“The academy has two important components: education and community. Within the Sustainability Academy, participants have access to relevant content that helps them develop their sustainability skills and knowledge to meet current and future challenges. They will have at their disposal 11 learning modules composed of practical and useful information about the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in the area of ​​sustainability. The information in the educational modules is complemented by more than 10 webinars supported by national and international experts and by a list of relevant tools, resources, and references adapted to market requirements", say the representatives of Social Innovation Solutions.

Resources include content on accessing sustainable and green finance, environmentally friendly taxation, sustainability communication, technology innovations for sustainability, the circular economy, and non-financial reporting as well as dozens of case studies.

"The adoption of new technologies and sustainability will be the main disruptive factors for the business environment in the next five years, and through the Sustainability Academy, we want to help companies turn these challenges into competitive advantages. The Academy is based on our experience from the transformation and acceleration of hundreds of start-ups in Romania, a global network of experts with whom we have been working for over five years, as well as long-term partners such as the Coca-Cola Foundation and BCR. We want, together with entrepreneurs and experts from Romania, to make Romania one of the most important sustainable business destinations in Central and Eastern Europe", said Ciprian Stănescu, President and CEO of Social Innovation Solutions, initiator of the Academy of Sustainability.

The Sustainability Academy has an Advisory Board component, an advisory board that plays a key role in ensuring high-quality, relevant, and up-to-date educational resources so that SMEs can adopt best practices in the field of sustainability and remain competitive in the market.

"The idea of ​​this project started from two major desires: the determination of Europeans to rebuild a fairer, healthier, and more prosperous society while guaranteeing a sustainable future for our planet, and the priority of the Coca-Cola Foundation to support the development of sustainable communities. Sustainability is a topic that is increasingly present in discussions but still misunderstood by many. Because we know from our activity how much complexity involves in the development of a sustainable business, we thought that we have the chance and the obligation to support the creation of a space for conversation and education for a sustainable Romania. This year, the Sustainability Academy is added to the Sustainable Futures platform, with the objective of providing SMEs in Romania with the information necessary for the sustainable transformation of their businesses", said Mihaela Niță, Director of Public Relations, Coca-Cola Romania.

The educational modules were made together with experts in sustainability and business such as Dragoș Tuță-Mihaylov (Founder, Embassy of Sustainability in Romania), Mihaela Niță (Director of Public Relations, Coca-Cola Romania), Alexandru Laibăr (Executive Director, Coalition for Circular Economy - CIRCLE); Adelina Dabu (Head of Public Affairs, Concordia Employers' Confederation), Andra Iftemie (Managing Associate, Bank, Diaconu and Associations); Remus Dănilă (Head of Development, Bucharest Stock Exchange), Mihaela Ștefănescu (expert, European Institute of Romania), Teia Ciulacu (President, Viitor Plus), Radu Puchiu (Co-founder, TINIA Group), Magdalena Caramilea (Sustainability Director, Autonom Group), Andreea Ghiocel (Reporting Division Director, The CSR Agency), Alice Nichita (Public Affairs & Sustainability Director, Coca Cola HBC), Mircea Ilie (sustainability expert and coach) or Adina Tudor (Customer Sustainability Partnerships Manager, Coca-Cola HBC) and more.

"Within BCR, we integrate ESG principles into our business processes and we want to support companies through a new approach that opens up opportunities in the educational area and towards sustainable financing. We started our sustainability journey several years ago with projects developed for both customers and employees. It is important for us to keep communication open with the business community as we are going through this process together and our common goal is to support a green economy. The transition towards new sustainable business models can ensure a better future for Romania and we are happy to support the Sustainability Academy. With the help of the platform dedicated to SMEs, we follow the trends generated by the ESG transformation to respond together to the needs of education for sustainability", said Ioana Voinescu, Head of the Sustainability Department BCR, main partner of the Academy.