TWO-DAY CONFERENCE
Empowering Albanian Companies
for Sustainable Action
31 May - 1 June 2023 | Tirana
The Business #2030 Conference
We want you to be inspired.
We want you to share your knowledge. We want you to continue to strive for sustainable development through your business!
We are happy to introduce you to the first Business #2030 Conference in Albania, taking place in Tirana between 31 May and 1 June 2023.
Together with Albanian partners, the Embassy of Sweden and the United Nations in Albania have taken the initiative to organize an event bringing together international businesses and leaders, policy makers and experts.
The Business #2030 will feature informative conferences, thematic side sessions and possibilities to engage through B2B meetings.
We want you to join us and hope to see you there!
Elsa Hastad
Ambassador of Sweden in Albania
Fiona Mccluney
UN Resident Coordinator in Albania
SPEAKERS
Louise Xin
Fashion designer & Human Rights activist
Sweden
Born in China, raised in Sweden, and currently based in Paris. Louise Xin is a self-taught, award-winning fashion designer and founder of Scandinavia’s first Rental-only none sale couture brand Louise Xin Couture. She discovered the world of couture and started to experiment with upcycled materials by the end of 2019 and decided to start a rental-only brand during the pandemic 2020 as a humble attempt to inspire a change in consumption patterns and customer behaviour.
Her passion for sustainability, and her goal to create a circular brand led her into humanitarian work. Xin dedicated her debut fashion show in the fall of 2021 to human rights. The show went viral worldwide, and Xin gained international recognition. One month after the show, Xin was granted the first-ever edition of the Fabric of Life Award during the International Textile Conference -Next Textile -in Borås. Since then, she has been travelling around the world, doing lectures and participating in exhibitions in museums, art galleries, and luxury mall. She has been featured in radio, podcast and television interviews, and over 70 magazine articles in 10 languages worldwide. In June 2022 Xin was selected as the first Sakharov Fellow from the fashion industry and spoke in front of the European Parliament. March 28th Xin will be holding a fashion show in Brussels inside the Parliament together aiming to raise awareness about ending modern slavery and forced labour in fashion.
“Louise Xin is Changing the World one dress at the time” – Vogue Scandinavia
Louise Xin
Fashion designer & Human Rights activist
Sweden
Born in China, raised in Sweden, and currently based in Paris. Louise Xin is a self-taught, award-winning fashion designer and founder of Scandinavia’s first Rental-only none sale couture brand Louise Xin Couture. She discovered the world of couture and started to experiment with upcycled materials by the end of 2019 and decided to start a rental-only brand during the pandemic 2020 as a humble attempt to inspire a change in consumption patterns and customer behaviour.
Her passion for sustainability, and her goal to create a circular brand led her into humanitarian work. Xin dedicated her debut fashion show in the fall of 2021 to human rights. The show went viral worldwide, and Xin gained international recognition. One month after the show, Xin was granted the first-ever edition of the Fabric of Life Award during the International Textile Conference -Next Textile -in Borås. Since then, she has been travelling around the world, doing lectures and participating in exhibitions in museums, art galleries, and luxury mall. She has been featured in radio, podcast and television interviews, and over 70 magazine articles in 10 languages worldwide. In June 2022 Xin was selected as the first Sakharov Fellow from the fashion industry and spoke in front of the European Parliament. March 28th Xin will be holding a fashion show in Brussels inside the Parliament together aiming to raise awareness about ending modern slavery and forced labour in fashion.
“Louise Xin is Changing the World one dress at the time” – Vogue Scandinavia
Emiland Skora
Co-Founder & CEO
MEIA Oils, Albania
Maria Smith
Secretary General
Axfoundation, Sweden
Maria Smith has been Secretary General of Axfoundation since 2019. She has more than twenty years of experience form leadership positions and from working with sustainability issues in a corporate context within, FMCG, the engineering industry and the service sector, among others. Maria holds a MSc in Chemistry and an Executive MBA. Axfoundation is a stand-alone, non-profit organization developing practical and innovative solutions to complex sustainability challenges.
