Sustainability - November 2023

November 2023 sustainabilitymag.com

Diversity Leaders Tech Mahindra: Using AI to fast-track climate goals relations

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IMPACT BEGINS WITH A SUSTAINABLE MINDSET Eirini Etoimou showcases how Sellafield operationalises sustainability moving from the ambition to action and to long-term results CENTRAL CO-OP

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IXAFRICA

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The Sustainability Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

TOM SWALLOW EDITOR

CHARLIE KING CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER

SCOTT BIRCH

HEAD OF DESIGN

ANDY WOOLLACOTT LEAD DESIGNER

SAM HUBBARD SENIOR DESIGNERS

SAM HUBBARD REBEKAH BIRLESON

FEATURE DESIGNERS

JULIA WAINWRIGHT VICTORIA CASEY EMMA WALLER ADVERT DESIGNERS

PRODUCTION DIRECTORS

GEORGIA ALLEN DANIELA KIANICKOVÁ

PRODUCTION MANAGERS

CALLUM HOOD DANILO CARDOSO ADRIAN SERBAN

JANE ARNETA MARIA GONZALEZ YEVHENIIA SUBBOTINA KENDRA LAU

VIDEO PRODUCTION MANAGER

MARKETING MANAGER

KIERAN WAITE

DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCERS

ERNEST DE NEVE THOMAS EASTERFORD DREW HARDMAN SALLY MOUSTAFA

INDIA BERRY

SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER

LAUREN HAYES

PROJECT DIRECTOR

JONATHAN MOORE

MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR

CHARLIE MCGILL

MANAGING DIRECTOR

LEWIS VAUGHAN CEO

GLEN WHITE

FOREWORD

ESG – CAN WE TRULY MAKE IT STICK? ESG—can we truly achieve it? What exactly does ESG success look like?

While there are a number of standards and frameworks kicking around to help businesses begin facilitating their strategies on paper, there’s no unified definition or approach. It seems as though the can rattles in hope that the world will chip in with its best efforts to generate some kind of positive impact.

In the corporate world, there’s a lot of talk about strategy and collaboration, but ESG is really a global affair. The response to the Russia-Ukraine crisis led to more emphasis on localised energy networks, yes. However, the conflict in Gaza brought stressful news to the world.

Not so far from this distraught longitude will be COP28 with hopes of seeing beyond these tragedies, and paving a way forward for global commerce as a major contributor to the conditions of the future.

ESG transparency is our best hope at measuring impact globally. In the absence of universal measurements, we’ll never know whether humanity can exist on this planet sustainably.

SUSTAINABILITY MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

TOM SWALLOW

tom.swallow@bizclikmedia.com

© 2023 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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CONTENTS UPFRONT

016

022

016 THE SUSTAINABILITY INTERVIEW

Vincent Begon GM, Shell Aviation Lubricants

022 LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

Sir David Attenborough

028 PEOPLE MOVES

028

Incoming executives shaping global sustainability strategy

030 THE MONTH THAT WAS

Daily coverage of global sustainability developments

036

000 8

November 2023

NOVEMBER2023

048

FEATURES

064

036 TOP 10

Diversity leaders

048 SELLAFIELD

Sustainable impact begins with a sustainable mindset

064 ESG

072

Accreditation: Showcase sustainability proficiency and build trust

072 CENTRAL CO - OP

How Central Co-op is creating a sustainable society for all sustainabilitymag.com

9

rd r Bi ffe rly O 95 t Ea ke £2 c Ti 95 £4

6 - 7 M ARCH 2024 QEII CENTRE, LONDON

3,000+ IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL ATTENDEES

60+ INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SPEAKERS

2-DAY NETWORKING, CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION EVENT

Connect with The World’s ESG Leaders

Sean Jones Chief Sustainability Officer

Virginie Helias

Ulrike Sapiro Chief Sustainability Officer

Chief Sustainability Officer

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

BECOME A SPONSOR IN 2024

EXPO • CONFERENECE • WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING

NOVEMBER2023

090

FEATURES 090 DIVERSITY

& INCLUSION

The power of LGBTQIA+ leadership 98 FUJITSU Leading digital transformation in fintech 118 NET ZERO Retrofitting premises protects building heritage sustainably 126 IXAfrica Putting Kenya on the map as a data centre leader

98

142 TECHNOLOGY Tech Mahindra’s Vision: Using AI to fast-track climate goals

142 sustainabilitymag.com

11

The Portfolio

portfolio

o ad WORK WITH US

Powering a transparent green transition with blockchain technology The time to prioritise ESG is now but fears of greenwashing accusations are prevalent.

