LINK SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM

Sustainability implies meeting one’s own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources. Sustainability does not imply only environmental protection. Sustainability is based on three main pillars: economic, environmental, and social pillar (ESG – Environmental, Social, Governance). These three pillars create a balance between people’s concern for the development of the planet and sustainable profit.

The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, and ensure peace and prosperity for all. These 17 goals build on the success of the Millennium Development Goals, but also include new priority areas such as climate change, economic inequalities, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace, and justice. The goals are interrelated since the key to achieving one goal often lies in seeing the challenges inherent in another goal.

Activities to achieve the goals of sustainable development take place in the spirit of partnership and pragmatism in order to make the right choices and thereby ensure a sustainable improvement in the lives of future generations. The goals provide clear guidelines and sub-goals that all countries should adopt, in accordance with their priorities and global environmental challenges as a whole. The Sustainable Development Goals represent an inclusive agenda. They address the root causes of poverty and unite our efforts to bring about positive change that will impact our planet and its inhabitants.” (UNDP, 2022).

Through its programs and projects, LINK supports all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), striving to contribute wherever possible to their achievement in accordance with the 2030 Agenda. As LINK Educational Alliance operates within the education industry and the information technology industry, by combining these two industries and creating an edtech approach, it contributes to the greatest extent to the achievement of the following sustainable development goals:

• Goal 4: Quality Education – LINKgroup operates in the sphere of primary formal education, secondary education (K–12), and higher education (HE). In addition to this, the participation of LINKgroup in the sphere of professional education is very significant. Therefore, the 4th Sustainable Development Goal is the primary goal of LINK and the best path for the company’s positive impact on society and the environment.

Through the LINK Foundation charitable programs, we provide material support to those in need in order to make our educational services available to them within the area of formal and non-formal education. We also have various stimulating financial programs for children and parents in order to provide quality education to those who lack financial resources. Furthermore, we offer special support programs for our employees who, within the program LINKedu for Employees, have access to all the non-formal education courses needed for their development, as well as the possibility of their children receiving scholarships in our educational institutions of formal education. 

Through partnering relations with numerous faculties and universities within the Erasmus + program and other projects and forms of cooperation, various goals related to the pillars of sustainable development are achieved, primarily: enabling access to quality education for girls and boys throughout Europe, acquisition of digital literacy and digital skills, harmonizing school development plans with international standards in education and the modern world, establishing a circular economy, responsible and beneficial use of technology, raising the awareness of young people about the importance of climate change, presenting the culture and traditions of different countries, and the like.

Through the world of knowledge that LINK offers to interested parties, the Alliance influences the creation of new experts who can lead the world to a better and more certain future. We also improve the local, regional and global labor market, offering education tailored to modern business requirements. At the same time, we increase the level of employability of candidates who have completed some of our educational programs.

• Goal 9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure – through digitization, smart use of information technology in business and education, and continuous innovation, LINK contributes to the achievement of this goal indirectly and directly, in numerous ways.
• Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities – by contributing to goals 4 and 9, as part of its daily business activities, LINK contributes to increasing the degree of sustainability of the cities and communities in which it operates and trains new staff for the professions that will be needed in the future.
• Goal 12: Sustainable consumption and production – LINK, through its circular economy programs and projects, is changing its business models from linear to circular. Digitization as a pillar of the circular economy is particularly recognized in the LINK Educational Alliance.

Certain goals, although no less important, will not be further explained, because they are already embedded into LINK’s business culture and values. One of the best examples is precisely goal 5: Gender equality – as there are women in leading positions in our company and as we are proud of the fact that there is no “glass ceiling” in our company, we can agree that we actively work on empowering women and promoting gender equality.

From the moment of its foundation until today, respecting the three main aspects of sustainability (economic, environmental and social), LINK bases its entire business on the principles of socially responsible business. In order to demonstrate its commitment to the target groups and strengthen it, LINK is launching the LINK Sustainability Program.

The LINK edu Alliance Sustainability Program addresses the strategic goal of LINK – ensuring sustainable development. LINK is committed to environmental, economic, and social sustainability and has based its entire business on sustainability postulates. The President of the LINK Educational Alliance, therefore, launches the LINK edu Alliance Sustainability Program (hereinafter: the LINK Sustainability Program). The program implies the adoption of strategic documents and operational programs.

The program also includes the establishment of a new organizational unit and the appointment of a Chief Sustainability Officer. This unit would be in charge of the corporation’s environmental programs, that is, designing green projects and more Sustainable Development projects in all LINK educational facilities and educational institutions and clearly showing our orientation towards sustainability. The program also includes naming “Sustainability LINKers” in our community, that is, those who contribute the most to sustainability: employees, teachers, pupils, and students.

The sustainability pillars of LINK Educational Alliance are:

1. Environmental sustainability;
2. Economic sustainability;
3. Social sustainability.

The sustainability goals of the LINK Educational Alliance are:

1. Responsible business;
2. Sustainable development;
3. Sustainable education;
4. Synergy of partnership with stakeholders and social impact based on it.

Adoption of strategic documents:

1. LINK Educational Alliance Sustainability Policy;
2. LINK Educational Alliance Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategy 2023-2028;
3. LINK Educational Alliance Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategic Plan 2022-2027;
4. LINK Educational Alliance Community Connect Engagement Strategy 2023-2028 (abbreviated: LINK Community Connect Strategy);
5. LINK Educational Alliance Community Connect Engagement Strategic Plan 2023-2028 (abbreviated: LINK Community Connect Strategic Plan).