Fashion designer & Human Rights activist
Sweden
Louise Xin
Fashion designer & Human Rights activist
Sweden
Born in China, raised in Sweden, and currently based in Paris. Louise Xin is a self-taught, award-winning fashion designer and founder of Scandinavia’s first Rental-only none sale couture brand Louise Xin Couture. She discovered the world of couture and started to experiment with upcycled materials by the end of 2019 and decided to start a rental-only brand during the pandemic 2020 as a humble attempt to inspire a change in consumption patterns and customer behaviour.
Her passion for sustainability, and her goal to create a circular brand led her into humanitarian work. Xin dedicated her debut fashion show in the fall of 2021 to human rights. The show went viral worldwide, and Xin gained international recognition. One month after the show, Xin was granted the first-ever edition of the Fabric of Life Award during the International Textile Conference -Next Textile -in Borås. Since then, she has been travelling around the world, doing lectures and participating in exhibitions in museums, art galleries, and luxury mall. She has been featured in radio, podcast and television interviews, and over 70 magazine articles in 10 languages worldwide. In June 2022 Xin was selected as the first Sakharov Fellow from the fashion industry and spoke in front of the European Parliament. March 28th Xin will be holding a fashion show in Brussels inside the Parliament together aiming to raise awareness about ending modern slavery and forced labour in fashion.
“Louise Xin is Changing the World one dress at the time” – Vogue Scandinavia
Emiland Skora
Co-Founder & CEO
MEIA Oils, Albania
Emiland Skora
Co-Founder & CEO
MEIA Oils, Albania
Maria Smith
Secretary General
Axfoundation, Sweden
Maria Smith
Secretary General
Axfoundation, Sweden
Maria Smith has been Secretary General of Axfoundation since 2019. She has more than twenty years of experience form leadership positions and from working with sustainability issues in a corporate context within, FMCG, the engineering industry and the service sector, among others. Maria holds a MSc in Chemistry and an Executive MBA. Axfoundation is a stand-alone, non-profit organization developing practical and innovative solutions to complex sustainability challenges.
Anna-Karin Dahlberg
Director of Sustainability
Lindex, Sweden
25 years in fashion industry and most of this time in leading positions from buying and assortment + heading production offices in China, India and Hong Kong. Last 8 years from sustainability and business development. Now part of the management team.
Emma Danielsson
Head of Sustainability Energy & Industry
Sweco, Sweden
Emma Danielsson has worked with industrial improvement projects during 15 years, as Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Quality Manager and Project Manager. She has later specialized in sustainable and efficient circular systems. Today she works with sustainability at Sweco, helping both industries and municipalities to create the sustainable society of the future.
Biljana Braithwaite
Founding Partner & CEO
Sustineri Partners, United Kingdom
Biljana Braithwaite
Founding Partner & CEO
Sustineri Partners, United Kingdom
Biljana Braithwaite is CEO and Founding Partner at Sustineri Partners, ESG consultancy company, founder and organizer of Western Balkans ESG Summit, first major regional event dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) topics, held in April 2023, Montenegro. The Summit has become the flagship annual regional sustainability event, with expansion to the Adria region in 2024. Through the initiatives and work at the Sustineri Partners, Ms Braithwaite drives gender diversity in corporate leadership and empowers countries, institutions, companies and organizations to put sustainability at the heart of their work.
Ms Braithwaite is founder of Women on Boards Adria (WOBA) initiative, which aims to increase the participation of women in corporate decision-making in the Adria region. Initiative is inspired by the EU Directive that requires listed companies in the EU to reach a target of 40 percent of non-director positions to be taken by women by 2026, and WOBA initiative is a joint effort of Sustineri Partners and partners of the Western Balkans ESG Summit 2023, who believe that gender diversity on boards leads to better decision-making and better business performance.