Blockchain serves as the best chance for companies to create seamless, transparent and green applications,in turn infusing sustainability into our everyday lives.

Let’s unpack this.

Learn More

Blockchain technology is by nature immutable, transparent and verifiable, meaning it has the power to bring trust and authenticity to any sector.

These characteristics are particularly important for ESG initiatives, especially given the prominence of greenwashing, green-hushing and the general lack of credibility and accuracy with regard to ESG impact.

Concordium, a leading sustainabilityfocused blockchain, is supporting a handful of ESG initiatives, demonstrating how blockchain technology can be leveraged to enhance trust in sustainability efforts. Most significantly through a partnership with the Danish national transmission system operator, Energinet, Concordium blockchain is being leveraged to guarantee the credibility of green energy certificates.

Benefiting from Concordium’s transparency and immutability, these certificates enable the reliable tracking and reporting of green energy, in turn allowing companies to trustfully demonstrate how much of their power consumption comes from green energy.

Concordium has partnered with ClimaFi and Aqualibre to bring transparency and accuracy to carbon

markets, which have typically been plagued by greenwashing and inaccurate reporting.

Both projects benefit from Concordium’s transparent and immutable infrastructure by ensuring enterprises accurately report their carbon offset activity and enabling anyone to verify the validity of that data. Furthermore, because all transactions are recorded on Concordium’s blockchain, the provenance and trading of carbon credits can be tracked and traced by anyone.

By combatting greenwashing and green-hushing practices that have enabled companies to mislead consumers and partners, Concordium is removing the opacity from ESG reporting and driving the transition towards a more transparent and greener world.

Through these use cases and many others, Concordium and blockchain technology more broadly stand to lead the green revolution. The time to act is now. Contact our team to see how blockchain can help you live and operate more sustainably.

Contact us

INTERVIEW WITH...

Vincent Begon

SHELL AVIATION LUBRICANTS

GENERAL MANAGER

Bringing a perspective from Shell Aviation Lubricants, Vincent Begon, GM of the company shares its strategy for decarbonising the business with AeroShell

A VINCENT BEGON TITLE: GENERAL MANAGER COMPANY: S HELL AVIATION LUBRICANTS INDUSTRY: AVIATION LOCATION: FRANCE With over 15 years in B2B sales, Vincent Begon fosters risk-taking for value creation, emphasising cross-functional collaboration. He promotes agility and digital innovation for decarbonised solutions. Building effective teams for short- and long-term success, Begon challenges the status quo for competitive results, prioritising HSSE and upholding core business ethics at Shell.

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November 2023

prime example of how small components of a much larger supply chain can have a profound impact on the sustainable outcomes of a business. When we think about aviation, we often transition to talks of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or the up and coming adaptations taking place to enable electric regional flight.

To totally eliminate the impact of the industry is a feat of a generation and the pressure is on to gauge the influence of certain materials, components and substances on the overall success of decarbonisation. Alongside this, there are further environmental aspects: disposal, Scope 3 emissions, and overall wastage.

Nevertheless, Shell is now facing the most significant transformation as it delivers sustainable solutions for its decarbonised transportation offerings.

Vincent Begon, General Manager of Shell Aviation Lubricants delves deeper into this in an exclusive interview about the company’s AeroShell brand.

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INTERVIEW WITH...

“ Shell’s globally diverse, externallyverified, and high-quality, nature based carbon credits will balance the CO2e emissions” Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE AT SHELL?

» I am General Manager of Shell Aviation Lubricants, with responsibility for our AeroShell lubricants brand. I have been part of the Shell Aviation team for eight years now and have a background in B2B sales, with over 15 years of experience in senior commercial roles across various sectors.

