The Shift: Stimulating Corporate Climate Action
As mission-driven company, Schuttelaar & Partners always looks for ways to have a positive impact on the world and connect with likeminded organisations. Through our membership of the Shift, we are easily able to exchange with these types of organisations. On May 28, 2024, Schuttelaar & Partners attended the General Assembly where the Shift unveiled its strategy for 2024-2027. Fitting with the priorities of the upcoming Commission, the strategy focuses mainly on how companies can be frontrunners in achieving a sustainable transition in the following years. As a proud member of the Shift, we are very eager to contribute actively to this new strategy. The Assembly was an engaging event, full of fruitful exchanges with engaged participants from many different sectors.
New strategy
The new strategy’s main intention is to enable the right level of commitments and concrete actions, therefore contributing to a socio-economic model that creates wellbeing for all within the planetary boundaries. This action-oriented approach focuses on collective initiatives by and with Shift members. It involves sustainability professionals, C-suite executives and shareholders alike, cultivating smaller working groups tackling specific challenges. One of the key points of the strategy is the joining of forces and strengthening of ties with key partner organisations such as WBCSD, B Lab Benelux and WWF Belgium. Another goal of this new strategy is amplifying the voice of the Shift’s members through uplifting stories from frontrunners and outspoken leadership, as this encourages and celebrates regenerative, fair and inclusive socio-economic models.
After a vote among all present members, the strategy for the coming years was approved. With breakout brainstorming sessions, all those attending were invited to share issues that they felt needed to be addressed in the coming years. Often mentioned and discussed topics included systemic economic change taking into account our well-being, nature restoration, and fairer and more transparent supply chains. The event also served as a kickoff of the Belgian Alliance for Climate Action, another initiative by the Shift and WWF to further tackle climate change.
Membership of the Shift
The Shift is a Belgian sustainability community that brings together diverse members and partners to actively work towards a more sustainable economy and society. The Shift brings together more than 580 organisations from over 25 different sectors to discuss and exchange on sustainable developments and initiatives. These organisations include private companies, NGOs, academic institutions and governments. The Shift heads 7 ongoing alliances, including the B Corp Movement and the Belgian Alliance for Climate Action. The Shift is the national contact point for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), CSR Europe and B Lab Europe. In addition, The Shift is part of the academic networks PRME, SDSN and is a partner of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Schuttelaar & Partners has been a member of the Shift for several years and has managed to make its mark on this community with colleagues serving as ambassadors of The Shift. In this sustainable community, we share knowledge and retrieve knowledge that allows us to accomplish our mission even more effectively. A great example of this is the workshop our colleagues in Wageningen organised at the end of 2023 on the practical implementation of due diligence in the international value chains of companies. Thanks to our membership, we have access to The Shift's community platform, can attend all The Shift's webinars and participate in more than 65 annual events organised by The Shift. This allows us to connect with a large number of companies and organisations with sustainability initiatives in Belgium and easily establish sustainability collaborations. The Shift also offers support in translating international climate goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to local business level.
Looking for ways to have more sustainable impact as a company?
Reach out to our communication and public affairs experts at Schuttelaar & Partners. We are expert connectors, and through our wide European network, we open doors for you all over Europe. We are able to put you in contact with many policymakers, companies and organisations in the agrifood, health, energy and environment sectors through coffees, tours and events, allowing you to step into markets without hesitation and make a strong impression from day one.