The group of Youth Ambassadors at the Wilo Foundation workshop in cooperation with the Viva con Agua Foundation and the University of Hamburg. Photo: Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC)

For the second time, the Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC) took place on June 2nd and 3rd. This conference serves as an international platform where policymakers, business leaders, scientists, and representatives from civil society come together to develop joint solutions for pressing global challenges and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Supporting the HSC Youth Ambassador Program

“Due to our funding priorities, which include the Sustainable Development Goals in the areas of climate protection, water, and education, as well as being guided by our funding motto 'Empowering Young People,' we are supporting the HSC Youth Ambassador Program of the conference for the first time. The fact that this program also integrates selected young people from the Global South into the conference is an important component that we are pleased to support," explains Evi Hoch, member of the Board of Trustees of the Wilo-Foundation.

Arnd Boekhoff (Viva con Agua Foundation), Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons (University of Hamburg) and Gero Boehmer (Wilo Group) will speak in the workshop moderated by David Höltgen (Wilo Foundation) on the topic of "Fostering Social Entrepreneurship: Ecosystems, Empowerment & Partnerships". Photo: Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC)
Ricarda Pomper (left, Wilo Group) and Gero Boehmer (middle, Wilo Group) together with Evi Hoch (Wilo-Foundation) at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. Photo: Wilo-Foundation

The Youth Ambassador Program offers young sustainability advocates – the "HSC Youth Ambassadors" – a prominent platform to actively contribute their expertise and communicate on equal footing with decision-makers. The Youth Ambassadors consist of a selected group of 15 young individuals who qualified from over 600 applicants to participate in the conference. They come from various countries in the Global South, including Vietnam, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, and Lebanon. They are engaged as activists and change-makers in areas such as climate protection, social innovation, and sustainable development.

Workshop: Promoting Social Entrepreneurship

As part of the program, the Wilo-Foundation hosted a 90-minute workshop titled "Fostering Social Entrepreneurship: Ecosystems, Empowerment & Partnerships" for these young individuals, in collaboration with the Viva con Agua Foundation and the University of Hamburg. The workshop, moderated by David Höltgen (Director Communications, Wilo-Foundation), introduced participants to the core concepts of social entrepreneurship and offered practical insights into water-focused initiatives. Following a presentation of the Wilo-Foundation's funding activities in the area of social entrepreneurship by David Höltgen, Arnd Boekhoff (Chairman, Viva con Agua Foundation) explained how the Hamburg-based foundation promotes the development and support of social enterprises, including programs in Uganda and South Africa, where young entrepreneurs in the water sector are specifically supported and trained. Subsequently, Prof. Dr. Laura Marie Edinger-Schons (Professor of Sustainable Business and Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of Hamburg) spoke from a scientific perspective about the recurring challenges and opportunities young innovators face when building impact-driven enterprises.

Youth Ambassador Carole Nassredinne from Lebanon presented her own social entrepreneurship project for the production of biogas from organic waste during the workshop. Photo: Hamburg Sustainability Conference (HSC)

Exchange and learning among Youth Ambassadors

The second part of the workshop focused on exchange, providing the Youth Ambassadors with the opportunity to share their own experiences. Among the engaged participants and questioners of the workshop were Gero Boehmer and Ricarda Pomper (Wilo Group), Katrin Harvey (Secretary General, Foundations Platform F20), and Johannes Laux (Program Manager at Enactus Germany e.V.). This interactive section enabled participants to learn from each other and discuss challenges and successes in the field of social entrepreneurship. Three of the Ambassadors even prepared a short pitch that they presented during the workshop. These presentations offered impressive insights into their projects and showcased the dedication and creativity of the young entrepreneurs.

Background of the HSC:

The conference was initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the City of Hamburg, and the Michael Otto Foundation. This year, the HSC gathered around 1600 participants from over 100 countries, including heads of state and government, senior representatives from UN organizations, businesses, NGOs, and academia. More than 60 sessions and panels discussed topics such as sustainable financing, AI ethics, mobility, circular economy concepts, biodiversity, and urban transformation.