Dr. Niko Roorda – Speaker at the 19th EFDN Conference

Dr. Niko Roorda – Speaker at the 19th EFDN Conference

Dr. Niko Roorda, an owner of Strategic consultancy ‘Roorda Sustainability’, is a confirmed speaker at our 19th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Seville from the 20th until the 22nd of March 2023.

Dr Niko Roorda was awarded several times for his continuous work on sustainable development and ESG since 32 years. In 2001, he received the Dutch National Award for Innovation and Sustainable Development. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Netherlands’ Sustainable Lecturer of the Year in the Higher Education category, for his entire oeuvre.

In 1991 Roorda developed the world’s first sustainability course (BSc), after which he pioneered on the integration of sustainability into existing higher education. He coached universities and colleges in the Netherlands and on four continents for many years.

Roorda developed a range of assessment methods. AISHE, with which hundreds of sustainability certificates have been awarded to faculties and courses, has been applied in ca. 25 countries. Its derivative FFEA, Future-Focused Entrepreneurship Assessment, is used in companies, government agencies and NGOs for the development of their sustainable identity, strategy & actions.

After Roorda studied theoretical physics and philosophy (MSc, 1981), he obtained his PhD (2010) in the social sciences on the topic of ‘sustainability and organization development’. His dissertation is still being downloaded at least every month. Roorda wrote about twenty books in English, German, Dutch and Swedish. His university textbook Fundamentals of Sustainable Development is used in higher education and in-company training all over the world.

During the conference in Seville, Dr. Niko Roorda will present his presentation called ‘A Sustainable Football World’. He will discuss the world of football, ESG & sustainability that can be practiced at several levels, ranging from direct actions, via the organization culture, up to an impact on the very identity of clubs, associations, UEFA and FIFA: “Who are you, why do you exist?”

On each of those levels, current thoughts will be challenged. As an example, the ‘Football Gini’ will be introduced, following the general ‘Gini index’, which will express the level of inequality within football. Proposals for a paradigm shift will be presented, after which the conference participants will be invited to start a discussion on them today.