19 Green Economy London in Canada

Team 29 Poster

Team Reflection 

Green Economy London’s vision actively illustrates a creative approach to environmental responsibility and sustainability. Our AIM2Flourish story highlights how community organizations, corporations, and local leaders collaborate to promote a green economy through various programs, such as waste reduction plans, renewable energy projects, and environmentally friendly transportation systems.

Green Economy London focuses on community involvement, emphasizing the importance of engaging with local businesses to establish sustainability initiatives. Community workshops have become a trendy way to gather information and encourage these projects. This cooperative approach with the community improves the bond with community members developing collective understanding of sustainability. Green Economy London also incorporates the concept of a circular economy, which emphasizes resource reuse and waste reduction. Successful examples of local companies doing this in the London area have supported other businesses in contributing to and engaging in this new way of managing environmental issues.

Green Economy London’s enthusiasm for sustainability has been contagious to our group, and it gives us hope for the future of our own communities. Furthermore, the idea of community engagement especially moved our group as community involvement is paramount to developing greener communities. Ultimately, Green Economy London’s story has inspired our group to get more involved in our own communities sustainability initiatives.

Section Two:

Green Economy London has been established as a company that adopts sustainable practices and, through this, actively participates in the UN Sustainable Development Goals such as SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13, Climate Action. Through its community events and offering carbon accounting, it supports various companies in thinking consciously and integrating sustainability. These further showcase how Green Economy London’s pushing a sustainable agenda is crucial to business operations and how sustainability should not be an afterthought.

When connecting this academically, Green Economy London displays approaches of the Base of the Pyramid (BOP). This is seen through the approaches of balancing economic, social, and environmental factors. As the company has multiple programs and events, its initiatives prove that practicing sustainability can lead to and develop benefits that include positive environmental impact. In addition to this, the company also relates to the BOP by promoting and enabling sustainability within small businesses. As mentioned in the interview, small businesses often have limited resources, which means that this company aids in finding an effective way for businesses to thrive in their circumstances. The BOP includes the fact that smaller companies have the ability to greatly contribute to sustainability goals, which showcases how Green Economy London actively works to help firms reach their biggest potential (Prahalad et.al., 2002).

In addition to making sustainability a central component of local company culture, Green Economy London also expands corporate social responsibility (CSR). The company’s initiatives encourage long-term accountability to companies, communities, and surrounding environments rather than simply allowing sustainability to be a CSR addition. This also aligns with academic structures on sustainability and responsibility, which highlights the wide range of advantages of sustainability extending beyond simple legal requirements. By keeping this factor in mind, it promotes a long-term, community-based plan that results in beneficial development (Cho, 2020).

Our understanding of sustainability was reinforced during the interview with Green Economy London’s representative, Alix Robinson. During our discussion, Alix explained that the business operations practiced by Green Economy reflect components of responsible organizations and corporate social responsibility. Thus, the group’s conversation with Green Economy London demonstrated a real-world application of sustainability. In our interview, our group learned about the sustainable business practice of carbon accounting. Carbon accounting, as Alix explained, Green Economy London consults with their clients, looking at their utility bills and developing reports about their associated emissions. Additionally, our coursework provided a strong foundation in key concepts such as sustainable development, global business practices, and effective team collaboration, which proved invaluable in this project. The principles of environmental stewardship and the importance of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlighted in our courses helped us frame our discussions and shape our objectives with a purpose-driven approach.

Section Three:

The AIM2Flourish story has made a strong impression on us and will undoubtedly influence the way we think about business in the future. This story emphasized that successful companies today are not solely focused on profit; they prioritize supporting the environment and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as integral parts of their operations. Seeing this has inspired us to rethink our perspectives on success, understanding that true impact comes from a balanced approach that combines financial gains with social and environmental responsibility.

Through this story, we learned that thriving companies are often backed by a network of support, including partnerships and programs that help them make a positive difference in their communities. For instance, Green Economy London demonstrated how organizations can support businesses in adopting sustainable practices, from reducing waste and emissions to enhancing resource efficiency. This insight will shape our future decisions by motivating us to choose companies that are aligned with sustainable values and are committed to supporting the SDGs. We feel encouraged to look beyond short-term profits and instead prioritize long-term impact. As we move forward in our careers, we are inspired to be part of initiatives that drive positive change and promote sustainability, understanding that a business’s success is deeply intertwined with its contributions to the environment and society. This experience has given us a new perspective on leadership and responsibility, encouraging us to seek out or create opportunities that foster a sustainable and equitable future for all.

Thinking about London’s eco-friendly thrift has inspired us to carefully and intentionally consider the implementation of  sustainability in business. I’m motivated to give sustainability top priority in my future undertakings after witnessing how businesses have prospered by adopting eco-friendly strategies like climate action and responsible production and consumption.

Green Economy London’s success stories have demonstrated to our group  the value of working together with other companies and the community to achieve creative outcomes. We are excited to be a part of this green movement since this exercise has strengthened my view that entrepreneurship can lead to both profit and beneficial change.

