Attaining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities

Front matter

OPEN ACCESS BOOK

Attaining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities

FAMILY BUSINESSES V Griffith

Table of Contents

List of Figures vil List of Tables ix About the Editors xi About the Contributors xiii Foreword From Professor Walter Leal Filho xvii Acknowledgements xix

Chapter 1 The Sustainable Development Goals — SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities 1 Rob Hales and Naomi Birdthistle

Chapter 2 What It Means to Be a Family Business Today 11 Naomi Birdthistle and Rob Hales

Chapter 3 IQUTECH - Ireland’s Largest Returns Management Company 23 Ivona Ravlikj and Mark O’Sullivan

Chapter 4 Germany: DINZLER Kaffeerésterei AG, Strong in Regional Sustainability 37 Markus Pillmayer

Chapter 5 USA: Wolf Connection and Inclusive, Safe Spaces for All 55 Patrick Fuery and Kelli Fuery vi Table of Contents

Chapter 6 United Arab Emirates: The Family Business of the Shehada Brothers 79

Jacinta Dsilva, Jasmina Locke and Poh Yen Ng Chapter 7 Hickinbotham Group and Sustainable Cities and

Communities 91 Rob Hales

Index 107

List of Figures

Chapter 1 Figure 1.

Chapter 2 Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Chapter 3 Figure 1. Figure 2

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figure 7.

Chapter 4 Figure 1. Figure 2

Figure 3.

17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Bullseye 2021 (Van Der Vliet, 2021).

Percentage of Family Business Contribution to National GDP (Tharawat Magazine, 2014).

Mark’s and John’s Involvement in the Community.

IQUTECH’s Logo.

John Kennedy With His Family.

Mark O’Sullivan With His Family.

Organisational Structure of IQUTECH.

IQUTECH’s Mission as Stated on Their Website.

IQUTECH’s New Logo.

Seal ‘DINZLER Direkt Gehandelt’.

Exterior View of the Existing Building With Guest Garden.

Richter Family and Management

(From Left to Right): Thomas Steinke, Katrin Richter, Florian Unterleitner, Isolde Richter, Franz Richter, Rolf Richter, Heike Richter and Matthias Richter.

25 26 27 28 29 31 31 viii List of Figures

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Chapter 5 Figure 1. Figure 2

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

Figure 5.

Figure 6.

Figure 7.

Figure 8.

Figure 9.

Figure 10.

Chapter 7 Figure 1. Figure 2

Figure 3.

Figure 4.

The Roastery.

In-House Seal for Climate-Neutral Roasting.

One of Wolf Connection’s Wolves.

Teo Alfero, Founder.

Tala, Co-founder.

Renee Alfero — Lead of Animal Behaviour.

Dr Amanda Beer — Director of Programs.

Ree Merrill — Director of Development.

Wolf Connection Logo.

Medicine Wheel at the Sanctuary.

Ree Merrill With Theo.

A Participant in the Student Programme, With Wolf.

Michael Hickinbotham (Hickinbotham Group, n.d.).

Community Space is an Important Part of Hickinbotham Planned Communities.

Promotion of Sustainability Initiatives by Hickinbotham Group.

Hickinbotham Group Planned Community.

45 48

56 58 59 60 61 62 63 65 66

101 104

List of Tables

Chapter 4 Table 1. Chapter 7 Table 1

SDG#11 Targets.

Key Aspects of the Case Study Template Used by Authors in This Book.

Definitions of Family Businesses With a Structural or Process Lens Applied.

Top 10 Oldest Family Businesses in the World.

Products/Services Offered by IQUTECH.

DINZLER Kaffeerosterei AG Key Milestones.

SDG#11 Targets and How Hickinbotham Group Address SDG#11.

About the Editors

Professor Naomi Birdthistle has entrepreneurship and family business running through her veins. She tried to work in her family business when she was four but was told she was too small. She came back year after year asking to work and eventually her grandmother capitulated and left her work in the family business when she was seven. After years of working in the family business part-time and having completed her studies at Stirling University, Babson College, Harvard University, and the University of Limerick, Naomi established her own consulting business, consulting family businesses in her hometown. She is now a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation at Griffith University, teaching future family business leaders and researching family business issues as well. Naomi is an award-winning academic having received numerous awards for her teaching and her research.

