Sociétés d’Impact Sociétal (SIS) shone at the first Luxembourg Impact Days. Five of the eight winning projects were initiatives by SIS companies.
This event was signed by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy, the Ministry of the Economy and the Ministry of Consumer Protection. Ministers Paulette Lenert, Franz Fayot and Georges Engel attended and spoke about the importance of the sustainable and solidarity economy.
“Impact Days puts the spotlight on social entrepreneurship, and that’s important,” says Julia, co-founder of On.perfekt.
This social entrepreneurship paves the way for a sustainable economy. Jean Lasar, founder of Survcoin SIS, explains, “SISs offer a middle way between a traditional commercial company and an ASBL. We give ourselves a mission for the community while allowing the activity to continue on its own”.
Held over two days, the Luxembourg Impact Days showcased the players in a more sustainable economy. While the projects selected all share a commitment to society, their areas of activity vary widely.
Impact No Code Studio (“Social Initiative” call for projects): this project is the brainchild of Wide and Co SIS, an SIS that seeks to reduce inequalities in digital skills between men and women. The project offers training and support to women who are retraining to work in IT, but who do not have the necessary resources to launch their own impact business. The idea is to support women who want to become IT and digital entrepreneurs.
On.perfekt SIS (Social Initiative call for projects): this cooperative supports local farmers and saves fruit, vegetables and other unsaleable foodstuffs from going to waste. On.perfekt’s project is to find new delivery channels for their fruit and vegetable baskets in order to reduce their carbon emissions. The cooperative is continuing to think about and put forward proposals to reduce food waste, raise public awareness of this cause and support farmers in the Greater Region.
Microtarian SIS (“Social Initiative” and “Sharing Economy” calls for projects): Microtarian SIS is also on a quest to reduce food waste, but has taken a completely different path: that of food preservation. Microtarians wants to launch an “educational cannery”, where tradition and science come together to help us reduce food waste through fermentation workshops.
Their “shared kitchen” project was also selected for its sharing economy initiative. The idea is to rent out kitchen equipment to residents, workers and asylum seekers living in the vicinity of the Stuff Grünewald district in Kirchberg. The common thread running through their projects is the desire to strengthen social cohesion and the sharing of resources and knowledge.
SoftCommute (Social Initiative call for projects): initiated by Survcoin SIS, this project offers a platform to encourage users to switch to soft mobility. Survcoin is a local virtual currency that rewards efforts to “decarbonise”, i.e. reduce carbon emissions, while supporting local trade. The SoftCommute platform wants to encourage users to opt for more environmentally-friendly means of transport (cycling, walking, car-sharing, bus, etc.) by rewarding their efforts with this virtual currency. Survcoins can then be spent in local partner shops.
The Luxembourg Impact Days aim to promote a more sustainable way of consuming, and the winners of this event have answered the call by proposing many innovative and creative ways of consuming differently and reflecting on our social and environmental impact.
The Impact Luxembourg SIS label is a guarantee to consumers that the company is active in the social economy. This value is often mentioned by the companies in question, as at on.perfekt, where Estelle, an employee and member of the cooperative, points out, “the SIS label shows consumers that they can trust us and that our cause is fair, verified and controlled. It gives us visibility and credibility.
This sentiment is shared by Jean Lasar of Survcoin SIS, who explains, “Our company must offer every guarantee in terms of integrity and transparency. The SIS guarantees that we are doing this for climate action and not for profit.
For more information on the Luxembourg Impact Days and the companies rewarded at the event, visit the Ministry of the Economy page: https: //meco.gouvernement.lu/fr/actualites.gouvernement%2Bfr%2Bactualites%2Btoutes_actualites%2Bcommuniques%2B2023%2B07-juillet%2B08-impact-days.html
