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About us

Background

SUSTINOVA is a not-for-profit Swiss association, based in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland.

SUSTINOVA started out as a personal initiative of the three founders, born out of our interest in supporting projects focused on sustainability, innovation and self-reliance, both in Switzerland and abroad. We came to realize that if we were to work in a more public way we could create broader benefits by:

  • Highlighting projects and approaches that caught our attention;
  • Helping to address perceived inefficiencies in how the field operates (particularly in the dissemination of best practices and relevant know-how); and
  • Enhancing the communication between those active in the area of sustainable development.

For us, these factors play a crucial role in promoting innovation, transparency and higher standards. As such, SUSTINOVA became (and remains) a personal initiative with a public character and a collaborative framework.

 

Our team

SUSTINOVA is run by a team with in-depth experience in translating sustainability into practice in academia, philanthropy and business. Our background covers environmental and natural sciences, economics and sustainable finance, philanthropy, as well as project development and innovation management.

Based in Zurich, we operate throughout Switzerland and abroad through a network of organisations. This allows us to stay informed on emerging topics and to tap into additional insight and skills.

Paulo Morais

Co-founder Sustinova, Director

Next to his role at SUSTINOVA, Paulo is active as a consultant for NGOs and private people. For the past 12 years, his work has covered different areas of sustainability and more technical aspects like data analysis, work processes and development of software tools.

He worked at SAM AG, where he was directly involved on the implementation of the DJSI global corporate sustainability survey methodology and was responsible for the incorporation of reputational risk data, provided by RepRisk. Previously, he also worked as a research scholar and project manager in the field of marine resources management, linking ecological data with socio-economic aspects of fisheries.

(0041) 78 639 7423

Languages: 
English, Portuguese, Spanish and French

Deborah Zulliger

Co-founder

Deborah is currently working as an advisor in the field of energy and environment for cities, communities and regions. Since 2005 she is on the board of the Foundation for the Third Millennium.

Previously Deborah has completed a PhD at the University of Zurich and postdoctoral studies at the WSL in the area of evolution and ecological genetics. Further professional experience includes rating socially responsible investment funds as a sustainability research analyst at Care Group AG and a background in spatial information systems used in ecological research activities.

Languages: 
German, English and French

Andreas Hinz

Co-founder

Andreas worked as research assistant at the Institute of Technology Management, University of St Gallen, where he completed his PhD in knowledge and innovation management for sustainability. He was closely involved with SMEs as well as multinationals and examined challenges and successful practices.

Prior to that, he worked as analyst at UBS Global Asset Management focusing on macro themes and their impact on financial markets and investment strategies. While at UBS, he was a member of the Global Asset Allocation and Currency Committee.

Languages: 
German, English and French

Collaborators

Sustinova Volunteers Nadia Castro-Izaguirre

Nadia Castro-Izaguirre

Research Associate

Nadia Castro-Izaguirre is an environmental scientist with a PhD in Ecology from the University of Zürich and experience in research, nature conservation and development cooperation.

She has participated in collaborative projects in Europe, Asia and the Americas, where her tasks included field work, project management, data analysis and writing reports, among other responsibilities.

Languages: 
English, German, French, Spanish

Sustinova collaborators Jessica Fenger

Jessica Fenger

Public Activities

Jessica has been volunteering with Sustinova since September 2017 by assisting with public activities. Her broader experience and interests cover organising events, debating and mobilising people in topics such as Corporate Social Responsibility or Gender Equality.
Her interest in the field of sustainability was piqued by her activities in the European Youth Parliament, which helped her recognise the significance of this topic, and the interest in pursuing a career in the non-profit area.
She obtained her Swiss Matura in 2017 and will begin her studies to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Biomedicine at the University of Zürich in Summer 2018.

Languages: 
Swiss-German, German, English, French

Sustinova Team - Alexander Roost

Alexander Roost

Research Associate

Alexander has been volunteering for Sustinova as Research Associate since September 2017. He is currently working as a Sustainability Analyst in Zürich. He has been engaged in the field of sustainable development for about three years.

After graduating from the University of Fribourg Alexander completed various internships. Among others he worked in the Communications Department at the Global Reporting Initiative as well as in the Anti-Corruption and Transparency initiative team at the UN Global Compact.

Languages: 
Swiss-German, German, English, French

Contact us

We look forward to hearing from you

For specific inquiries, please contact one of our team members directly.

For general requests, please use our contact form on the right side or send us an e-mail.

We will get back to you soon.