Associate Professor Robert Hales is the discipline leader for Sustainable Business and Management in the Department of Business Strategy and Innovation. His research interests focus on the governance issues around the grand challenges of our time. Furthermore, his research focuses on SDGs in business and government, a business case for climate change, climate change policy, carbon management, sustainable tourism and working with First Peoples on consent processes and climate change. He was the first programme Director of Griffith University’s Master of Global Development. He teaches in the Department of Business Strategy and Innovation and has convened master’s level courses such as Leadership for Sustainable Business, Research Methods for Policy Makers and Sustainability and Systems Thinking. He supervises PhD students in the areas of collaborative governance, sustainability transitions and climate change.

About the Contributors

Dr Jacinta Dsilva is currently the Research Director at SEE Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action — located in the Sustainable City, Dubai, UAE. Her PhD is from Coventry University, UK, in Marketing and Service Quality, and she holds two master’s degrees. Her academic and industry experience spans over 20 years at the middle management level. She has worked at prestigious universities in Dubai such as the Higher Colleges of Technology and has organised entrepreneurship competitions at various campuses. She was also involved in the world-class project ‘EXPO 2020’ in the capacity of researcher and reviewer. She has published several books such as ‘Business Communication’ and ‘Surviving COVID-19 Pandemic’ in 2020. She has also published book chapters and books in sustainability, such as “SDG-5: Gender Equality & Female Empowerment Policy for Sustainable Development’ in 2021, and recently published a book on ‘Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in the 21st Century’. She comes from a family business background, and she has worked with her father in running their family business for two decades.

Dr Kelli Fuery is an Associate Professor of Film and Media at Chapman University, California. She is the author of five books and numerous chapters and articles. Her most recent book is Ambiguous Cinema: From Simone de Beauvoir to Feminist Film Phenomenology (University of Edinburgh Press). She has previously held posts in visual cultures and film at the University of London and Monash University, Melbourne.

Dr Patrick Fuery is a Professor and Director of the Centre for Creative and Cultural Industries, Chapman University, California. He is the author of nine books and numerous chapters and articles; his most recent book is Intimacy and the Anxieties of Cinematic Flesh: Between Phenomenology and Psychoanalysis (Bloomsbury). He was previously a Professor of Film and Cultural Theory, University of Sussex, and Reader in Film at the University of London.

Dr Jasmina Locke in her current role, as a Chief Executive Officer and Academic Head of SEE Institute, Dubai, looks after all business verticals and the overall strategic direction of this sustainability research and education hub. She holds an MBA and a Master’s Degree in Tourism Management holder, with a PhD in Sustainable Economic Development and Destination Competitiveness. Dr Locke has a proven track record in driving research and education initiatives with a number of UAE government departments and international organizations, most xiv About the Contributors notably the UN, UAE Ministry of Economy and Abu Dhabi DCT, to name a few. She was the main driver and instrumental in a groundbreaking sustainable tourism research project with EXPO 2020 and the UAE Tourism authorities. After a successful career in a range of industries, including aviation, tourism and education, Jasmina also provides advisory services that help other companies, government departments and executives to reach their full potential, create public policies, upskill their workforce and ultimately build human capital for a sustainable future. In her entrepreneurial journey, she has created some successful businesses.

Dr Poh Yen Ng is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Aberdeen Business School, Robert Gordon University. She holds a PhD in Management from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, and is currently a Senior Fellow of Advance HE in the United Kingdom. Poh Yen grew up in a family business and ran an education franchise with her husband in Malaysia back in the 2000s. She then ventured into academia to pass on her business experiences to university students. This later motivated her into developing a research passion for entrepreneurship, particularly the family business. Her research outputs cover many areas within the entrepreneurship and family business discipline including the following: influence of socioemotional wealth in the family business, empowerment process and social network dynamics of women entrepreneurs and environmental practices of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Prof Markus Pillmayer is a Professor of Destination Management and Destination Development at the Department of Tourism at the Munich University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on spatial development which he has explored in several contexts including citizen participation, health, and sustainability. In the context of his PhD — funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) — he dealt with the internationalisation processes of the tourism industry in the Arab World. He can draw on many years of experience in the international tourism industry and tourism policy, which also benefits him in the context of his scientific activities. In addition, he is a fellow of various scientific associations such as International Geographic Union (IGU) and the German Association for Tourism Research (DGT), and in the latter he serves on the board.

