duration of your studies Join a highly international university (65%) with more than 60 nationalities Explore what Middelburg, the Netherlands and Europe have to offer “ “ Project: Get the best food I’ve been working on finding ways to use drones to improve all kinds of agricultural processes. Think about checking fruit quality while it is still on the tree , but also being able to strategically put pesticides only on the plants that need it. My project incorporates aspects of Motion Planning, Computer Science , Ar tificial Intelligence and Robotics, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. I also need to consider Economics and Ethics as technological development influences real people and society. “
$425K+ CAMPUS SUSTAINAB I LIT Y FUNDS AWARDE D I N 2021 -22 65,000+ METR IC TONS OF CARBON DIOXI DE MITIGATE D T H A N K S TO R E N E WA B L E E N E R GY U S E O N C A M P U S 2040 GOAL YE AR FOR ACH I E VI NG CARBON NEUTR ALIT Y At the Universit y of Arizona, we have a vision for the future – and we want you to be par t of it . We’re commit ted to being a leader in sustainabilit y and climate ac tion. As a Wildcat , you’ll create solutions that address global challenges and f ind new ways to protec t our planet . PAINTING PA RED, BLUE, AND GREEN THE FUTURE THE F Dynnika Tso, a student majoring in public health with an emphasis on environmental health, is president of American Indian Student Initiatives. This studentrun organization helped install solar panels throughout Navajo Nation, providing clean and renewable energy to families. EXPLORE DEGREE PROGRAMS Whether you seek to understand the natural world or oversee environmental policies, we have a variety of programs to help you achieve your goals. environment.arizona.edu/findyourenvironment
OF F I CE OF UNDERGRADUAT E ADM I SS I ONS PO Box 210073, Tuc son, A Z 85721 - 0073 520.621 . 3237 | arizona.edu/admissions Find your personal Universit y of Arizona contac t at go.arizona.edu/f ind- recruiter CONNECT WI TH US uazadmissions universityofarizona uarizona AT ARIZONA.EDU/APPLY Applicants must have an unweighted overall grade point average of 2.0 (A = 4.0) in each subjec t area and may not have more than t wo def iciencies. Students may not have def iciencies in both math and laborator y science or in the same subjec t area. I f you’re in the top 25% of your class and have completed the core requirement s or have a 3.0 unweighted core GPA through your six th semester, you’re assured admission to the universit y. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS 4 YEARS OF ENGLISH 4 YEARS OF MATHEMATICS 3 YEARS OF LAB SCIENCE 2 YEARS OF THE SAME SECOND LANGUAGE 2 YEARS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (1 YEAR OF AMERICAN HISTORY) 1 YEAR OF FINE ARTS OR 1 YEAR OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) WILDCATS START YOUR JOURNEY TODAY P LAN A V I S I T The sight s, the people, the feeling you get on campus – the bes t way to pic ture yourself here is by planning a visit . Chat with current s tudent s, learn about our his tor y and tradit ions, and fall in love with our beaut iful campus. arizona.edu/visit IN ACTION Compost Cats is a group of passionate individuals who collect food and organic waste from the community and turn it into usable compost. Over the past 10 years, Compost Cats has diverted over 20 million pounds of food waste from landfills. Eco-Reps is a student organization that drives sustainability initiatives within the university’s 23 dorms on campus. Get involved and you could lead fun events like Recyclemania, a dorm recycling competition held every spring. The Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) provides grant funding for sustainability projects from students and campus community members. If you have an idea, the CSF could help you bring your project to life.