Q. WHAT IS SHELL AVIATION’S OVERALL APPROACH TO SUSTAINABILITY?

» In 2022 ICAO adopted an aspirational

goal for the aviation industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The aviation industry will need to use all available solutions and measures to decarbonise – no single solution will be enough on its own. These measures include: reducing fuel consumption through operational efficiencies, scaling the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), developing electric and hydrogenpowered aircraft, and, finally, using carbon credits to offset emissions from travel where there are no other solutions.

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November 2023

In order to help meet these sector goals, we are already investing in and supplying SAF to customers, offering carbon credits and working to improve sustainability of our lubricants portfolio.

We intend to grow our SAF offering, continue to work closely with the industry to assess the development of alternative propulsion technologies, and work with players in the aviation ecosystem to help accelerate the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.

Q. DESCRIBE THE LAUNCH OF SHELL AVIATION’S NEW LIFECYCLE SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH FOR AEROSHELL LUBRICANTS?

» Shell Aviation has introduced a new

lifecycle sustainability approach for its AeroShell aviation lubricants to avoid, reduce and then compensate for lifecycle carbon emissions, helping to support customers in their efforts to meet their sustainability ambitions.

Even though lubricants represent a small proportion of aviation emissions when compared to jet fuel, for the aviation sector to reach net zero it must address emissions from all aspects of aircraft operation. By focusing on each part of the aviation ecosystem, Shell Aviation is playing its part in helping the aviation sector reach net zero by 2050.

Q. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE WORKINGS OF AEROSHELL’S CARBON COMPENSATION?

» Lubricants are challenging to

decarbonise and while steps have been taken to avoid and reduce emissions, the majority of emissions are compensated for through our nature-based solutions programme. sustainabilitymag.com

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INTERVIEW WITH...

“ Lubricants are challenging to decarbonise and while steps have been taken to avoid and reduce emissions”

Shell’s globally diverse, externallyverified, and high-quality, nature based carbon credits will balance the CO2e emissions from the lifecycle of the products in the raw materials, packaging, production, distribution, customer use and product end of life.

While avoid and reduce measures offer the best way to tackle emissions in the long term, until scalable solutions are deployed, offsets have an immediate role to play in helping aviation to reduce its net emissions. Compensating for emissions now, with high-quality carbon credits, is not a choice, but a necessity.

Q. HOW IS SHELL INVESTING TO AVOID AND REDUCE EMISSIONS FOR THE AEROSHELL RANGE?

» Like all other Shell Lubricant’s

businesses, AeroShell will continue 20

November 2023

to work to avoid and reduce carbon emissions by optimising production and product design, embedding circularity into product packaging, improving the energy efficiency of facilities, and using renewable energy to reduce emissions across the supply chain.

Across Shell’s entire global lubricants business, to avoid emissions, we have already increased our use of re-refined base oils and used more recycled content in our product plastic packaging.

We have also taken out over 55 KT of CO2e from our operations, reducing our carbon intensity by 45% since 2016.

Over 50% of the electricity imported to our lube oil blending plants now comes directly from renewable sources through the installation of solar PV panels and green power contracts, or indirectly using renewable energy credits. In addition, we

have optimised our network to reduce road transport by over 1.3 million miles since 2021.

Q. WHAT ARE SHELL’S PLANS TO EXPAND THE PORTFOLIO OF DECARBONISED LUBRICANTS?

» I am particularly proud that the new

lifecycle sustainability approach will be included as standard across the full AeroShell product range, including turbine engine oils (TEOs), piston engine oils (PEOs), greases and fluids, for both the commercial airline and general aviation markets.

While this new AeroShell offering is about addressing emissions today to help make net zero a reality tomorrow, it is also part of our wider efforts to prepare lubricants for the future of aviation.

Alongside our sustainability approach, we

will continue to support our customers by providing high-performance lubes that enable efficient flying, which also contributes to aviation’s decarbonisation.

Q. WHAT ARE THE FUTURE PLANS FOR AEROSHELL?

» We’re working with Original Equipment

Manufacturers (OEMs) and others in the value chain to keep pushing the boundaries of our lubricants. We have projects for aviation lubricants for use in electrified and hydrogen powered aircraft as well as electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs).