Dr Ivona Ravlikj is a Lecturer in entrepreneurship and innovation for the UniLink business diploma and convenor of Critical thinking for Master qualifying students at Swinburne College. She is also involved in Higher Education teaching delivery in entrepreneurship, management and business innovation. Ivona holds a PhD in intrapreneurship from Swinburne University and is actively involved in research projects. Her research interests are in the area of women entrepreneurs and sustainability; gender identity in entrepreneurship; intrapreneurship and knowledge intensity; as well as the development of students’ networking and employability skills. As part of her research engagement, Ivona is involved in a new unit development at Swinburne College that aims to advance the student’s skills in networking and career development.

About the Contributors xv

Mark O’Sullivan was born and raised in Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland. Mark is the oldest of five children. Mark played Gaelic Football, Soccer, Basketball and Athletics. Mark completed a City & Guilds in Electronic Engineering and Mark’s first Circular Economy role began in Dell Computers in 1994. This would form a very strong foundation in Returns Management. In this period, European Service & Logistics, Dell’s EMEA Service centre was based in Limerick, Ireland. Mark started as a line operator and moved to ESL after a couple of months. In the years that followed, Mark would move into various roles in ESL, eventually running the operation until he took VSP (Voluntary Separation Programme) from Dell. In September 2000, Mark would finish service with a 3-month notice period. Mark and Teresa (his now wife) took 6 months off and travelled the world, visiting Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. In 2001, Mark would take the first step towards self-employment and started working at Aaron PCB. In this same period Mark was brought into several large-scale product re-calls and it was in this period Mark started to create the first iteration of what would become IQUTECH. During these years, Mark first met with John Kennedy and his father Jack Kennedy, and they worked together on several projects. In 2009, John and Mark started working together eventually merging their two businesses to form IQUTECH. Since then, John’s wife Kay, three of their sons and two of Mark’s daughters have started working in IQUTECH.

Foreword From Professor Walter Leal Filho

Prof. Walter Leal Filho (PhD, DSc, DPhil, DTech, DEd) Chair, Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015 provide a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

They also entail elements of importance towards a strategic business engagement with sustainability issues. These offer a framework which provides businesses with a systematic approach to identify new business opportunities while contributing to the solution of the grand sustainability challenges facing the world today, including climate change. Each SDG, if achieved, will have a direct and significant positive impact on millions of people’s lives around the world and the environment in which they live. Businesses have an opportunity to widen the purpose of business through adopting the SDGs as targets for their operations. Thus, they can make a meaningful contribution to the greater good through achieving their operational objectives.

Family businesses are uniquely placed to contribute to SDGs for many reasons. Firstly, because family business models have longer time perspectives, and this allows the family business to link with the longer term SDG time frame — 2030. Second, family businesses often focus on aspects of business operation which do not have an immediate return on investment such as relationship building with stakeholder groups. Thirdly, family businesses tend to rate the importance of ethics higher than standard businesses and thus align well with the social dimensions of the SDGs. Lastly, family businesses have intergenerational perspectives which is a core principle of sustainability.

This book provides insights into how family business operationalises SDG#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. This book uses a rigorous case study approach for family businesses to detail aspects of their business which help to advocate for sustainable cities and communities. The cases provided here are living proof that the family business that operate for the greater good actually work! Non-family businesses can take a leaf out of the family businesses portrayed in this book as they can provide different perspectives on how businesses can successfully align SDGs and business strategy.

xviii Foreword From Professor Walter Leal Filho

Despite many businesses having adopted environmental social governance strategies and environmental management systems, the effect of this activity has not been reflected in a healthier planet. Many ‘state of the environment’ reports indicate that planetary health is decreasing, and planetary boundaries are being crossed or are about to be crossed. While the cause of this decline is not entirely the fault of business, there still needs to be a greater effort to address the decline. The challenge for family businesses is to use their unique characteristics and set ambitious programs of work that make a meaningful contribution to achieving global goals. This book provides insights into how family businesses can achieve such a mission and how non-family businesses can be inspired to do the same.