Have you ever reached for the milk to find it’s gone sour, or forgotten about leftovers in the fridge and had them go bad? Or have you simply hated the Brussel sprouts that were put on your plate and thrown them out? If so, you're not alone. Globally, we waste a staggering amount of food every year; and even worse, a lot of food wasted is still good to eat. Why Should You Care? According to Barclays, the equivalent of six garbage trucks full of perfectly good food are going to waste every second. This costs the world economy about $1 trillion annually and is set to rise. That's like throwing away a whole meal for every person on the planet every day. And while we toss all this food away, more than 10% of the world's population is going hungry. It's hard to wrap your head around that kind of waste, especially when so many people are starving. So food waste is a moral and economic issue. Recent research by Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2022) found that half the world’s habitable land and 70% of global fresh water is used for agriculture. It is estimated that 40% of food in the United States goes to waste. And the US Environmental Protection Authority says the annual water and energy used on wasted food is enough to supply 50 million homes. With rising grocery bills, the cost of food waste quickly adds up. If you throw away food that could still be eaten, it's like walking over to the garbage to regularly throw in your money. Where Does It Go? When food is thrown away, it often ends up in landfills. As it decomposes, it produces methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its global warming potential. So it is bad for the environment. The United Nations says that if global food waste was a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter. nibs etc. Upcyling To Fight Waste It was these kind of shocking statistics that inspired socially conscious food entrepreneurs like Chloë Stewart. Chloë runs an award winning company in London called nibs etc. that makes delicious and nutritious upcycled snacks from high fiber and leftover byproducts that normally get thrown away. While a passion for food had always been there, the tipping point came working as a volunteer on an organic farm in Italy. Part of her work there included cooking. “What really inspired me was was being reminded that people living from the land literally can't afford to waste anything. Not wasting food was just a normal way of life. It wasn't a trend. It wasn't because of a ‘zero waste’ hashtag.” Once back home Chloë wanted a creative outlet, so she started a food blog about upcycling leftovers and no-waste recipes. “A lot of it was from not wanting to spend money, and also being too lazy to go to the shops. But, then I realized I loved the creativity of making delicious things from what others would see as food scraps.” Chloë wanted to promote a ‘Circular Economy’ approach. The idea behind a ‘Circular Economy’ is that every part of a supply chain can be used as a resource for the next step. This is similar to how things work in nature, where nothing is considered waste because everything is always being used by something else. By doing this, we can keep using resources for a very long time. Then Chloë became friends with a juicer. “I experimented creating recipes using pulp. I thought it would make for interesting content for the blog.” As people learned about and became more interested in zero waste cooking, they asked her to cater events and highlight her upcycled food approach. “I basically said yes to everything and was quickly exhausted. Logistically, it was challenging. But, I realized that I could scale my environmental impact by focusing on developing retail products. Chloë created nibs etc. which is a business using leftover apple pulp as an important high fiber ingredient. 40% of food is wasted in the USA. A lot goes into landfills to rot. FOOD WASTE Why it’s a big deal
I still didn’t have a car and was collecting about 10-15kg of juice pulp a week - stems, seeds and all - in reusable containers from local juice bars, and taking them back to the commercial kitchen space on the tube!” A few months later, nibs etc. had a line of juice pulp products with a retail focus, and had earned its first two awards: Cotswold Fayre Young Food and Drink Entrepreneur of the Year, and the WeWork Creator Award awarded by Ashton Kutcher! During the Covid pandemic the small juice shops supplying her with fruit and vegetable pulp shut down. She was devastated. “Covid wiped out our entire juice pulp supply chain; our team shrank and the momentum we'd gained evaporated.” Thankfully, Chloë was able to find a new supplier that presses British apples for cider and juice. “Our focus is now on apple pulp from 100% British apple varieties that will change seasonally. Hero-ing such an English ingredient is an added silver lining.” Chloë says she is especially proud of the greenhouse gas emissions she has reduced. “Since starting my business, I think we've upcycled 4-5 tonnes of pulp, and that number will increase. I am proud of the work we have done to reduce emissions since it hasn’t gone into landfill.” Ends + Stems: Reducing Waste Another entrepreneur trying to help people reduce household food waste to stop the effects of climate change is Alison Mountford from Ends + Stems. After finishing her degree in anthropology, Alison decided she wanted a