Mercedes-Benz hosted the first edition of its Sustainability Dialogue in India today. The 2023 edition emphasised the need for decarbonising energy, industry and mobility. The focus was on ‘Sustainable Mobility – Accelerating Towards a Green, Inclusive and Safe Future’ and accelerating the transition toward a more sustainable future.
Following 15 successful editions in Germany, over 250 attendees took part in the first India edition of Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Dialogue, including government representatives, policy makers, academics, corporate leaders, emerging startups, and ecosystem enablers. The Dialogue sought to accelerate collective transition to CO₂-neutrality and focus on responsible usage of our planetary resources.
As part of the Sustainability Dialogue India 2023, Mercedes-Benz announced its support for ‘beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship’, a global programme to provide young innovators with training, mentoring, expert support, scholarships and funding to launch their projects in the areas of environmental sustainability, and decarbonization.
The beVisioneers programme is an initiative designed and implemented by experts of a German non-profit organization, The DO School Fellowships. Mercedes-Benz will fund the programme on a yearly basis by way of donations.
Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group for Integrity and Legal Affairs, said, “We are very happy that India is among the first few regions to be included in the programme, which is implemented by an independent non-profit organisation. We see this as a testament to the extensive capabilities of the talent pool in India to build a smart and sustainable future.
The event saw key stakeholders from the public and private sector as well as academia, participating in a series of conversations on global trends and recent developments with Members of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group including Ola Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group and Renata Jungo Brüngger, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group -Integrity and Legal.
Sustainability for Mercedes-Benz means creating value for all stakeholder groups: for customers, employees, and investors as well as for business partners and society as a whole. The India edition focused on fostering collaborations and partnerships towards achieving India’s sustainable development goals.
Manu Saale, CEO and MD, Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India, said, “ With the first Sustainability Dialogue hosted in India, Mercedes-Benz reinforces its commitment to India and partners in the journey towards achieving India’s sustainable development goals. We are very happy to support beVisioneers which promotes young talent at the intersection of sustainability, leadership, and innovation.”
The seed capital for the fellowship comes from the auction proceeds of the iconic 1955 Mercedes-Benz SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé. The car was auctioned in May 2022 at a record price of 135 million EUR to a private collector.