Acknowledgements

The Editors would like to thank the contributors of this book for providing insights and sharing learnings from their business practice. We acknowledge that writing up cases in the format required considerable time and effort. The quality of the cases presented is testament to their efforts.

The Editors would also like to thank Emerald Publishing for supporting the publication of this book and the mission for deeper sustainability through utilising the SDGs.

The author of Germany: Dinzler, would like to thank Jan Czerny, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), for his time, support and valuable insights into the DINZLER Kaffeerosterei AG. In addition, they would like to thank their student assistant Patrizia Pluskota (Bachelor Tourism Management), who gave them extraordinary support in the preparation of this case study and thus also contributed the students’ perspective.

The authors of USA: Wolf Connections and Inclusive, Safe Spaces for All would like to take this opportunity to thank Ree Merrill, Director of Development at Wolf Connections for her generous help in working with them on the case study. Also, the authors would like to thank Ali Davenport who is a journalism and creative and cultural industries student at Chapman University and Sophia Mall who is a psychology and creative and cultural industries student at Chapman University, who assisted with gathering research for the case.

Chapter 1

The Sustainable Development Goals — SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all member states of the United Nations in 2015, is a shared blueprint for people and the planet, with the aim to achieve peace and prosperity for all. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a call to action, to develop innovative solutions to some of the world’s most complex, societal and environmental challenges. Businesses play a crucial role in forging this path, and since family businesses account for more than two-thirds of businesses worldwide and contribute to 70%-90% of the world’s GDP, we believe it is important to showcase the role they play in facilitating the achievement of these SDGs.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a call to action for all countries to address the global challenges of poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. These challenges are identified by 17 SDGs as depicted in Fig. 1, and within the SDGs are a total of 169 targets. These 17 SDGs acknowledge that ending poverty and other global challenges need strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality and spur economic growth — all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests (United Nations, 2021).

This book makes an important contribution to research on family businesses by highlighting how businesses can make valuable contributions towards sustainable development. There are several streams of research emerging in the literature on family business and sustainability that are relevant to this book. Ferreira et al. (2021) identify four streams of research in family business and sustainability: family business capital, family business strategy, family business social responsibility and

Attaining the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of Sustainable Cities and Communities, 1—9 Copyright © 2024 Rob Hales and Naomi Birdthistle.

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. These works are published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of these works (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/flegalcode. doi:10.1108/978-1-80455-836-220231001

GOOD HEALTH QUALITY CLEAN WATER AND WELL-BEING AND SANITATION jy

DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH ai

Fig. 1. 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Source: United Nations (2021).!

family business succession. The case study approach of this book provides insights into how SDGs can be used to advance the family business’s sustainability strategy and social responsibility. How a family’s trans-generational sustainability intentions positively influence the strategy of the business and the family’s concern for its reputation has been identified as a driver of sustainability in family businesses. Additionally, family businesses routinely combine innovation and tradition to achieve and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many family businesses have shown to be more resilient and operate more sustainably than standard businesses (such as the shareholder approach). The reason for this lies in family businesses generally taking a long-term perspective on stakeholder relationships and the real need for long-term continuity planning to sustain the people within their businesses. The people in their business are most likely to be family members. However, like all businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed financial pressures on family businesses. One needs to ask the question: How then can family businesses extend their capacity to operate more sustainably and with more social impact during times of business stress? Well, family businesses can offer unique insights into how sustainability and social impact can be part of the regenerative response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea for the book came from two observations. The first observation was that family businesses that had sustainability at their core were performing well despite the impacts of the pandemic. The second observation was that the SDGs were being used as a framework for regeneration after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

'The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or member states.