More generally, our focus at AeroShell continues to be working hard on being a leading lubricants supplier that is valued by our customers for supporting their performance, and now their sustainability efforts too. sustainabilitymag.com

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LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

SIR

A LIFETIME OF ENVIRONMENTA

DAVID ATTENBO

AL ADVOCACY

Sustainability Magazine celebrates the environmental career spanning eight decades of international treasure Sir David Attenborough

OROUGH

H

eralded as the greatest broadcaster of our time, David Attenborough’s name is synonymous with environmentalism for many.

His career has educated and informed global audiences, highlighting the plight of the natural world to many who would otherwise not have been able to engage with it in such an informative yet emotive way.

In 1945 David Attenborough won a scholarship to study geology and zoology at the prestigious Cambridge University in 1945 and obtained a degree in natural sciences. After his first degree, Attenborough embarked on a career in broadcasting at the BBC, during which time he became known for his environmental broadcasting. He left the BBC in the early 1960s to study

DAVID ATTENBOROUGH TITLE: BROADCASTER, ENVIRONMENTALIST, NATURAL HISTORIAN, AUTHOR, BIOLOGIST INDUSTRY: MEDIA LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM

Credit: Jeremy Selwyn, WPA Pool

David Attenborough began his career at the BBC and has gone one to spend eight decades making some of the most popular, thought-provoking and insightful documentaries and films about the planet, its inhabitants, and humanity’s impact on it.

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LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

“ I’VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT FEW PEOPLE WILL PROTECT THE NATURAL WORLD IF THEY DON’T FIRST LOVE AND UNDERSTAND IT – AND TELEVISION IS A WAY OF HELPING THEM DO SO”

a postgraduate degree in social anthropology at the London School of Economics, however returned as BBC2 Controller before he could complete his studies.

Environmental broadcasting David Attenborough’s ongoing broadcasting career has spanned eight decades. He is widely known for presenting BBC’s Life series, including Life on Earth, The Living Planet, The Private Life of Plants, The Life of Birds, The Life of Mammals, Life in Cold Blood, as well as the Planet Earth series.

His work encourages engagement with the wider global environment for anyone with access to a television, and doesn’t shy away from reality.

Alongside his own broadcasting, the Life on Air documentary made by the BBC 24

November 2023

in 2002 examines the legacy of his first half century of work as part of the series Attenborough in Paradise and Other Personal Voyages. In the same year, a public poll deemed Attenborough to be considered one of the 100 Greatest Britons.

Attenborough is recognised by Guinness World Records as having the longest career as a natural historian and presenter in television, and his broadcasting work has received multiple BAFTAs, Emmys, and other television awards. He was knighted twice, first by Queen Elizabeth II in 1985 and then again by King Charles III in 2022 and, with an incredible 32, has more honorary degrees from British Universities than any other person.

Arguably one of his most prestigious accolades, however, is the Champion of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award for his

WATCH NOW

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Credit: Jeremy Selwyn, WPA Pool

“This is a pullquote.

This is a pullquote. This is a pullquote. This is a pullquote”

LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT

“ THE TRAGEDY OF OUR TIME HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL AROUND US, BARELY NOTICEABLE FROM DAY TO DAY – THE LOSS OF OUR PLANET’S WILD PLACES, ITS BIODIVERSITY” dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration, presented to Attenborough by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2022.

Alongside, through his broadcasting work, Attenborough’s legacy is formed by the species and genera – of which there are at least 20, both living and extinct – that have been named after him.

Wider sustainability work Attenborough’s work outside of broadcasting is both extensive and wide in range. He served as President of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation 1991–1995, and currently sits as President of Butterfly Conservation and President Emeritus of both the Royal Society for Nature Conservation and Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust. He is the VicePresident of The Conservation Volunteers and Fauna and Flora International, and Ember of Earthshot prize Council. The World Land Trust, Friends of Richmond Park and Population Matters see Attenborugh as a Patron, alongside his role as Honorary Patron of the North American Native Plant Society.

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November 2023

He also currently serves on the advisory board of BBC Wildlife magazine and is a Corresponding Member of the Australian Academy of Science.

In 2003 he helped to launch ARKive, a global project to gather together natural history media into a digital library, with a view to prioritise profiles for the 17,000 or so species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The collection was archived in 2019 at over 100,000 images.

Climate change Attenborough is a staunch advocate for actions against climate change, using his documentaries to highlight the effects that global warming is having on the planet around us.