change. So she packed up and moved from New York to California. She did some career research and saw an article on fastgrowing career opportunities with a bright outlook. The career of Personal Chef was the job that caught her eye. Having always enjoyed cooking, she knew this was the perfect match, so she started a culinary school. At that time the farm-to-table ethos was growing in California, and Alison became part of that. Within half a year, she had already signed her first client, and after that more clients followed. As her personal chef business grew, she started to think about food waste. It’s impossible to predict how much 30-50 families will eat, so Alison ended up with lots of leftovers as she tested out quantities of food for her clients. Being close to Silicon Valley, she also had the opportunity to cater for tech companies and large corporations and their special events. It was there she witnessed firsthand the magnitude of food waste and the barriers to stopping it. These events would have plenty of food options to the point where there would be countless leftovers that would be thrown out as garbage. “For many companies, ‘garbage cost’ is already in their budget but hiring a service and the cost to donate the leftover food was regarded as ‘optional’ and expensive.” Allison was determined to solve the problem. Alison then pivoted towards teaching people to cook tasty, time saving recipes with the “secret ulterior motive” of wasting less food. She taught people tips and tricks for zero waste kitchens, low waste entertaining, and how to best store food so it lasts. Now Alison has a digital business with a membership program that provides plans for great tasting, low waste recipes. Because of her passion for zero waste, Alison has been named a Rubicon Waste Fit Champion, was a finalist for the Spoon Tech Startup Showcase, and has appeared on podcasts and radio shows. She also works as a food waste consultant. Alison’s main suggestion for easily fighting food waste is to buy less food to begin with! She says the key is to plan ahead and only buying what you need. She also said, “we don’t need to be vegetarian but we could eat more plants and less meat.” Decide which recipes you’ll cook for the week before heading to the store. Plan meals that include ingredients you already have. Tr y planning recipes with similar ingredients that you can use for more than one recipe, e.g. include spinach in a curr y for dinner and use the rest in a salad for lunch the next day. Then only buy what you need. Relying on your memor y is faulty, you will buy something you already have or forget something. Check your grocer y list against what you have at home before you shop. If you’re shor t of time, simply take a photo of your shelves before going to the store so you’ll buy what you need. This is a really easy way to stop waste. Look for apps like Too Good To Go that matches you with good food that is sold at a reduced price at the end of a day. Recipe apps like Plant Jammer help you use the food you already have by creating recipes using AI - no need to buy a bunch of new stuf f. Instead, empty your fridge because it’s cheaper and more sustainable!! Bent cucumbers, misshaped carrots, tiny cauliflowers and naked onions are among the misshapen fruits and vegetables. They look wonk y, but there is nothing wrong with them! Stop peeling vegetables. It is a waste of food, time, money, fiber, and nutrients; and contributes waste to landfills and compost bins. Instead just rinse. One of the biggest things that will af fect how long your food lasts is how it is stored. Improperly stored food tends to spoil or go stale much faster and ends up being thrown out before it can be used. If you search the Internet for food storage and food waste, you will find many sites with great tips on what to store where. Plan Your Meals CHLOË & ALISON’S SUGGESTIONS Check Your Pantry Try Some Apps Eat Ugly Store Food Well Alison Mountford is a Chef and Founder of Ends + Stems
Don’t be afraid to share an order. If you know a restaurant has large por tions, ask for an extra plate and split an order between two people. 55% of people don’t ask to take restaurant lef tovers home. You can easily reduce food waste by asking to take your restaurant lef tovers with you. . Fruits and vegetables that are overripe may not look great, but can still be delicious in smoothies. Have some fun creating nutritious and tasty smoothie recipes. Today ’s wilting veggies and veggie scraps are per fect for tomorrow’s soups and stocks. 90% of people throw out food that is still good. The USDA says that food (not infant formula) past its date is of ten still good. If it is has been stored properly and you can’t see signs of spoilage, use your senses to figure out what is still usable. Share a Plate Love Your Lef tovers Make Soups & Smoothies Think Before You Throw Using your freezer will save you time and money. Freeze foods you don’t have time to eat or use now, or when you make a double batch. Be sure to wrap things properly so they don’t get freezer burn, and label items with dates. Freeze Your Food Each month, 4 4% of Americans find food they forgot was in the fridge. To help with this, add new items to the back of the fridge, so the older ones are used first . Organize Your Fridge 6 simple tips to try Composting food waste creates far fewer emissions than food breaking down in landfills.