Biljana Braithwaite is also Western Balkans Programme Director at The AIRE Centre. She has over twenty years’ experience of advising governments, businesses and international organizations on social justice and human rights issues in the region. She has particular expertise in human rights law, anti-corruption, good governance and other key social policies. Biljana has deep knowledge of the region, extensive networks and practical experience in implementing reforms. A lawyer by training with degrees from Belgrade University and Lund University’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Biljana began her career at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and has been associated with the AIRE Centre since 1998. She is a member of the boards of the AIRE Centre USA and the International Bridges to Justice.
Anna-Karin Dahlberg
Director of Sustainability
Lindex, Sweden
Anna-Karin Dahlberg
Director of Sustainability
Lindex, Sweden
25 years in fashion industry and most of this time in leading positions from buying and assortment + heading production offices in China, India and Hong Kong. Last 8 years from sustainability and business development. Now part of the management team.
Emma Danielsson
Head of Sustainability Energy & Industry
Sweco, Sweden
Emma Danielsson
Head of Sustainability Energy & Industry
Sweco, Sweden
Emma Danielsson has worked with industrial improvement projects during 15 years, as Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Quality Manager and Project Manager. She has later specialized in sustainable and efficient circular systems. Today she works with sustainability at Sweco, helping both industries and municipalities to create the sustainable society of the future.
Aida Laković-Hošo
SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader
UNDP Bosnia & Herzegovina
Aida Laković Hošo has a passion for sustainable development, particularly in the field of governance and development partnerships. She has over 15 years of experience in working with governments on policy coordination, strategic planning and development management. Since 2018 Aida has focused on promoting the importance of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and she successfully facilitated processes of preparation of key documents in Bosnia and Herzegovina that enable translating the global goals into action. Aida is a mother of an amazing 10-year-old boy and a skillful puzzle solver. She is currently the SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader at UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
Vide Richter
Engagement Manager
Sweden Global Compact, Sweden
Responsible for members and partnerships at UN Global Compact Network Sweden. Previously worked with sustainability in the private sector and as a consultant.
Åsa Jarskog
Director Global Programmes
IDG, Sweden
Åsa Jarskog has a Masters Degree in International Business Administration and Economics from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and Lund University in Sweden. She is a certified Leadership Coach and has obtained several specialized certificates from: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Springfield University, the World Bank, Self Leaders, Eunonia Leadership Academy, Deep Democracy Institute and Harvard Business School. She has worked for the World Economic Forum, for the United Nations, several Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, Development Banks, as well as academic institutions including Stockholm School of Economics, INSEAD, Scottish Leadership Institute, Technólogico de Monterrey and Indian Institute for Finance. She has over 30 years working experience within Sustainable Business Development, Strategy and Leadership in 61 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America. A skilled trainer and certified coach and a much-demanded mentor, Åsa is CEO of Global Leadership for Sustainable Development and President of the Sweden Africa Chamber.
Aida Laković-Hošo
SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader
UNDP Bosnia & Herzegovina
Aida Laković-Hošo
SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader
UNDP Bosnia & Herzegovina
Aida Laković Hošo has a passion for sustainable development, particularly in the field of governance and development partnerships. She has over 15 years of experience in working with governments on policy coordination, strategic planning and development management. Since 2018 Aida has focused on promoting the importance of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and she successfully facilitated processes of preparation of key documents in Bosnia and Herzegovina that enable translating the global goals into action. Aida is a mother of an amazing 10-year-old boy and a skillful puzzle solver. She is currently the SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader at UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
Vide Richter
Engagement Manager
Sweden Global Compact, Sweden
Vide Richter
Engagement Manager
Sweden Global Compact, Sweden
Responsible for members and partnerships at UN Global Compact Network Sweden. Previously worked with sustainability in the private sector and as a consultant.
