In total, 70% of companies do not have the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) high on their agendas. This is quite remarkable, given that all companies will be required to report on their sustainability goals starting from 2025. Are the SDGs too complex, too ambitious and too far removed from the actual issues at hand? Do your SME’s own actions seem like merely a drop in the ocean? And what role does IT play in setting and achieving various sustainability goals? This is the focus of the first Ctalk of 2023.
The UN SDGs aim to end problems such as injustice, inequality, climate change and extreme poverty. These major goals often prove very difficult to achieve in practice. Bob van Dal has also noticed this. He is the founder and owner of Bosus, an organisation that helps companies to achieve their sustainability goals. “In the beginning, companies didn’t know what they could do, specifically, to improve their sustainability. As a result, there was no urgency involved. However, this is now starting to improve.”
Setting clear goals
This urgency is also much needed in view of the reporting obligation in 2025. What, then, is the best way for companies to approach sustainability? “First, your company needs to look at what it is already doing in terms of sustainability. From there, you can focus on other aspects of the organisation and define a clear sustainability goal,” states Van Dal, who understands that the sheer size of the sustainability goals can be a real challenge for small companies. “While the goals may seem impossible to smaller companies, they, too, can focus on sustainability and have an impact. They can also look at the sustainability approaches taken by large companies and potentially align their own efforts.”
Have the greatest impact by making changes to your supply chain
Beter Bed is an excellent example of the above approach in practice. This furniture company has focused on sustainability since 2020. “We’ve been able to take major steps regarding sustainability in our business processes,” states Jaap Westland, Director Innovation and Sustainability at Beter Bed. “Changing our supply chain has had the biggest impact. Our code of conduct sets out our sustainability commitments. For example, it specifies who can work for our suppliers and how they are treated. It is very important that the entire chain pulls together to make things happen.”
Sustainability as a permanent part of the business
Gerben Moerland, the founder of Oliver IT, has realised that IT plays a major part in achieving sustainability goals. “By optimising your processes and making them smarter, you often contribute to the sustainability goals at the same time,” he explains. “Making improvements to transport planning is a good example of this: you can opt for the most carbon-efficient route rather than the shortest one.” Ultimately, the idea is that companies see sustainability not just as a ‘nice to have’, but as a permanent part of their business management. “One doesn’t have to exclude the other,” states Westland. “Sustainable transport planning, for instance, reduces your fuel costs as well as your carbon emissions. In other words, you need to strongly consider the benefits for your organisation as well.”
IT is an indispensable link
Achieving these kinds of benefits always starts with a solid IT foundation. This is essential for collecting, processing and interpreting all the necessary data. This naturally includes data from external parties, such as suppliers. Moerland: “Integration is extremely important here, because the processes need to be implemented across different organisations and companies. The first step is to look at how these processes work. You don’t just want to automate things for the sake of it. You need to know in advance what exactly you want to automate in the chain and why.”
A solid data process creates new opportunities
When the full procedure for data processing and data exchange is in place, new opportunities will arise for companies and organisations. Beter Bed is already thinking about this. “We are working to extend the lifespan of our products,” states Westland. “For example, the lifespan of a pocket sprung mattress is twenty years, while a topper lasts ten to twelve years. In that case, we have developed a product that lasts longer and is easier to recycle. The consumer only has to buy a new topper.”
Not becoming mired in reporting obligations
Now that companies and organisations will be required to report on the 17 SDGs, they can no longer escape the topic of sustainability. However, the people we spoke to feel there is no need to become mired in these reporting obligations. Westland sums it up nicely: “Your performance on the sustainability ladder will be far more important, and most of the work will go into changing your organisation.”
