TALKS
Sustainable Hour: ESG in Focus – Powered by Erste
September 18, 2025 | 5:30 PM
In the last decade, ESG criteria have evolved from a technical framework for corporate reporting into a fundamental methodology for rethinking economic, social, and cultural processes. Within this layered transformative field, questions increasingly arise: How does social responsibility become a structural element of every organization? How do environmental criteria redefine our relationships with space, resources, and community? In what way does transparent governance transcend the financial sector and become a cultural practice?
Sustainable Hour: ESG in Focus – Powered by Erste, taking place on Thursday, September 18 at 5:30 PM at Urania, opens a space for discussion on these issues, highlighting the programs Leave a Good Trace and Marc, developed by Erste Bank in collaboration with organizations and experts across Europe.
The Leave a Good Trace program, now entering its fourth year, systematically strengthens the capacities of nonprofit organizations: from fundraising strategies and financial planning to developing the skills necessary for long-term resilience.
The Marc program represents an international platform for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), bringing together startups, social enterprises, and associations with sustainable business models. Its focus is on financial resilience and increasing positive socio-environmental impact, with the goal of connecting regional initiatives into broader European processes. Marc positions social organizations as active players in the transformation of society, economy, and environment.
Participants:
- Aida Riđanović, Solidarna – Foundation for Human Rights and Solidarity
- Helena Matuša, Entrepreneurship Center of Krapina-Zagorje County
- Mirjana Šakić, Social Prudence Consulting
- Milan Koštro, Panda Communications
- Magdalena Hrženjak & Dijana Telebar, Association Uz tebe sam
- Jelena Likić, Bioteka – Association for the Promotion of Biology and Related Sciences
- Ivan Hendija, Humanitarian Association Kompići
Through Leave a Good Trace and Marc – for which applications are currently open – Erste Bank has for years been building partnerships that address the challenges of Goal 17 of the UN Agenda 2030 – Partnerships for the Goals. This is about creating new forms of collaboration between the financial sector and civil society, where capital becomes a catalyst for social change, and knowledge and mentorship become instruments for building resilience and sustainability.
The participants in this meeting will demonstrate how partnership can become a real driver of transformation. Financial inclusion is no longer just a concept but a starting point for creating a more just society; financial health is not only about organizational balance sheets but about the capacity for long-term action and the creation of collective value.
Seats are limited, so please reserve your spot here. Admission is free!