Sustainability: a guiding principle for building a healthier, more equitable world For Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), sustainability is a guiding principle for building a healthier, more equitable world. Environmental Sustainability is one of the university’s Strategic Priorities– initiatives curated to ensure that MCPHS continues to prepare the healthcare and life sciences workforce of the future. Spearheading the effort is a team, led by three people with relevant expertise from different corners of the Community: Nicole Dettmann, DSc, MPH, PA-C, Associate Program Director, Associate Professor, Director of Clinical Education in the School of Physician Assistant Studies – Manchester/Worcester; Teresa Pitaro, Senior Director of Procurement in the Business Office; and Seth Wall, Chief Administrative Officer. “We need to start thinking about the environment as a social determinant of health,” Dettmann said. “As an institution focused on healthcare education, we have a responsibility to teach our students about these important issues and create a culture that increases awareness of and concern for the environment.” The team has determined four areas of focus for MCPHS: energy, waste, water, and purchasing. It is now in the process of collecting as much data as possible for each category. Debra Shepard, a consultant from Riverstone Sustainability, compared consumption rates and performance to other colleges and universities of similar size, identifying MCPHS’ strengths and opportunities. The team is currently reviewing the data to develop a baseline report to then set goals and brainstorm initiatives to drive progress in all four categories. Some initiatives may require changes at an institutional level, while others will only succeed with participation from individual students, faculty, and staff. The Team leads will share details about the baseline report in the coming months. “There appears to be a lot of lowhanging fruit that we can easily address at an institutional level to see results,” Pitaro said. “Other changes will take more legwork and cooperation from the Community, but it all feels achievable. None of the challenges we’re facing as a University are insurmountable.” The team is working to set goals that are both ambitious and attainable. They hope to embed environmental sustainability in the culture of MCPHS. W W W. M C P H S . E D U “WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH... AS AN INSTITUTION FOCUSED ON HEALTHCARE EDUCATION, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS ABOUT THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES AND CREATE A CULTURE THAT INCREASES AWARENESS OF AND CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.” N I C O L E D E T T M A N N DSc, MPH, PA-C, Associate Pr ogram Dir ector, Associate Pr ofessor, Dir ector of Clinical Education in the School of Physician Assistant Studies – Manchester/Worcester
At the star t of the 20th centur y there were fewer than 2 billion people. Now at over 7 billion, Ear th’s population is on target to reach 8 billion by 2027. Building Knowledge for a Better World How has this dramatic increase in human population impacted Earth’s life support systems and natural resources? How should we understand the meaning of sustainability? How do we achieve a sustainable society where ever y human and animal can prosper? How do environmental issues disproportionately impact communities with high poverty? How does a focus on climate justice help effectively address environmental problems? These are ver y big questions and ver y complex topics to cover. The Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges Bachelor’s programme at Leiden University College in The Hague, The Netherlands operates at the forefront of the field where these complex societal issues from the 21st centur y are tackled. The international honours college of Leiden University aims to build knowledge for a better world, through a community that is focused on societal impact. LUC focusses on the Global Challenges of the 21st centur y : Sustainability, Diversity, Prosperity and, Peace and Justice. Global Challenges are unavoidable issues facing humanity and the planet. They cannot be solved by one nation, institution or organisation alone. In this interdisciplinar y 3- year bachelor’s programme you learn to analyze, understand and respond to these issues with a balance between understanding key concepts within a classroom setting, and applying the gained knowledge and skills in real-life situations. About Leiden University College The Hague 6 interdisciplinar y Majors 10 times winner top-rated programme 50 different nationalities 1 Residential college in The Hague, The Netherlands 4 Global Challenges 600 students at LUC in total Get to know us on lucthehague.nl