Åsa Jarskog
Director Global Programmes
IDG, Sweden
Åsa Jarskog
Director Global Programmes
IDG, Sweden
Åsa Jarskog has a Masters Degree in International Business Administration and Economics from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and Lund University in Sweden. She is a certified Leadership Coach and has obtained several specialized certificates from: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Springfield University, the World Bank, Self Leaders, Eunonia Leadership Academy, Deep Democracy Institute and Harvard Business School. She has worked for the World Economic Forum, for the United Nations, several Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, Development Banks, as well as academic institutions including Stockholm School of Economics, INSEAD, Scottish Leadership Institute, Technólogico de Monterrey and Indian Institute for Finance. She has over 30 years working experience within Sustainable Business Development, Strategy and Leadership in 61 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America. A skilled trainer and certified coach and a much-demanded mentor, Åsa is CEO of Global Leadership for Sustainable Development and President of the Sweden Africa Chamber.
Lousie Xin
Fashion designer & Human Rights activist
Sweden
Louise Xin
Fashion designer & Human Rights activist
Sweden
Born in China, raised in Sweden, and currently based in Paris. Louise Xin is a self-taught, award-winning fashion designer and founder of Scandinavia’s first Rental-only none sale couture brand Louise Xin Couture. She discovered the world of couture and started to experiment with upcycled materials by the end of 2019 and decided to start a rental-only brand during the pandemic 2020 as a humble attempt to inspire a change in consumption patterns and customer behaviour.
Her passion for sustainability, and her goal to create a circular brand led her into humanitarian work. Xin dedicated her debut fashion show in the fall of 2021 to human rights. The show went viral worldwide, and Xin gained international recognition. One month after the show, Xin was granted the first-ever edition of the Fabric of Life Award during the International Textile Conference -Next Textile -in Borås. Since then, she has been travelling around the world, doing lectures and participating in exhibitions in museums, art galleries, and luxury mall. She has been featured in radio, podcast and television interviews, and over 70 magazine articles in 10 languages worldwide. In June 2022 Xin was selected as the first Sakharov Fellow from the fashion industry and spoke in front of the European Parliament. March 28th Xin will be holding a fashion show in Brussels inside the Parliament together aiming to raise awareness about ending modern slavery and forced labour in fashion.
“Louise Xin is Changing the World one dress at the time” – Vogue Scandinavia
Emiland Skora
CEO, MEIA Oils
Albania
Emiland Skora
Co-Founder & CEO
MEIA Oils, Albania
Maria Smith
Secretary General, Axfoundation
Sweden
Maria Smith
Secretary General
Axfoundation, Sweden
Maria Smith has been Secretary General of Axfoundation since 2019. She has more than twenty years of experience form leadership positions and from working with sustainability issues in a corporate context within, FMCG, the engineering industry and the service sector, among others. Maria holds a MSc in Chemistry and an Executive MBA. Axfoundation is a stand-alone, non-profit organization developing practical and innovative solutions to complex sustainability challenges.
Biljana Braithwaite
Founding Partner & CEO, Sustineri Partners
United Kingdom
Biljana Braithwaite
Founding Partner & CEO
Sustineri Partners, United Kingdom
Biljana Braithwaite is CEO and Founding Partner at Sustineri Partners, ESG consultancy company, founder and organizer of Western Balkans ESG Summit, first major regional event dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) topics, held in April 2023, Montenegro. The Summit has become the flagship annual regional sustainability event, with expansion to the Adria region in 2024. Through the initiatives and work at the Sustineri Partners, Ms Braithwaite drives gender diversity in corporate leadership and empowers countries, institutions, companies and organizations to put sustainability at the heart of their work.
Ms Braithwaite is founder of Women on Boards Adria (WOBA) initiative, which aims to increase the participation of women in corporate decision-making in the Adria region. Initiative is inspired by the EU Directive that requires listed companies in the EU to reach a target of 40 percent of non-director positions to be taken by women by 2026, and WOBA initiative is a joint effort of Sustineri Partners and partners of the Western Balkans ESG Summit 2023, who believe that gender diversity on boards leads to better decision-making and better business performance.
Biljana Braithwaite is also Western Balkans Programme Director at The AIRE Centre. She has over twenty years’ experience of advising governments, businesses and international organizations on social justice and human rights issues in the region. She has particular expertise in human rights law, anti-corruption, good governance and other key social policies. Biljana has deep knowledge of the region, extensive networks and practical experience in implementing reforms. A lawyer by training with degrees from Belgrade University and Lund University’s Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Biljana began her career at the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and has been associated with the AIRE Centre since 1998. She is a member of the boards of the AIRE Centre USA and the International Bridges to Justice.