The Sustainable Development Goals 3

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has presented challenges to those working towards achieving the goals. The social and economic impacts of COVID-19 are predicted to increase the divide between people living in rich and poor countries (UNEP, 2020). However, if there can be concerted action using the blueprint of the SDGs, then human development can exceed pre-COVID development trajectories (UNEP, 2021). What is needed is a combination of political commitment from all levels of government, investment in green economy initiatives, socially oriented innovation and a (re)focus on the purpose of business to align with SDGs.

Book Series Focus — SDG#11

This book focuses on SDG number 11 (SDG#11), which focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The main targets within SDG#11 are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. SDG#11 Targets.

Target By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable 11.1 housing and basic services and upgrade slums

Target By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and 11.2 sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons

Target By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and

11.3 capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

Target Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural

11.4 and natural heritage

Target By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the

11.5 number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations

Target By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of

11.6 cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

Target By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and

11.7 accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities

Target Support positive economic, social and environmental links

ll.a between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning

Target By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human

11.b settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and

adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels Target Support least developed countries, including through financial ll.c and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

Source: United Nations (n.d.).

Government and private enterprises have different realms of actions within their mission of making significant contributions to SDG#11. Private enterprise is primarily interested in providing transportation, housing and waste management services, while governments focus on addressing governing risk through planning, reducing pollution and the greening of public spaces (Asiamah & Sedegah, 2022). For private enterprises, the targets and indicators listed in Table | can be translated to business activity through the strategic alignment of the goals and actions of a particular business. The targets and indicators align with many sustainability-oriented initiatives and strategies in business. Some of the areas of focus include:

1. Focusing on implementing sustainable practices that have a wide impact in the places where a business operates: Businesses can reduce their environmental impact by adopting sustainable practices such as using renewable energy sources, minimising waste and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Investing in sustainable infrastructure: Businesses can invest in sustainable infrastructure such as public transport, green buildings and renewable energy to promote sustainable urbanisation.

3. Constructing sustainable infrastructure: When companies are part of infrastructure development, they can align their operation and outcomes with sustainability principles and SDG targets.

4. Collaborating with local communities to advance the SDG targets: Companies can work with local communities to understand their needs and develop solutions that meet their needs while promoting sustainability.

5. Support policy development: Businesses can support policy development and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting sustainable urbanisation and reducing environmental degradation.

The Sustainable Development Goals 5

6. Businesses focusing on risk reduction: Decreasing the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of climate change and other natural disasters means businesses can assist in risk reduction and resilience building.

7. Reporting on SDG#11 and sustainability to assist sustainable communities: Companies can report on their sustainability efforts, including their progress towards achieving SDG#11, to increase transparency and accountability.

The above list provides a framework for how family businesses can focus and potentially repurpose strategies to achieve sustainability actions that align with the SDGs. Progressive family businesses that have a focus on sustainability and social responsibility are likely to already be focusing on such priorities but may not realise they contribute to a country’s SDG targets and in particular SDG#11.

Challenges facing businesses in the achievement of SDG#11 are many. Firstly, the rapid growth of cities is a major challenge for businesses making a significant contribution towards SDG#11. The growth of cities places significant pressure on essential services such as housing, water and sanitation. Business efforts to decrease these impacts can seem negligible when compared to the growing pressure and consequent overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure and environmental degradation. Not only is there a material issue in that gains made towards SDG#11 seem insurmountable, but there is also the issue of measurement. SDG#11 is a particularly difficult goal to measure through its somewhat nonspecific targets (Berisha et al., 2022).

Secondly, significant challenges are presented by climate change. The effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events and heatwaves, can have a significant impact on cities and human settlements. Businesses that align with the target of SDG#11 need to implement strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as building risk-informed — resilient infrastructure (Sharma & Soederberg, 2020).

Third, financing the infrastructure aligned with SDG#11 requires a significant focus on the materiality of benefits and the minimisation of negative impacts. This can be challenging for many countries that face development issues, and thus businesses within these countries are either not regulated to direct SDG outcomes or do not have the resources to voluntarily commit to SDGs and their outcomes. Mobilising adequate resources to support sustainable development is crucial to achieving SDG#11 (Zhan & Santos-Paulino, 2021).