Pick your major LUC Majors Are you interested and want more information? Join LUC The Hague on: Cont a c t u s Are you interested in the environment, climate change, and alternative energy strategies? Go for the Ear th, Energy and Sustainability Major. Rather focus international justice, world politics, cultural diversity, socio-economic integration, health, decision-making processes or human security? LUC has a major that suits you! Within the flexible and inter-disciplinar y curriculum it offers six Majors, three of them leading to a Bachelor of Science and three to a Bachelor of Arts: After completing the 1st year of the programme, you will continue your studies in your selected Major where you design your own programme by choosing courses in specific tracks within your Major, and adding to them with electives. In this way you create your own path to match your personal interests and ambitions! BSc. Ear th, Energy and Sustainability BSc. Governance, Economics and Development BSc. Global Public Health BA Culture, Histor y and Society BA International Justice BA World Politics
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Founded based on a set of ethical and responsible core values, Bocconi University is recognized internationally for its academics and research in the social sciences. The culture of sustainability, from environmental responsibility to diversity and inclusion, is in our DNA: we offer financial aid opportunities with the aim of supporting social mobility, inclusivity and diversity, and our students can choose from several programs with a clear focus on sustainability and 100 courses on the topic. Whatever your choice, you will learn from expert faculty, attending classes at the forefront of modern higher learning. A Bocconi education is a springboard to your future! 2021 SUSTAINABILITY FACTS AND FIGURES • LEED platinum certification • 2nd largest photovoltaic plant in the city of Milan, with 1.2MW of power • 10 tons of paper saved • 145 publications on the subject of sustainability • 3,854 hours of teaching on sustainability topics and 100 courses • 6,157 students attended courses in the area of sustainability • 861 theses focused on sustainability SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN 2021 • €35.7 million allocated to student funding • 1 in 4 students benefits from financial aid OUR PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES • The role of Dean for Inclusion, Diversity and Sustainability was expanded in 2022 to include sustainability issues • The Bocconi Sustainability Committee publishes a Sustainability Report each year • UNI-CO-RE University Corridor for Refugees – Bocconi is proud to participate in this project that allows students fleeing from other countries to access a university education • The Inclusive Gender Equality Plan maps diversity within our community, outlines our inclusion practices and sets an agenda for future initiatives and procedures • The Alias Career initiative provides support to members of our community throughout the administrative procedure of their gender transition • B4i – Bocconi for Innovation is the University’s business incubator featuring three verticals, one of which is entirely focused on sustainability OUR LABS AND RESEARCH CENTERS • SUR Lab – Sustainable Urban Regeneration Lab • GREEN – Center for Research on Geography, Resources, Environment, Energy & Networks • LEAP – Laboratory for Effective Anti-Poverty Policies • Sustainability Lab - SDA Bocconi • REPAiR Lab - Responsible, Patient and Reliable Finance Lab - SDA Bocconi OUR EDUCATIONAL OFFER • Master of Science in Transformative Sustainability - in partnership with Politecnico di Milano • MASEM Specialized Master in Sustainability and Energy Management – first place in the Eduniversal Best Master Ranking • Master of Science in Management – Sustainability major
Become An Informed Consumer Use the Chocolate Scorecard BEANS TO BARS Cocoa. If you’re not familiar with Theobroma cacao, the fruity bean that powers the chocolate economy, you might be surprised by its appearance. A knobbly yellow pod packed with a lattice of hard beans coated in a fruity white pulp bears little resemblance to the ubiquitous sweets we encounter in every supermarket. Some facts The chocolate industry is complex, and cocoa farming supports more than 50 million livelihoods. Most of these farmers are smallholders, with Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana producing more than 60% of the world’s cocoa. Unfortunately, many farmers in these communities do not earn enough income to live on. Accusations of child labor and hazardous, exploitative working conditions have been rife. Also, there are often negative environmental impacts. Low productivity on cocoa farms encourages farmers to cut down trees on their plantations to access the nutrient-rich soil underneath. Unfortunately, this kind of slashand-burn agriculture is a big driver of climate change because of land use change. Beyond Beans I work for an organization called Beyond Beans, which aims to improve the environmental and social impact of cocoa. Although legally a non-profit, in practice Beyond Beans is a part of the sustainability department of a large agricultural commodities trader called the Export Trading Group (ETG). ETG buys raw agricultural commodities and finds ways to ship them to major confectionery companies. Beyond Beans carries out sustainability and corporate social responsibility projects for ETG, so our name