Sustainability Toolkit programme supported by JPMorgan Chase begins Pilot 2

Now in its final year, Youth Business International’s (YBI) programme to support underserved and young entrepreneurs to build more sustainable and environmentally conscious businesses, supported by JPMorgan Chase, is kicking off its second and final Pilot. We caught up with some of the Pilot 1 participants one year on from their sustainability training, and met some of the Pilot 2 participants hoping to embed sustainable practices in their business.

An international effort

The Sustainability Toolkit is being delivered in Germany, France, South Africa, Spain, and the UK by 10 more Youth Business International members. The Toolkit was updated and refined after the initial Pilot 1, run by five members across the same countries, to include feedback from the members and their young entrepreneurs. As a desire to run a business with sustainability in mind is growing globally, especially among the younger generation of entrepreneurs, the Toolkit will be an important resource for YBI’s international network of enterprise support organisations.

We have seen a remarkable range of youth businesses join the programme across Pilots 1 and 2, from architects to consultancies to carbon capture initiatives, textile production, feminine care, landscaping businesses, and restaurants and bakeries. Across industries, from solopreneurs to larger enterprises, entrepreneurs are eager to find ways to operate their businesses more conscientiously.

Sustainable aspirations

Young entrepreneurs, especially those based in warmer climates, are aware that a focus on sustainable development goals (SDGs) will benefit their business in the long run. “We want to reduce our contribution to climate change so we are not affected by extreme climate conditions that may end up pushing for business closure,” says Andile Sasanti, 31, founder of Well ‘n Well, supported by MyDough in South Africa. “Prevention is better.”

In feedback about the programme so far, we’ve seen that most young entrepreneurs want to join because they’re aware they could be more sustainable and they want to be kinder to the planet, but they don’t know how to do this or where to begin. For example, Isabel Koch, 31, and Baris Malinowski, 34, supported by Social Impact in Germany and pictured at the top of this article, are already advocating for sustainability but are aware they can deepen their understanding of how it can apply to their nutritional education business Olera.

Many young entrepreneurs are unaware of how sustainability applies to what they do. One such entrepreneur – Judit Castells, 28, founder of ACO. Authentic Communication supported by YBI member Dones Pel Futur – is looking for ways to increase her knowledge.

“My project was born to highlight actions with a purpose linked to SDGs. I hope to have enough information about the pillars of sustainability, the tools of the “toolkit”, that I can apply so that the decisions I make are as conscious as possible.”

Judit Castells, founder of ACO. Authentic Communication

Other businesses are joining the programme to learn how to incorporate a corporate social responsibility approach into their business model, like Maroua Atchane, 32, founder of consulting firm SITIO, supported by Les Premieres in France. “I think it is important to show that it is possible to integrate sustainable and environmental principles from the very start of business activity.”

This desire to become an advocate for sustainable practices is common among the Toolkit trainees, including Thato Wesi, 31, founder of carbon capture business Wesmop (above), supported by our South African member WomHub. “I believe through this programme I will be able to make an impact in the communities I serve by following sustainable practices and this programme will provide us with such guidelines.”

Many young entrepreneurs reported that they started their businesses to have the freedom to follow their passion and have more control over their time, and they are open to doing this sustainably. Key areas where they are looking for ways to be more sustainable include online storage and energy use, sustainably sourced materials, and reusable alternatives.

There’s a real element of wanting to lead by example, to educate themselves so they can better educate their customers and staff to achieve an impact beyond themselves and encourage sustainability elsewhere.

One year on from Pilot 1

A year on from the training she received from KIZ in Germany, solopreneur and consultant Stella Schneider, 28, is encouraging open discussions about sustainable practices with her consultancy clients. “One of my coaching clients focuses on sustainable wedding planning. It’s always fascinating to see more green and sustainable business models that incorporate sustainability from the beginning.”

Others from the Pilot 1 cohort discovered that they knew less about sustainability than they believed and discovered different ways that it can apply to a business. The training helped them to question familiar behaviours and find new areas of their processes to be sustainable. Trevor Mthombothi (above), founder MZANSI SOLAR (a solar panel business), supported by Fetola in South Africa found that “the toolkit opened my eyes to how one-dimensional I’ve been thinking about sustainability.” To become more sustainable, businesses need to start by assessing their own practices.

“I was looking at it as a service that we can deliver to others. Now, we know we have to implement it for ourselves.”

Sustainability in business can reach beyond a conscious use of resources to have a positive impact on our communities, as young entrepreneur Sarah Boateng has learned through the toolkit. Supported by Hatch Enterprise UK, her business Investing in Girls Education in Africa already had both a sustainable and social focus, producing reusable sanitary products for school-aged girls in Ghana. “Over the past year, our sustainability vision has evolved to include not only environmentally-friendly practices but also social sustainability. We have expanded our focus on empowering local communities and government organisations and ensuring that our initiatives provide long-term benefits to the girls we support.”

What’s next for the Sustainability Toolkit

Later this year, the 15 YBI members who have delivered the programme will meet in Spain for a community of practice to exchange challenges and successes in delivering the toolkit to their young entrepreneurs, with a focus on adapting it to different settings, methodologies and underserved groups that they work with. The Pilot 1 members have already passed on their experience to the Pilot 2 members within their country, and this will be a moment to reflect and feedback on how the latest iteration of the Toolkit has been received.

The final toolkit, incorporating the member and young entrepreneur feedback and the programme members’ guidance, will be made available to the rest of the YBI network after the end of the programme.