by Ana Pašiček
•
11 June 2026
Sustainability is no longer a topic reserved solely for ESG departments or strategic documents. Increasingly, it is becoming a matter of mindset, decision-making, and an organization’s ability to respond to complex market, societal, and technological changes over the long term. This is precisely the foundation of the SDG Innovation Accelerator, a United Nations Global Compact programme through which companies strengthen their internal capabilities for more sustainable business practices, while participants develop new approaches to innovation, collaboration, and leadership within their organizations. A key role in supporting participants throughout the programme is played by Marija Mažić, facilitator of the SDG Innovation Accelerator implemented in Croatia by Global Compact Network Croatia and an expert in resilience . Her role is to guide the process, encourage the exchange of ideas, and create an environment in which participants can develop sustainable business solutions while also cultivating new approaches to leadership, collaboration, and innovation. According to Mažić, one of the programme’s greatest strengths lies in the way it is designed. “The entire process is highly interactive and, from the very beginning, requires participants to actively engage through dialogue, questioning, testing ideas, and working on real-world challenges.” She adds that the Accelerator succeeds in maintaining two important elements at the same time: an honest recognition of the challenges organizations face today and a belief that meaningful change within the business sector is possible. In this context, the UN Global Compact provides organizations with a structure, a community, and a practical framework through which sustainability can be translated into real business decisions and tangible change.