is often written as ETG | Beyond Beans. It aims to produce positive environmental and social outcomes, secure land rights for smallholder farmers, help them operate agroforestry models, and promote reforestation. Work being done Many international sustainability projects work on the basis of public-private partnerships. This is where governments partner with NGOs and/ or research institutions to outsource sustainability projects. They use organizations like ETG | Beyond Beans which have commercial relationships with smallholder farmers. Some achievements Beyond Beans has supported 100,000 rural farmers with agronomic and climate training, seedlings, and cash premiums. Each year, we plant more than 250,000 indigenous trees through reforestation projects. We also help establish village savings and loans associations that focus on gender empowerment. We have established more than 400 of these associations. ETG | Beyond Beans also operates a Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System in cocoa-producing communities. This is to ensure cocoa production is free of child labor, a practice that has historically been common in the cocoa growing industry. We are proud to have covered 50,000 households with the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation Systems. Change is happening Companies like Nestlé, Mars, Hershey, and Mondelez, which produce consumer goods like chocolate bars, have their own sustainability targets that require collaboration with their suppliers. Sustainable certifications work to provide minimum sustainability standards, but large brands often have projects that go beyond these minimums. These include Mondelez’s Cocoa Life, Barry Callebaut’s Cocoa Horizons, and the Nestlé Cocoa Plan. Additionally, stricter laws have been enacted around the ethical sourcing of products. The rate at which these laws are enacted is accelerating. For example, the EU approved laws last year to ban commodities linked to deforestation and commodities produced with child labor. Ultimately, a lot more work needs to be done to make cocoa and other commodities truly sustainable. It is essential for companies, governments, and consumers to raise these standards by prioritizing ethical sourcing. Through rigorous action and collaboration between all stakeholders in the cocoa industry, we can ensure a sustainable future for farmers, their communities, and the environment. So, what can you do to help make chocolate more sustainable? The first step is to become an informed consumer. Look for labels that show the chocolate is sustainably produced. They may include Rainforest Alliance Certified, Fairtrade, and UTZ Certified. This indicates that it was produced in an environmentally and socially responsible way. How does your favorite chocolate rank? Use the Chocolate Scorecard to find out which brands of chocolate are free of child labor, working to reduce poverty and deforestation, and are good for people and the planet. The Chocolate Collective is coordinated by Be Slavery Free, with universities, consultants, 58 million lbs: how much chocolate Americans consume during the week of Valentines day. Entire Year: how long it can take a cocoa tree to produce the cocoa in half a lb of chocolate . 70%: of the world’s cocoa grown where climate change may create poor cocoa growing conditions . Love chocolate? If so, you’re not alone! The Aztecs believed that chocolate was a gift from their gods. Today, chocolate is one of the world’s most popular treats. But what about the impact it has on the environment? We asked Adam from Beyond Beans about the sustainability of growing cocoa to make chocolate. 58 1 70 million year percent The most ethical cocoa you can buy will be small-batch specialty chocolate, ideally from one farm. The label will usually list only a handful of ingredients: cocoa beans, sugar, and cocoa butter, and a single, named farm. This means that manufacturers have a more direct relationship with the farmers, and that those farmers are, paid a better price for their product. and civil society groups engaging in transforming the chocolate industry. This research is done by a group of universities in accordance with Human Research Ethics Committee guidelines under the project titled The Chocolate Scorecard. www.chocolatescorecard.com/
Since sustainability is increasingly becoming a focus worldwide and the hospitality industry still has a lot of potential for optimisation in this area, SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern sees it as one of its core tasks to thoroughly educate its students on this topic. Hospitality management students are being trained to become future leaders in the industry and therefore play a vital role in making it more sustainable. From sourcing food in a more environmentally friendly way, reducing food waste and coming up with innovative ideas, the students at SHL learn the skills and knowledge necessary to implement environmentally, socially and economically sustainable practices in hotels, restaurants, tourism and other hospitality businesses. Let's take a closer look at five aspects of how sustainability is taught at SHL.
