Impact Day inspires once again
#sustainability event
It has been a few weeks since Impact Day, so it is about time for a recap. This event is always well worth attending and highlights all topics relevant to a sustainable world. The beautiful old capital Tallinn is also a feast for the eyes. Although Estonia has only about 1.3 million inhabitants, Impact Day always has an international allure — not least because of the program with speakers from all over the world. Estonia is also known as one of the most digitally advanced countries, partly because it launched e-Residency in 2014. This allows you to run your business entirely online from anywhere and use all the services you need in Estonia.
Tallinn wants to be a leader in sustainability
It is also progressive in the field of circularity and other sustainability issues and wants to be a leader in this area. In 2023, Tallinn was still European Green Capital. But back to Impact Day, which actually consists of two days. How do you travel to such an event? From my base in Espoo – near Helsinki – in Finland, it’s extremely easy: you just take the boat and within two hours you’re sailing into the port of Tallinn. Although some ships are already equipped with more environmentally friendly technologies, the ecological balance of cruises remains significantly negative. Many shipping companies are working on electrifying their ships step by step, and there are also significant developments in the use of renewable fuels such as biodiesel, biogas, and hydrogen.
Sustainable ships in development
Eckerö Line’s m/s Finlandia, which sails between Helsinki and Tallinn, will be equipped with a battery solution to reduce CO2 emissions in early 2026, making it the first hybrid ship in the Gulf of Finland, although the intended fuel savings are only 3%. Nevertheless, this amounts to approximately 500-600 tons less fuel per year.
Program for the first day
The first day of Impact Day at Kultuurikatel, within walking distance of the port, kicked off with David Armstrong after a beautiful musical intro. He is a motivational speaker from the US and explained that your ‘Why’ must be greater than your ‘Why not’. Why do you get out of bed every day to do what you do? After a life full of struggles, he was able to put his finger on the sore spot like no other. Then it was the turn of Clover Hogan, a well-known Australian climate activist who was physically present last year, but now gave her opinion on the current state of sustainability issues via an online screen. How do you ensure that well-being, prosperity, and the environment go hand in hand? Which was basically the theme of the entire event: Building an Ambitious and Self-Sufficient Europe. One of the main organizers, Samuel Põldaru, smoothly tied everything together. And, just like last year, food and drinks were well taken care of.
Versatile topics
The rest of the day, various other interesting topics were discussed on the three stages — Impact Stage, Sustainability Stage, and Inspiration Stage — including reducing textile waste, the power of circularity, designing green cities, and reducing food waste. Although his advanced age (80) sometimes made him difficult to understand, the well-known Estonian zoologist and ethologist Aleksei Turovski stood out for me. His story, entitled ‘Animals Don’t Work for the Market. Are They Doomed?‘ was about the successful sustainable development of animal populations, which is inevitably linked to Shelford’s law: animals use resources and services in ecosystems on an optimal basis, not on a maximum basis.
This results in ecosystems that create a surplus — that is, more resources than the systems themselves need to thrive. This surplus is, for example, the thick layer of humus in the soil, the abundant oxygen in the air, and the peat in the swamp. It is what we humans have mistakenly come to take for granted and use at our own discretion. In reality, it is the only guarantee for the survival of biodiversity on earth. In light of current climate change, with countless animal species and entire coral reefs threatened with extinction, this is one of the most sensitive issues.
The day was concluded by Seth Godin, multiple bestselling author and marketing guru. He emphasized the importance of collaboration, local initiatives, and, last but not least, consistency. When you do things you truly believe in, something beautiful can emerge.
Program for day two
The second day began, once again, with beautiful musical accompaniment and a keynote speech by Gunter Pauli, a pioneer who is also known as the “Steve Jobs of sustainability”. He founded Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives (ZERI) in 1994 and is the author of The Blue Economy. He has also published 20 books in more than 30 languages and 365 fables: inspiring stories that introduce children to science and emotional intelligence. His story focused primarily on innovations and inspiration: there are now many more advanced methods and techniques available than wind and solar energy. And they are also cheaper, such as using ocean waves. This second day was also filled with interesting sessions: topics included food systems, the true value of sustainability, raw material use, the impact of AI, and growing with integrity. The latter is also the theme for next year: the new ROI, or Return on Integrity. That is exactly what is needed right now for the shift to a truly more sustainable world.
📷 The photos were taken by Laura Luga, Rasmus Kooskora, and Silver Gutmann.
ℹ️ Sustainability Content Agency is an ambassador of Impact Day and writes, edits, translates, and advises on sustainability, social impact, and health in almost all European languages. Contact us for more information or book a short call via Calendly.
Soon: Impact Day 2025 in Tallinn
#sustainability event
On 9 and 10 October, it’s time again for Impact Day in the beautiful old city of Tallinn in Estonia. If you want to try something different, gain inspiration and discover a new city, this is the perfect opportunity.
No topic related to sustainability will be left untouched, including cleantech, nature, the food industry, mobility/transport, construction and social entrepreneurship. You can listen to renowned speakers such as entrepreneur and best-selling author Seth Godin, climate activist Clover Hogan (who was also present last year), author and non-profit entrepreneur (Sensei) David Armstrong and many others.
This year’s theme: Building a bold, self-sufficient Europe.
