The success of a business is no longer measured only in numbers and positive results, but also in performance related to sustainability, which is the direction towards which the business world is heading. 

While aligning with the rules of a circular economy is not always cheap, investments in sustainability will pay off later on, according to the speakers who took part on Tuesday, March 20, in the second "Sustainability Meets Profitability" debate organized by La French Tech Bucharest. 

"We want to see how we can have sustainable companies, but at the same time profitable, with growth potential", stated Grégoire Vigroux, serial entrepreneur in sustainability.

The event was moderated by Luka Zivkovic, Co-Founder & CCO, bonapp.eco, and organized by Ralph Parisot, Head of Development at La French Tech Bucharest.

Here are some of the key statements made by speakers at the event:

"Sustainability has three pillars: economic, social and environmental. Being financially sustainable also means social security for your employees. Regarding the environment, the first step we took was to eliminate printed vouchers, so now we are a digitalized company." - Ştefan Iulius Budulan, Director of Public Policies at Up Romania.

"We are trying to fulfill people's dream of traveling, and for this purpose we are trying to pay attention to our impact on the environment. We built our sustainability strategy on three pillars: environment, people and culture. The idea is to think of ways to use new aircraft, more efficient from the point of view of fuel consumption." - Alexandra Sinn, Key Account Manager Air France/KLM.

"We are not only making plans for now, but also for the next period. The year 2030 will be an important milestone, because we aim to reduce emissions by 50% compared to the current level. Today, 30% of the materials used in our tires are renewable and recyclable, and in 2050 we want to reach 100%.” - Daniel Gheorghe, Operational Marketing Director for Central Europe and Asia at Michelin.

"Tensions put sustainability at the very center of the discussions, because then we see how important the presence of natural resources, of energy resources is." - Alex Skouras, Founding Member and Managing Partner Alesonor Real Estate Development.

"Banks have started to warn their customers to be ready to find solutions in order to respect the principles of sustainability. It is imperative that we change the way we do business to comply. The biggest lack at the moment is that of data", said Flavia Popa, Secretary General BRD Groupe Societe Generale.

"Business is not only about money, but also about people and responsibility. Gone are the days when business only meant profit." - Georges Durdilly, president Airbus Romania.

“We have three elements that we take into account: to invest in sustainable projects, to be a responsible employer and to make responsible investments." – Benjamin Turquin, CEO BRD Asigurari.

"In the sustainability reports, everything is fine and dandy, there are no risks, there are no problems. In general, the tendency is to talk a lot about sustainability, but in the end, no one is left with something concrete in mind, with something they could change starting the next day. We must be careful with resources, stop wasting them. Entrepreneurs should be more careful when choosing their consultants. Doing something small is better than doing nothing." - Raul Pop, co-Founder and Board Member of the Circular Economy Coalition - CERC.

More than 400 people attended the speeches and debates that took place during the "Sustainability Meets Profitability" event organized by La French Tech Bucharest at the Romanian-American University in Bucharest.

Event Partners:

Airbus, Air France, ALD Automotive, Alesonor, Asociația Română pentru Smart City, Bayer, Belgian Luxembourg Romanian Moldovan Chamber of Commerce, Beyond Business School, BRD Asigurari de Viata, BRD, Business Club, Canadian Business Exchange Association, CCI France Roumanie, EY, Horvath, Hotspot, Michelin, Mirro, Romanian-American University, Sabon, Sogelease, Société Générale GSC, Ufe Roumanie, Up Romania and Zitec.

Catering partners: AM. Social Space, Amis de la Fête, Caramel, Domeniile Averești, Franui and One Beer Later.

Media partners: CSR Media, eECO.ro, Le Petit Journal, Romania-Insider.com, Start-up.ro and Ziarul Financiar.

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*This is a Press release.