Adoption of operational programs:

1. LINK Annual Resource Recovery Program;
2. LINK Surplus Exchange Program.

Main activities:

1. Establishment of the LINK Educational Alliance Sustainability Office;
2. Appointment of the LINK Educational Alliance Chief Sustainability Officer (LINK Sustainability Officer);
3. Choosing the LINK Educational Alliance Sustainability Leaders (LINK Sustainability Leaders) recognition;
4. Writing the report – LINK Educational Alliance Sustainability Annual Report.

The LINK Educational Alliance Sustainability Program is of strategic importance to the LINK Educational Alliance. Therefore, this document is subordinated only to the General Strategy of the LINK Educational Alliance 2023-2028 and presents its development, as well as the development of the LINK General Strategic Plan of the LINK Educational Alliance 2023-2028 with the help of its documents (strategy and strategic plan for the same period).

The program involves the inclusion of other stakeholders: employees, and clients (pupils, students, course attendees, parents) so that strategic projects and documents that include these target groups are on the same level as this program, i.e. its documents. It’s about the following programs:

1. LINK edu Alliance K–12 Parental Engagement Program, (Strategy and Strategic Plan 2023-2028);
2. LINK edu Alliance Student Engagement Program (Strategy and Strategic Plan 2023-2028);
3. LINK edu Alliance Employee Engagement Program (Strategy and Strategic Plan 2023-2028);
4. LINK Educational Alliance Alumni Program (Strategy and Strategic Plan 2023-2028).

The program does not include other elements of the LINK General Strategy that are not directly related to the issue of environmental, economic, and social sustainability, or are more oriented towards other strategic goals and pillars.

The reasons for launching the LINK Sustainability Program lie in the fact that LINK wants to encourage sustainability throughout the information technology industry, as well as the education industry, using a common voice and engagement of the employees, students, teachers, parents, course attendees, suppliers, and wider social communities through impactful activities.

LINK Educational Alliance achieves excellence, innovation in business and education, socially responsible business, and achieves the best performance in a sustainable way.

At LINK Educational Alliance, every day is a day dedicated to sustainable development. However, if it is necessary to choose one specific day, then we declare Earth Day, which is celebrated on April 22 every year, as the LINK Sustainability Day.

• Centralized systemic concern for sustainable development that would enable decentralization in decision-making and implementation of activities
• Inclusion of all important stakeholders – employees and clients (pupils, parents, students, course attendees) as well as former students (alumni members) in a sustainable business concept and connection with programs of wider social groups and local communities and their engagement
• Helping LINK educational institutions and non-formal education providers to implement new programs within the 4th pillar of sustainable development
• Supporting LINK to achieve strategic goals related to environmental, economic, and social sustainability embedded in its strategic pillars, mission, vision, and values based on them
• Building and improving the reputation and intangible value of LINKgroup as a brand, while increasing competitiveness on a global level

• The program will enable the synergistic effect of all internal and external LINK stakeholders.
• Pupils and students will understand the program and recognize its benefits.
• Students’ parents will understand the program and recognize its benefits.
• The program will enable the engagement of all internal and external stakeholders in partnership with the community to address sustainability issues.
• Wider social communities will understand the program and recognize its benefits.
• Suppliers will understand the program and recognize its benefits.
• LINK will be recognized as a trusted and first-choice partner.

The President of Link Educational Alliance establishes the LINK Educational Alliance Sustainability Office (LINK Sustainability Office) as an organizational unit of the company that will be in charge of designing and implementing various activities provided for in strategic documents and plans. In its work, the LINK Sustainability Office will coordinate with other organizational parts of the company, and all stakeholders involved in the program in order to achieve the goals of the program and sustainability.

At the head of the sustainability team of LINK Educational Alliance, i.e. as the head of the formal sustainability office in the position of Chief Sustainability Officer, one employee from the group or an externally hired person is appointed. Associate Professor Dušan Stojaković was appointed as LINK Sustainability Officer.

LINK edu Alliance Sustainability Leader is a person who is socially and environmentally self-aware, who calls others to action, and solves social, economic, and environmental problems, primarily in their local community. In agreement with the LINK Sustainability Officer and the Presidential Cabinet, he/she invites other stakeholders (employees, pupils, students, parents, and alumni) to action through various activities and programs that he/she initiates or participates in. LINK Sustainability Leader is any person involved in the LINK edu Alliance system who objectively considers himself/herself suitable for the position described and applies using the access form.

SUSTAINABILITY – Sustainability implies meeting one’s own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In addition to natural resources, we also need social and economic resources. Sustainability does not imply only environmental protection.

PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY – Sustainability is based on three main pillars: economic, environmental, and social pillar. These three pillars are informally called people, planet, and profit.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY – Circular economy represents a regenerative economic system in which production resources, waste, waste emission, and energy outflow are significantly reduced by slowing down, rounding off, and extending energy and material cycles (life cycles) in production.

STAKEHOLDER – A stakeholder is a party that has an interest in a company and can either affect or be affected by the business.

ESG – Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are used to screen investments based on corporate policies and to encourage companies to act responsibly.

SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) – The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030.

UN 2030 Agenda – The 2030 Agenda is universal, transformative, and rights-based. It is an ambitious plan of action for countries, the UN system, and all other actors. The Agenda is the most comprehensive blueprint to date for eliminating extreme poverty, reducing inequality, and protecting the planet.