Implementing SDG#11 requires a coordinated effort from governments, civil society and the private sector. Addressing these challenges will require innovative solutions and sustained commitment to promoting sustainable development.

The Book Chapters

The book series aims to contribute positively to providing evidence of the role of family businesses in effectively contributing to all SDGs. The case studies on a family business display support and embody the principles of an SDG in their operations, culture and/or business philosophy. The book is 1 of 17 vignette book series in which each book is comprised of a set of short, easy-to-read family business cases related to the unique SDG being discussed in the book. The format of the book series allows the works to be accessible to those working in the field beyond academia, such as family business practitioners, family business owners, family business advisors, government and business policymakers, members of NGOs, business associations and philanthropic centres, as well as to those who have a general interest in entrepreneurship and business.

The chapters in this book focus on businesses that have prioritised SDG#11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Five businesses have been profiled in the book, and the first case profiles the company IQUTECH. It is Ireland’s largest Returns Management Company. IQUTECH isa carbon-negative company that has grown to become one of Europe’s leading Returns Management Consultancies providing solutions to Tier 1 manufacturing companies in sectors such as telecoms, consumer electronics, automotive and power. IQUTECH is a Circular Economy Enabler — by repairing and refurbishing returned electrical products and expanding their lifecycle on the market. IQUTECH has never set out to become a Circular Economy Enabler; the company has been only aiming to get the most out of all the materials that they were receiving. The family business doesn’t label its business as an SDG-oriented business as it claims to have been doing sustainability for over 30 years. They are embarking on a process of measuring and publicly reporting on the SDG-aligned work. Having said this, IQUTECH has measured its impact and has managed to prevent approximately 240,000 electronic products from ending up in landfill or being left at customers’ homes (IQUTECH, 2023). This is aligned with SDG#1 1.6.1 where IQUTECH contributes to reducing the amount of municipal solid waste collected through the repair of the products it receives. IQUTECH has future programs such as “Take Back Schemes’ and ‘Food Banks’ which have the purpose of giving products an alternative end use. The family business sees a bright future in ‘urban mining’, and they believe this will be a significant growth area and a vital element of future sustainability.

DINZLER Kaffeerosterei AG is a Bavarian family business with its headquarters in Irschenberg (located south of Munich). DINZLER Kaffeerdsterei AG specialises in the roasting and distribution of premium coffee and tea and the distribution of high-quality coffee machines. DINZLER Kaffeerosterei AG is integrated into village structures in the Bavarian foothills of the Alps, and thus the SDG goals and their implications for entrepreneurial activities within these communities are also highly relevant. Some operational highlights of SDG#11 include returnable food packaging developed for major customers. Products are delivered in food-safe reusable containers that can be used many times and meet all hygienic standards through cleaning after each use. Another example includes the climate-neutral operation of coffee roasting in which an important part of this activity includes purchasing maximum-efficiency roasters that enable significant energy savings compared to the previous models by optimising the burner settings. DINZLER Kaffeerosterei AG is also conscious of its potential pollution in local communities and thus has implemented strict controls on production. These actions stem from a mission and business purpose which prioritises people and place. The coffee roasting business attaches great importance to ensuring that both guests and employees feel comfortable. This also includes a responsible approach to the surrounding nature.

The next chapter profiles a family business called Wolf Connection, which is a wolf sanctuary located on the outskirts of Acton, California, a rural town nestled

The Sustainable Development Goals 7 in the Angeles National Forest. Wolf Connection is an exemplary model of the UN’s SDG#11, offering a sustained and long-term commitment to a number of the key aspects, notably SDG#11.a, which aims to provide a ‘positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas’; SDG#11.4 which is to ‘strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage’; and SDG#11.7 which is to ‘provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities’. The wolf sanctuary offers a range of diverse programs centred on different sections of the community, engaging with strategies for mental well-being and recovery. For example, there are therapy programs for at-risk youths and social integration and empowerment programs for women. The family business aligns with SDG#11 indicators 11.4.1 Protecting cultural heritage, SDG indicators 11.7.1 Open spaces in cities, and SDG indicators 11.7.1 Safe spaces in cities.