How to reduce food waste About one third of the waste produced in hospitality is food waste. To tackle this challenge, professional food waste management is key. During the Food & Beverage Operations semester, SHL students get to work with Kitro - a state-of-the-art solution to measure and monitor food waste. Thanks to the implementation of Kitro's Food Waste System in the training restaurant at SHL, students experience directly and exemplary the problem of «food waste». The recorded data is then analysed in class and possible optimisations are discussed. This strengthens the awareness of the issue of food waste and shows the students a very effective tool they can implement in their own businesses in the future. Knowing the origins of our food The production, transportation, and packaging of food have a significant impact on the environment. Knowing where our food comes from can help us make more environmentally conscious choices by supporting local, sustainable agriculture and reducing our carbon footprint. Also, by purchasing food from local farmers and businesses, we can support the local economy and help small-scale farmers stay in business. And last, but not least: Knowing where our food comes from can help us identify highquality, fresh ingredients. For all these reasons, SHL students visit an agricultural centre on a two-day field trip. There they experience at firsthand how strawberries, pumpkins and the like are grown and harvested, how milk is turned into cheese and meat processing takes place. «HAVING EXPERIENCED THE ORIGINS OF OUR FOOD FIRSTHAND, I APPRECIATE ITS VALUE AND QUALITY EVEN MORE THAN BEFORE.» Olivia, SHL Student management - and put what they have learned into practice: For a real-life business project, they develop a comprehensive human resources management programme and document their solutions in a detailed business plan. Innovation drives change Becoming more sustainable also means continuously coming up with innovative ways of operating. Innovation drives change by introducing new ideas, technologies, and approaches that challenge the status quo and offer new solutions to problems. In innovation classes at SHL, students learn about various tools that are designed to support them in creating innovation. The application-oriented, interactive approach that SHL accentuates also applies here: The students try out different methods to develop fresh, more sustainable products, processes or technologies for case studies in the hospitality industry. Talent management Sustainable human resources management in the hospitality industry can lead to a range of positive outcomes, including less difficulty in finding the right staff, increased employee retention, improved brand reputation, cost savings, and enhanced employee engagement. It is therefore an important part of the SHL curriculum that students learn about the goals and typical tasks of sustainable human resources «I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE CAN APPLY WHAT WE LEARN IN THE FIELD OF SUSTAINABILITY 1:1.» Linking everything together Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a business approach that involves companies considering the social, economic, and environmental impacts of their operations and decisions, and taking responsibility for the effect they have on society and the environment. CSR thus brings together all aspects of a company's sustainable efforts. Accordingly, this module is the cherry on the cake of the sustainability classes at SHL - and again ends with a practice-relevant challenge: the students draw up a CSR concept that is geared to the strategy of a real hospitality company. A degree in hospitality management provides future managers, executives and entrepreneurs with a versatile range of transferrable hard and soft skills, but also clearly highlights the issue and importance of sustainability in the hospitality industry. By thoroughly training its students in sustainable practices, SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern prepares them to become inspiring leaders who can make a valuable contribution to a more sustainable future of the hospitality industry. SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern is one of the two original Swiss Hotel Management Schools in Switzerland and offers a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management which is accredited by the Swiss federal government and recognised worldwide. Samuel, SHL Student Learn more about SHL and its four-year English Bachelor programme. >
Charging Into The Future Zak Lefevre is a young entrepreneur who has been making waves in the clean energy sector. In 2022, Forbes listed him as one of 30 Under 30 in Energy. He is the co-founder of ChargeLab, a software company that builds software to operate and optimize electric vehicle charging equipment. We asked Zak about his perspective on sustainability and how Electric Vehicles (EVs) can help tackle climate change. Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? A: My name is Zak. I was born and raised in Canada, but at 14, I moved to Beijing, China. I attended an international high school in Beijing before moving back to Canada to study computer science and finance at McGill University. I started my first business while completing my undergraduate degree. After university, I joined the Next 36 startup accelerator program, where I started my first tech company. That didn’t go as hoped - the company failed fast, but less than a year later, in 2016, I founded ChargeLab. Q: How have your personal background and experiences af fected your perspective on sustainability? A: In many western countries, air pollution is a problem, but it is not dire enough for people to recognize in any tangible way. For me, growing up in Beijing in the mid-2000s, smog was literally part of the weather. Years later, I learned that on smoggy days, it would have been healthier for me to go to the country and smoke a pack of cigarettes than to stay in the city breathing that air. Beyond this, my parents always emphasized