“If we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade,” he says in the 2021 series Climate Change – The Facts, “We could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies.”

In 2021, he was the People’s Advocate at COP26 where he urged world leaders to reduce emissions for the benefit of the planet. “Ultimately the emergency climate comes down to a single number – the concentration of carbon in our atmosphere,” he said in his address. “The changes in that one number is the clearest way to chart our own story, for it defines our relationship with our world.

“We are already in trouble. Today, those who’ve done the least to cause this problem, are being the hardest hit.”

His message is clear, but it is also hopeful: “We must recapture billions of tons of carbon from the air, and fix our sights on keeping one and a half degrees within reach. A new industrial revolution, powered by millions of sustainable innovations, is essential, and is indeed already beginning.”

Credit: Yves Herman, WPA Pool

PEOPLE MOVES

INCOMING EXECUTIVES

SHAPING GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Sustainability Magazine highlights some of newly appointed executives shaping sustainability strategy at some of the world’s largest corporations

ANNETTE STUBE JOB FROM: E XECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY AT STORA ENSO JOB TO: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AT THE LEGO GROUP Annette Stube will bring more than 25 years of experience in sustainability to the LEGO Group when she starts as Chief Sustainability Officer on the 1st of January 2024.

Prior to her role at Swedish-Finnish renewable materials company, Stora Enso, she worked at integrated container logistics company Maersk as Head of Sustainability for over a decade, before which she held senior sustainability roles at Novo Nordisk.

She is currently a member of the Presidency for WWF, Denmark, and has acted as an advisor to the Danish Government on a range of sustainability topics. Annette co-authored Squaring the Sustainability Circle and has been an Adjunct Professor at Copenhagen Business School for the past 10 years.

“ “ IIam amexcited excitedto tojoin join the theLEGO LEGOGroup Groupand and be bepart partof ofthe theteam team helping helpingto tocreate createaa better betterenvironment environment for forthe thebenefit benefitof of future futuregenerations” generations”

ISABEL RICHTER

GEORGE MOUBAYED

JOB FROM: C ORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS LEAD AT MICROSOFT GERMANY

JOB FROM: S ENIOR VP OF THE ENTERPRISE STRATEGY DIVISION AT CATERPILLAR

JOB TO: HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNICATIONS AT THE BMW GROUP In her new role as Head of Sustainability Communications at the BMW Group, Isabel Richter is responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of communications messaging on the subject of sustainability.

MIGUEL VEIGA-PESTANA JOB FROM: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AND HEAD OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS AT RECKITT BENCKISER JOB TO: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AT DRAX GROUP “Drax has the potential to play a significant role in tackling climate change and I welcome the opportunity to join the business at such a critical moment in its journey,” VeigaPestana shares.

“During my career I have focused on building and protecting reputation, purpose and embedding sustainability into core strategy and feel that this closely aligns with Drax’s growth ambitions.”

JOB TO: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AT CATERPILLAR George Moubayed succeeds Chief Sustainability Officer Lou Balmer-Millar, who is retiring on the 31st of December 2023.

JENN-HUI TAN JOB FROM: G LOBAL HEAD OF STEWARDSHIP AND SUSTAINABLE INVESTING AT FIDELITY JOB TO: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AT FIDELITY As Chief Sustainability Officer, Jenn-Hui Tan is responsible for Fidelity’s sustainability approach and is the accountable executive for the firm’s strategy, execution and governance in this area. Since starting the role in August 2023.

NOLLAIG FORREST JOB FROM: G ROUP HEAD OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS JOB TO: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER AT HOLCIM Nollaig Forrest succeeded Magali Anderson as Chief Sustainability Officer at Holcim on the 1st of September 2023.

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THE MONTH THAT WAS

DAILY COVERAGE OF GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENTS Our featured articles from Sustainability Magazine this month cover biopharma emissions reduction, renewable energy companies, sustainability for SMEs and innovative carbon neutrality technologies

SAMSUNG BIOLOGICS’ SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA FOR BIOPHARMA The industries supporting the population with healthcare have their own emissions to account for – the biopharma sector contributes around 5% of global GHGs. So, this raises the question: how can biopharma reduce its environmental impact?