Individual Reflections

Manar

Participating in this virtual project was a fulfilling experience that presented enriching opportunities and meaningful challenges. Working with a team distributed across different time zones required a high level of coordination and adaptability. Scheduling meetings that suited everyone demanded careful planning, flexibility, and consideration. This experience taught me the importance of patience and adaptability in a virtual setting, skills that I believe will be beneficial in any future remote work. By learning to manage my time more efficiently and adjusting my schedule to align with my team’s needs, I felt I could contribute more meaningfully to the group. One of the challenges I faced during this project was the language barrier, which made it harder to grasp certain points in our discussions fully. To manage this, I focused on active listening, reviewed our notes thoroughly, and paid close attention to details to ensure I stayed aligned with the team’s direction. This approach helped me gain confidence in tackling challenges independently and reminded me of the importance of persistence when faced with challenges. Although this required additional effort, it ultimately strengthened my comprehension skills. Despite these challenges, I was constantly motivated by the dedication and positive attitude of my teammates. Their commitment to our shared objectives helped us build a strong sense of unity, even when working from different parts of the world. This project was a valuable lesson in the power of collaborative problem-solving. Our teamwork also showed me how clear communication and respect for each member’s contributions can make a project productive and enjoyable. Finally, this experience reinforced my appreciation for the diverse perspectives each team member brought and taught me the value of flexibility and patience. By the end, I was proud of what we achieved together as a team, knowing we had all put in the effort to make our collaboration successful despite the initial challenges.

Ella

The Collaborative Online International Learning group assignment offered me a unique academic experience, nothing I have ever experienced during my post-secondary education. As a group of six students from Canada, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, we worked well as a team to establish a shared goal and develop a plan of action. During the course of five weeks, I employed various forms of communication to ensure I was engaging in meaningful and respectful cross-cultural dialogue, employing platforms such as WhatsApp, Zoom, Google, and Microsoft. The most challenging part of the assignment was finding a suitable time to communicate with team members and to use our group chat during respectful working hours, considering the time differences across our group. Additionally, as a student with competing priorities, selecting a time appropriate for all group members took a lot of work based on diverse class schedules, personal commitments, and, ultimately, time differences. In order to overcome this challenge, we worked as a team to plan our time out accordingly and fit in our forty-minute meeting for the five weeks of the COIL project. Despite our challenges as a group and individually, our COIL assignment was completed successfully as a team. Upon reflection, connecting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with the principle of responsible organizational practices of Green Economy London has provided me with a holistic understanding of the real-world application of sustainability. This unique experience has also allowed me to develop meaningful connections with students worldwide.

Bianca

To begin, becoming a member of this team and having the opportunity to collaborate with the individuals a part of it has been an extraordinary experience. From the first initial meeting, each member communicated and bonded over the excitement of moving forward with this project. The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) assignment has truly been like no other assignment I have completed. Like anything new, it took the group some time to navigate the plans and directions that we wanted to go in to ensure it was well done and we worked effectively. Within no time, our group figured out how to communicate with each other by exchanging phone numbers, creating a WhatsApp group chat, and holding weekly meetings online through Zoom. This allowed us to choose our company during the second week and start the process of assigning roles and responsibilities. Regarding cultural dynamics and time zones, we were respectful of each other’s priorities and lives while scheduling meetings on Tuesdays at the same time each week. Not only did this project allow me to be a part of an amazing team, but it also allowed me to further develop my knowledge and skills. The company, Green Economy London, showcased how sustainability can be easily incorporated and provided a great understanding of how the SDGs can be utilized in society. I am truly grateful for this experience and am appreciative to have worked with such fantastic individuals from Canada, Spain, and Saudi Arabia. This was truly an unforgettable experience.

Layan

I am grateful that COIL has really changed my thinking about sustainability. I have worked with students from Saudi Arabia, where I am from, and from other cultures, such as Canada and Spain and learned that we all face many of the same challenges. This is surely a task entailing a lot of organization, especially if you are dealing with team members from different time zones. Finding a time that works for everyone really taught me quite a bit about patience and compromise, even though it was sometimes frustrating. To be honest, I can’t fit into video meetings such as Zoom and Teams, so I focused on listening carefully and taking notes during our Zoom meetings, as well as taking the team’s feedback into consideration. One of the most important and impactful things for me was delving into the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their importance to the green economy in Greater London. I was amazed at how these theoretical concepts I had researched could have practical implications and change people’s lives. This knowledge can be not only theoretical in nature, but this project has helped me greatly appreciate how we all need to work together to achieve a sustainable world. That is why, when I came out of this experience, I had a deeper sense of the role of cooperation and respect for differences of opinion, as well as a sincere intention to use what I learned in the future.

Martin

I enjoyed working with students from other countries and learning about different cultures. The difference in time zones was not a significant problem, as we all had certain times in the week when we could meet. The whole team got along very well, and we even got to know some things about our personal lives and develop meaningful connections. My team distributed the work evenly and successfully completed it with no issues. The team employed an interactive and collaborative approach, which assisted us in developing a great working team and bond. During our meeting, we discussed the weekly objectives. We split up the work accordingly while helping each other when possible to foster a unique and collaborative perspective on the completed tasks. When the project was completed, we analyzed our work and further discussed areas for improvement. Overall, this experience has left me with a lasting impression of sustainability worldwide and how businesses implement sustainable practices. To conclude, I want to thank every member of my group for the effort and hope we did as well as we did!

References

Cho, C. H. (2020). CSR accounting ‘new wave’ researchers: ‘step up to the plate’… or ‘stay out of the game.’ Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems, 19(4). https://doi.org/10.24818/jamis.2020.04001

Prahalad, C. K., & Hart, S. L. (2002). The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Strategy+Business Magazine, 26, 273. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.914518

United Nations. The 17 Goals | Sustainable Development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/goals