Impact Day is the largest event of its kind in Northern Europe and focuses primarily on promoting social, responsible and environmentally friendly business practices, where well-being and prosperity go hand in hand.
The world is going through a period of instability and change, which is accompanied by all kinds of uncertainties. Geopolitical tensions also necessitate a more self-sufficient and sustainable European continent. At this event, you can connect with leaders, innovators and policymakers committed to positive, sustainable action. You can enjoy more than 80 sessions, including keynotes, practical workshops, discussion panels as well as a pitch competition.
The big question here is: how can we turn the current global security crises into opportunities for stability, while making the transition to low-carbon industries and a more sustainable society? You will connect with people who, like you, want a strategic, collective shift to enable the necessary changes.
This year, Impact Day relocates from the Põhjala Factory to a larger, more central venue: Kultuurikatel (‘The Creative Hub’).
Go to Visit Tallinn for all the information you need about this picturesque medieval capital of Estonia, which dates back to 1154. In 2025, Tallinn has just over 450,000 inhabitants, a third of the entire country. Over the years, the city has fallen into the hands of the Danes, Germans and, most recently, the Russians. A remarkable fact is that in 1980, the Moscow Olympic Games were partly held in Tallinn, as sailing competitions were organised there. It was not until 1991 that Estonia finally broke away from the Soviet Union and became a sovereign country again, but a significant part of the population is still Russian.
Would you like to come too? Use the code SCA15 for a 15% discount and, until 26 September 2025, you will even receive an additional 30% discount thanks to Early Bird prices.
Here’s all the information you need:
Website: https://impactday.eu/
Programme: https://lnkd.in/eTCnAXxJ
Tickets: https://lnkd.in/eB9xMp9W
📢 Sustainability Content Agency is an ambassador of Impact Day and helps organizations with the writing, translating and editing of a wide range of materials related to sustainability (in all European languages). Simply send an email to info@sustainabilitycontentagency.com to discuss your requirements or book a short meeting via Calendly on this site.
Impact Fair in Utrecht
#sustainability event
5 reasons why you should go to the Impact Fair
Organizer Micha van Hoorn and his team are busy with the final preparations to ensure that everything runs smoothly when the Impact Fair in Utrecht (Holland) starts. Organizing such an event is quite a roller coaster: a two-day trade fair followed by an open day on the Saturday. But it’s worth the effort! What are the top 5 reasons to come to Utrecht on April 3, 4 or 5, in his opinion?
1. Learn
We have a great program with 140 speakers spread over 7 stages. Based on practical tips, tricks and tools, our visitors discover how they can get started today with the world of tomorrow. They do this by sharing their knowledge and inspiring others in various impact domains, in the broadest sense of the word. You can learn more about a sustainable economy, but also, for example, how to cook healthier.
2. Meet
Every impact agenda indicates that we need to accelerate. How do you do that? By working together more. But to do that properly, you first have to get to know each other. At the Impact Fair, we facilitate meaningful meetings where people can discuss how they can strengthen each other and make a greater impact together. There will be meet-ups, speed dating sessions, dating shows, guided tours and networking drinks. Everything is designed to maximize introductions and connections. We also have a great app where you can connect with each other. All parties are present: we connect leaders, young people, engaged citizens, government, social enterprises, corporates, NGOs, SMEs, educators, associations and funds. In short, representatives from all sectors of society will be there.
3. Do
There are 108 interactive experiences that let visitors discover how they can make more of an impact. We are the only impact experience center in the world and certainly the largest in Europe. You can take immediate action to make the world a better place. Think about planting trees, cleaning up litter, recipes for vegetarian or plant-based cooking, playing serious games, going to a pop-up cinema or experiencing the overview effect with VR. All activities that you can do right away to make a positive contribution. The exhibitors also tell their mission-driven story in an interactive way, which makes it easier to understand and remember. And last but not least: experiencing something firsthand makes you more likely to share it with others.
4. Leadership
This year, for the first time, we have a Leaders xCHANGE, which is all about doing business with impact. How can your company be a force for good? How can you ensure that you will stand out as a force for good and commit to the SDG ambitions, for example? The very top of the business community will be present. The economy continues to play a major role in the whole. How can you make doing good financially attractive? You can talk to more than 400 leaders about how to do business with a positive impact. In this way, the most influential group in the Netherlands can transform into the most impactful group our country has ever seen.
5. Movement
We really are a movement. We are all committed to the future of the world. Your impact should be positive and meaningful. It should be fun and cheerful. The so-called positive impact. There are many organizations that stand for this. We set the agenda, but we do so in an optimistic way. We show how much fun it is to do good. That approach to marketing and messaging will help us reach a wider audience. We want to become a ‘household name for impact makers’. This strategy will also bring us more quickly to the social tipping point that prominent sustainability scientist Jan Rotmans talks about so much: once you have persuaded 25% of a group to change, that becomes the norm. That is 4.5 million people in the Netherlands. By attending the Impact Fair, you take the first step in becoming a changemaker.
Interview: Michel de Ruyter – Sustainable Content Agency
Sustainability Content Agency will be hosting a workshop on Sustainable Storytelling at the Impact Fair on Friday afternoon, April 4, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. For the full schedule of all three days, please visit (only in Dutch): https://impactfairnederland.nl/academy/#blokkenschema.
