JU students shine on the sustainability list

For the second year in a row, two former students from Jönköping University are listed as sustainability talents. Each year, the magazine “Aktuell hållbarhet” lists 33 people in Sweden, all 33 years or younger, who have made a mark in the field of sustainability. The list includes, among other things, programmers, politicians, community planners and entrepreneurs.

Melker Larsson is an inspiration for a sustainable future

One of the talents is Melker Larsson, 24 years old, former student at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) at Jönköping University with a degree from the Sustainable Enterprise Development .

“The education influenced me a lot, especially in my way of thinking. I feel that the subjects that the programme covered opened up new conversations and perspectives that I did not have access to before,” says Melker Larsson.

Melker is co-founder of The Decade AB, together with Jonathan Angel he explores holistic sustainability. They run a podcast where they want to inspire others to make more sustainable decisions for a better future where experts and practitioners get to participate. Their studies at JIBS truly inspired the idea to work with holistic sustainability.

“When we started the podcast, our focus was therefore to try to explore how different perspectives on sustainability are connected, for example our personal consciousness and how well we can cope with climate change,” he continues.

Book release in 2023

Melker also works as a Sustainability Consultant at the Sustainability Team in Jönköping. They work to develop organizations’ sustainability work towards a vision within the Doughnut Economy, a business model that measures the economy's capacity in relation to how people's needs are met without exceeding the earth's resources.

In 2023, Melker is co-authoring a forthcoming book on regenerative entrepreneurship. The book wants to inspire and prepare future entrepreneurs so that the transition to a sustainable society goes faster.

Niklas Carlborg is passionate about sustainability

Niklas Carlborg, 31 years old, is also on the list of sustainability talents. He previously studied at the School of Engineering (JTH) at Jönköping University and has an engineering degree in Building Technology with a specialization in Building Design with Architecture.

“The programme has been a good springboard for me, I’ve been able to immerse myself in sustainability in the construction and property industry in my professional life,” says Niklas Carlborg.

Today he works as a project manager, planning manager and sustainability manager at the technology consulting company Sweco. This means, among other things, that he is involved in various competence-enhancing projects internally within sustainability.

The climate footprint is decisive for decisions

Niklas has a great commitment and wants future generations to have the same conditions as we have. Therefore, every new project starts with the question "How can we make this project more sustainable?". Thus, the climate footprint will become a decisive parameter for all decisions in a project.

When asked how it feels to be on this year's list, he replies that it is great fun.

“It is energizing to hear that the work you put in is appreciated and seen by many. It is important to continue fighting for a sustainable future,” concludes Niklas Carlborg.