Sustainability at the Regional Hearth Summits

Wellbeing for People
and the Planet

Sustainability x Regional Hearth Summits

The regional Hearth Summits are transforming the way we approach sustainability, weaving it into every aspect of their mission to foster wellbeing and drive social change. These groundbreaking events delve into sustainability not just in their discussions — highlighting innovative solutions and community-driven practices — but also in their design, prioritizing eco-conscious operations, waste reduction, and local partnerships. By aligning their content and practices with a commitment to planetary and social health, the Hearth Summits inspire individuals and communities to rethink their role in creating a sustainable, thriving future for all.

Explore the inspiring stories of changemakers worldwide and discover how they are advancing sustainability, wellbeing, and social change in impactful ways.

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RENEWING OUR APPROACH

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

George Bernard Shaw

Learning From Living Buildings at the Omega Institute

THE OMEGA CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING

In addition to enjoying magical moments of inner and outer discovery on the Omega Institute campus, participants also learned about innovative solutions for ecological preservation at the Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL). The OCSL’s award-winning living building hosted talks on regenerative, climate-positive design, using the center’s Eco Machine™, a water reclamation system that uses only natural processes to treat wastewater, as an example. Answering the question, “how should we live?”, the OCSL inspired changemakers to reexamine how they relate to the world and natural resources.

Ways for Decentralization

Session at Hearth Summit Athens

In Athens, representatives from corporations, civil society, impact ventures, and institutions discuss strategies, initiatives and challenges to build more sustainable relationships between urban and rural areas. Panellists include: Savvas Chionides, Secretary General for Decentralization; Dimitrios Kaliampakos, National Technical University of Athens; Sotiris Tsoukarelis, Ta Psila Vouna; Sheila Darmos, The Southern Lights and Regenerative Farming Greece initiative; Nikos Politis, Coffee Island. Watch the session (in Greek).

In Brussels, Co-President of the Club of Rome Sandrine Dixson-Declève advocated for a wellbeing economy — one that allows both people and the planet to thrive — by achieving radical systems change and creating an Earth 4 All.

In Dakar-Thiès, Susan Marx from The Carter Center invited changemakers to join Project Dandelion, a women-led campaign for climate justice founded by Mary Robinson that works to address the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls.

Reflecting on what success in business can look like in a wellbeing economy, Eleanor Allen explained the principles of B Corporations — businesses with social and environmental sustainability at the core of their operations — and gave five examples of companies with progressive approaches to “business as usual”.

Impact Hub Athens invited local academics and institutions to share their latest research on wellbeing cities topics. Focusing on key issues such as air pollution and quality, community-based urban agricultural systems, grassroots and youth-led environmental campaigns, and more, the Summit’s Research Expo sparked an interest among changemakers about important climate topics.

The Campus of the Future

FACENS UNIVERSITY, SOROCABA

In 2024, Hearth Summit São Paulo received the CARBON RESPONSIBLE seal, a certification element developed by Aguama which recognizes the offsetting of emissions and indicates that in addition to offsetting, emissions were positive through an action that will plant more trees than necessary to offset. Working with the Ipê Institute, FACENS will plant 40 seedlings of native species from the Atlantic Forest Biome in the forest restoration projects in the Cantareira and Mantiqueira Mountains, as a way of joining forces for water security, which corresponds to the event’s emissions, plus an additional 20%.

The host and venue of the second regional summit in Brazil, the FACENS University Center at Sorocaba is an innovation and technology hub, and a Smart Campus which aligns the development of projects with the axes of smart cities and the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). FACENS is a signatory to the UN Global Compact, in a green space of 100 thousand m², with more than 60 specialized laboratories and 12 Innovation Centers. In 2023, the institution recycled more than 6 tons of waste, which corresponds to 69% of its waste diverted from landfills. It has 100% smart water meters and 100% of the water consumed is treated on campus. The energy consumed is 100% from renewable sources and FACENS plans to be carbon neutral by 2028.

The Wellbeing Summit Dakar-Thiès ventured to nearby Rufisque to learn about an “ecozone” created by local youth and elders. Supported by the Fondation Sococim, they cleaned up the village center and installed lights, turning it into a safe, plastic- and pollution-free space for the community to gather.

Modou Fall, better known as L’Homme Plastique (The Plastic Man), issued a rousing call for Africa to no longer “be a trash can” in a panel discussion on how to address the plastic pollution crisis in Senegal and across the continent.

Breaking down the plastic pollution challenge, Zéro Déchet Sénégal educated participants about different types of plastics, challenges around recyclability and waste management, and alternative lifestyle choices available to reduce plastic consumption.

Ecological Belonging and Regeneration

Session at Hearth Summit São Paulo

In São Paulo, a diverse panel reflected on the environmental challenges Brazilians face today and the path forward to planetary wellbeing, featuring: Carolina Sampaio Machado, Instituto Terra; Josué Graton, FIT Instituto de Tecnologia; Nathalia Manso, Ecotuner (Facilitator of Reconnection with Nature); and Telma Silva, Flex Brasil. Watch the session (in Portuguese).

From Champions of Environmental Sustainability

Designed With the Earth in Mind

THE WELLBEING SUMMIT DHAKA

The Wellbeing Summit Dhaka was decorated with Ecological Belonging in mind. All materials used to accentuate Bangla Academy’s lush gardens were:

Upcycled, such as printed signs on cotton from used sarees;
Locally handmade, reducing the environmental footprint of production and transportation;
Free of single-use plastic; and
Designed to be used again or recycled rather than thrown away after the event.

Reimagining Possibilities in an Urban Living Lab

BANGALORE CREATIVE CIRCUS

Hearth Summit Bangalore was hosted by Bangalore Creative Circus, an urban living lab for regenerative systems, communities, and cultures. The 20,000-square-foot former industrial warehouse has become a home for India’s social change community, inspiring them with: a regenerative permaculture garden; passive solar and cooling systems; a rooftop rainwater harvesting system; an organic cafe with complete waste segregation and composting; upcycled art, decorations and construction; eco-friendly cleaning supplies; and wheelchair-accessible infrastructure.