Anna-Karin Dahlberg
Director of Sustainability, Lindex
Sweden
Anna-Karin Dahlberg
Director of Sustainability
Lindex, Sweden
25 years in fashion industry and most of this time in leading positions from buying and assortment + heading production offices in China, India and Hong Kong. Last 8 years from sustainability and business development. Now part of the management team.
Emma Danielsson
Head of Sustainability Energy & Industry, Sweco
Sweden
Emma Danielsson
Head of Sustainability Energy & Industry
Sweco, Sweden
Emma Danielsson has worked with industrial improvement projects during 15 years, as Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Quality Manager and Project Manager. She has later specialized in sustainable and efficient circular systems. Today she works with sustainability at Sweco, helping both industries and municipalities to create the sustainable society of the future.
Aida Laković-Hošo
SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Aida Laković-Hošo
SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader
UNDP Bosnia & Herzegovina
Aida Laković Hošo has a passion for sustainable development, particularly in the field of governance and development partnerships. She has over 15 years of experience in working with governments on policy coordination, strategic planning and development management. Since 2018 Aida has focused on promoting the importance of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals and she successfully facilitated processes of preparation of key documents in Bosnia and Herzegovina that enable translating the global goals into action. Aida is a mother of an amazing 10-year-old boy and a skillful puzzle solver. She is currently the SDG Governance and Policy Portfolio Leader at UNDP Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
Vide Richter
Engagement Manager, Sweden Global Compact
Sweden
Vide Richter
Engagement Manager
Sweden Global Compact, Sweden
Responsible for members and partnerships at UN Global Compact Network Sweden. Previously worked with sustainability in the private sector and as a consultant.
Åsa Jarskog
Director Global Programmes, IDG
Sweden
Åsa Jarskog
Director Global Programmes
IDG, Sweden
Åsa Jarskog has a Masters Degree in International Business Administration and Economics from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris and Lund University in Sweden. She is a certified Leadership Coach and has obtained several specialized certificates from: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Springfield University, the World Bank, Self Leaders, Eunonia Leadership Academy, Deep Democracy Institute and Harvard Business School. She has worked for the World Economic Forum, for the United Nations, several Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, Development Banks, as well as academic institutions including Stockholm School of Economics, INSEAD, Scottish Leadership Institute, Technólogico de Monterrey and Indian Institute for Finance. She has over 30 years working experience within Sustainable Business Development, Strategy and Leadership in 61 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America. A skilled trainer and certified coach and a much-demanded mentor, Åsa is CEO of Global Leadership for Sustainable Development and President of the Sweden Africa Chamber.
Two days of actionable & sustainable practices
The primary objective of this event is to expose the Albanian private sector to sustainability practices, drawing from the experiences of international companies, with a particular emphasis on Sweden.
The aim is to support Albanian businesses in pursuing enhanced growth and productivity while actively contributing to environmental protection and the creation of a better society.
SDG Awards-Changemakers for a better world
The SDG Business Pioneers awards are aimed at recognizing and celebrating companies that demonstrate exceptional commitment to sustainability and contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDGs). We are looking for Albania’s leaders: companies that drive positive change through their products, operations, and overall business practices.
Two days of actionable & sustainable practices
The primary objective of this event is to expose the Albanian private sector to sustainability practices, drawing from the experiences of international companies, with a particular emphasis on Sweden.
The aim is to support Albanian businesses in pursuing enhanced growth and productivity while actively contributing to environmental protection and the creation of a better society.
The land of eagles and great future expectations
Over the past 25 years, Albania’s vibrant private sector has played a pivotal role in driving the country’s transition, catapulting its development to an upper-middle-income status. Situated in the Western Balkans and surrounded by the Mediterranean Seas, Albania is currently undertaking substantial reforms to stimulate growth, foster job opportunities, and advance its European Union integration agenda.
