Sustainability: From nice-to-have to mandatory program - why companies have to act now
CO2 footprint: An online event beats a face-to-face event
At the CCS Controlling Competence Spaces in November 2022, Altan Günsoy from Global Climate clearly showed the participants why it is worth holding events online instead of in person by calculating the CO2 footprint of the ICV autumn conference. According to his calculations, an event like CCS is clearly superior to a comparable face-to-face event in terms of its carbon footprint. The online event puts around 1,700 kg of CO2 on the ecological scale. For comparison: If the Controlling Competence had not taken place in the Spaces but in person, the result would have been ten times as high at around 17,000 kg. While the CCS in the online format only has an impact in the areas of server, streaming and participant emissions, in case of a face-to-face events, travel to and from the event, hotel accommodation, catering, logistics and printed matter are of particular importance.
In 2022, the ICV invited to the CCS for the 20th time. For the last three years, however, the autumn conference has no longer been held in Stuttgart, but exclusively in the Metaverse. Virtual, augmented and physical realities are combined in this digital space, and all participants are on site as avatars. The Controlling Competence Spaces has thus developed into a pioneering model in the field of online specialist events. The organizers are happy to answer questions from other organizers on a regular basis, also when it comes to sustainability in the event sector.
Altan Günsoy is the founder and CEO of Global Climate GmbH, a service provider for CO2 balancing based in Grünwald near Munich. After studying law and business administration, he worked in tax consulting and auditing companies. In 2010 he founded ReweCon GmbH Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, which now has four branches. Global Climate GmbH was founded in 2019. Among other things, he is engaged in the publishing house NWB with a focus on tax and business law as well as accounting in the newly founded NWB Sustainability Advisory Board. In 2021 he received the B.A.U.M. | Environment and Sustainability Award in the "Digitization" category for the financial data-based CO2 accounting and controlling system of Global Climate GmbH.
10 reasons why sustainability is not a chore, but a free choice
1. Customers expect companies to be more sustainable
The market research institute Rothmund Insights published the study "Focus on Sustainability" in 2021. This examined the motives, behavior and desires of consumers on the subject of sustainability and sustainable products. Conclusion: "The vast majority of consumers (89%) would like companies to operate in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly manner in the future. At the same time, the number of consumers who are willing to forego a bit of comfort in favor of a more sustainable life and if necessary to pay a little more for sustainable offers is increasing. Currently, this target group of "active sustainability-conscious" already accounts for 42 percent of all consumers in Germany - and the trend is rising. The corona crisis has further intensified this development. For companies, this results in numerous new potentials; at the same time new requirements for product development and communication".
2. Customers accept price increases
Sustainable management and the associated price increases are accepted by customers and other stakeholders. Prerequisite: Companies must demonstrate transparently and clearly that careful use of resources, environmental protection and fair working conditions are guaranteed.
3. Trust and credibility strengthen customer loyalty
The promise of sustainability and everything that goes with it can be redeemed by companies, because sustainability can be proven through certificates and documented in figures. If the evidence is provided regularly and without being asked, this strengthens the credibility of a company. With the basis of trust created in this way, customer loyalty is also increased.
4. Sustainable action is a corporate benefit
Commitment to sustainability is a suitable marketing tool. Those who act beyond the legal requirements can peddle them: those who clearly commit themselves to recognized values and also live them can count on a bonus in the recognition. Especially for companies and industries that have led a shadowy existence or had to struggle with a bad image, proven ambition in sustainability can provide many bonus points in the favor of stakeholders. But beware: Sustainability is a philosophy that must be lived holistically. Superficial, superficial "greenwashing" for marketing purposes is increasingly seen through and can ensure that credibility is irrevocably lost.
5. Save resources, reduce costs!
Sustainable actions extend across all processes and services of a company. Changing the electricity provider alone is not enough. Everything that is used and consumed in the company has to be put to the test - from energy to paper to company cars. That's laborious. In the end, however, there is usually a clear realization: the conscious use of resources reduces costs and at least to the same extent increases the good conscience of having made an important contribution to achieving the climate goals.
6. Solidarity instead of egoism makes people likeable
Sustainability is already no longer a nice-to-have option, but an unavoidable obligation that is already enshrined in law in many areas. However, companies that are consistently strong in the area of sustainability show, far from this obligation, that they have understood the signs of the times and are proactively committed to the well-being of future generations - instead of focusing exclusively on economic growth with a view to shareholder value. The company is revalued and gains favor with (share) buyers.
7. Sustainability avoids vulnerability
In times of digitization, behavior that is harmful to the environment cannot be kept secret for long. Companies that support or condone poor production, transport or working conditions must expect that this will be known to all sections of the population very quickly and will be punished immediately. Anyone who would rather avoid an uncatchable shitstorm than fight it out is therefore advised to make sustainability - and this also includes dealing with their own employees worldwide - a top priority.
8. Stakeholders become brand ambassadors
If ethical correctness and resource-saving handling are anchored in a corporate philosophy and lived in practice, then stakeholders increasingly become brand ambassadors who pass on the good feeling in dealing with the company. In times when sustainable commitment has not yet penetrated all companies, a lead in this area can also be a competitive advantage.
9. Attract employees and retain them in the long term
Qualified specialists and executives are rare. Younger employees in particular appreciate an employer who consistently acts in a sustainable manner and is committed to the conscious use of resources and values. Instead of big company cars and even bigger bonus payments, young people in business life are increasingly looking for a good work-life balance and exemplary behavior from their employer: the good feeling of working together as equals and ecologically and socially correct structures can be unbeatable advantages in the competition for talent.
10. Acting with foresight today avoids expensive repairs tomorrow
The legislature is tightening the thumbscrews. Sustainable management and proof of this is becoming increasingly mandatory. The requirements are increasing on many levels, also with regard to the specifications, for example in the area of emissions. Anyone who is already one step ahead of the current specifications saves themselves the need for short-term, often complex and therefore expensive retrofitting.
Topic of the year: Sustainability. Overview of all pages
Here you can download the study "Focus on sustainability" (in German)
Source of the picture: SDGs: Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen eV https://dgvn.de/