sustainability. We were the first family in our neighborhood to compost, my dad put solar panels on our roof before it was remotely cost effective, and we always reused or recycled when we could. This certainly had an impact on my thinking as an adult. Q: Can you explain why you believe climate change is an existential risk. A: There is overwhelming evidence that climate change will have serious negative impacts on the world. It will challenge everything from supply chains to real estate prices, and could cause refugee and agricultural crises. At this point, it is a question of how bad we let things become and how we mitigate its impacts. Q: How can EVs help? A: Transportation accounts for 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 37% of end-use greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Switching to zero-emission transportation such as electric cars, trucks, and buses is essential for a clean energy future. Beyond this, EVs also have massive benefits as a whole for cities and communities. The fumes emitted by gas cars are carcinogenic and have been directly correlated with diseases like dementia. The only reason cities are stereotypically “noisy” and “dirty” is because of internal combustion engines. Imagine a future where the air in suburbs and even downtown living is as clean as a cottage in the country. EVs can help us achieve this. Q: How can ChargeLab help mitigate climate change? A: ChargeLab’s software helps optimize EV charging infrastructure, which is critical to support the mass adoption of electric vehicles. By making it easier and more efficient to charge electric vehicles, we can encourage more people to adopt this technology and reduce emissions. Q: How does ChargeLab make charging easier? A: ChargeLab builds software to operate and optimize electric vehicle charging equipment. We do not build any hardware. Instead, we partner with leading EV charger manufacturers like ABB, Eaton, Siemens, and Tritium. ChargeLab and these manufacturers form part of an open EV charging ecosystem driven by the Open Charge Point Protocol. ChargeLab’s core product is a cloud-based charging station management system that is white-labeled by leading charging networks throughout North America. We also provide apps for EV drivers, dashboards for fleet managers and site hosts, and open APIs for integration with third-party systems. Q: How will the trends for the future of EVs affect high school students? A: Depending upon where they live, I believe there’s a good chance today’s elementary school students will never know anything but electric vehicles. By the time someone who is six years old today gets a driver’s license, EVs are going to be truly dominant. High schoolers are in a different camp—they’re going to experience the transition. Electric Vehicles are essential for a cleaner future
“Ultimately, ‘sustainability’ is going to be synonymous with ‘business’ by the time you enter the workforce.” They will probably learn how to drive in a gas car, but when they buy their own vehicle, it might be electric. If high school students have kids one day, those kids might never ride in a gas car. Q: What advice do you have for High School students who value sustainability and are currently planning their futures? A: What’s interesting about EVs as a solution to climate change is that there is now overwhelming consumer interest. All of the most exciting vehicles in 2023 are electric. In many markets, there is a waitlist of months for every electric car model. Auto manufacturers literally can’t make EVs fast enough. So, I would split my advice into two categories: First, there’s a huge shortage of students going into trades after high school. If you’ve always struggled with traditional classes and are worried about going to university, you should seriously consider trade school. University degrees are great, but vocational courses are also a good option because due to the surge in demand for EV chargers and other clean energy projects, there’s a huge global shortage in electricians and other tradespeople. Now, every electrician I know makes more money than the average “white collar” worker. Second, there’s also lots of opportunities to work in sustainability following a 4-year degree. Many universities have environmental sciences programs. Often, you can do a minor in these programs while doing a major in humanities or STEM. But that’s not your only option—I never studied the environment but still ended up running an EV charging company! Engineering or computer science is probably the clearest path toward working in clean tech, but there will be opportunities in sustainability whatever you study. Ultimately, “sustainability” is going to be synonymous with “business” by the time you enter the workforce. In the same way every company has become a technology company, almost every company will have a sustainability focus. So don’t worry too much and follow your interests. EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DRIVEN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, THE STATISTICS SHOW THAT YOU WILL The future of electric vehicle (EV) sales looks promising. Statistics suggest that electric vehicle sales will continue to grow at a rapid pace in the coming years as governments push for greener transportation options. Global electric vehicle sales are expected to increase from 2.5 million in 2020 to 31.1 million by 2030 (Bloomberg NEF). The European Commission says all new cars and vans registered in Europe will be zero-emission by 2035, And President Biden has set a goal of having 50% of all new vehicles sold in the USA be electric by 2030. As battery technology advances and charging infrastructure becomes more widespread, EVs will become more practical for everyday use. Many people worry about not finding a charging station and that their battery will run out before they reach their destination. ChargeLab wants to change this. In 2022, Forbes listed Zak LeFevre as one of 30 Under 30 in Energy.
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