Leading sustainability at Samsung Biologics, Jimin Han outlines the limitations for emissions reduction in biopharma and its supply chain decarbonisation.

READ NOW

TOP 10: RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPANIES IN EUROPE Investments in the energy sector are shifting towards renewables as the world demands less pollutant means of generating electricity.

Recognising some of the most successful businesses in this space, we take a look at the top 10 renewable energy companies based in Europe with significant influence on the future of the global energy landscape.

READ NOW

TOSHIBA’S NEW CENTRE FOR REGENERATIVE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH

SUSTAINABILITY FOR SMES: GLOBANT SHARES INSIGHT SMEs are often left out of global discussions on decarbonisation when they are actually central for the UK and other regions to meet their net-zero goals – Elena Morettini, Global Head of Sustainable Business at Globant, shares how SMEs can overcome challenges and implement effective net-zero strategy.

Toshiba Corporation, a global leader in innovative technologies announced on the 21st of September 2023 the launch of its Regenerative Innovation Centre in Düsseldorf, Germany. As a strategic move by the company, Toshiba cements its commitment to carbon neutrality and circular economy (CN-CE) through this new endeavour.

READ NOW

READ NOW

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CASE STUDY

Driving collaboration across the value chain to tackle Scope 3 Emissions

How is Schneider Electric helping decarbonisation goals by focusing on reducing Scope 3 emissions?

decarbonise to help reduce their suppliers’

Reducing Scope 3 emissions is the new

How easy is decarbonising Scope 3 emissions, and where should you start?

frontier for organisations. According to

emissions, and make greater strides towards our shared decarbonisation goals.

UN Global Compact, Scope 3 emissions account for 70% of total emissions

Only 40% of companies currently report

and are 11 times larger than Scope 1

these emissions (according to CDP), a

for most companies. With no common

result of today’s highly complex and often

standards and less control over

under-resourced supply chains. We’ve

non-operated assets this area is the

learned how to effectively decarbonise our

most complicated to decarbonise.

value chain through our own program, the Zero Carbon Project. By engaging with

We know from experience what it takes

over 1,000 top suppliers, we aim to reduce

to embark on this significant journey.

their operational CO2 emissions by 50%

As one of the world’s most sustainable

by 2025, with a view to having a net-zero

companies, we are also a sustainability

carbon emission supply chain by 2050. In

consultant. That means we’re helping

just the first year of its life, the project saw

customers to strategise, digitise and

a 10% reduction in Scope 3 emissions.

What Schneider Electric solutions are available to help customers and partners measure and manage Scope 3?

with a decarbonisation roadmap and access to a marketplace of solutions providers. One solution is designed for large companies and the other one for SMEs, thus covering the

We’re committed to helping organisations of

whole ecosystem – suppliers are often small

all sizes look beyond the four walls of their

and medium-sized companies and do not have

company and work across the entire supply

sufficient in-house resources and expertise to

chain, exploring new business models, new

monitor emissions and decarbonise effectively.

forms of collaboration, and new technologies.

Since 2018 we have helped customers save When it comes to data, if you can’t see it, you

and avoid 440 million tons of CO2 emissions,

can’t track it. That’s why visibility through

with more than 90 million tons in 2022 alone

digital tools is so vital. For larger companies,

(and with a target of 800 million tons by

best-in-class platform Resource Advisor helps

2025). The urgency of Scope 3 decarbonisation

CSOs and all those engaged in sustainability

is the chance for companies to take the reins,

across the business to track emissions data

with a trusted advisor by their side, and help

against key metrics. For the small and medium-

their networks do the same.

sized companies, our new Zeigo Activate software is a self-service model that not only measures emissions but also provides users

Learn more ›

COMING SOON

AWARDS 2024 The Global Sustainability Awards 2024 will be celebrating the very best in Sustainability & ESG with the following categories: Sustainability Strategy Award – ESG Program Award – Climate Change Award – Diversity & Inclusion Award – Net Zero Award – Sustainable Supply Chain Award – Sustainable Technology Award – Sustainable Consultancy Award – Future Leader Award – Executive of the Year Award – Project of the Year Award – Lifetime Achievement Award

GET INVOLVED

SPONSORSHIPS

TOP 10

DIVERSITY

LEADERS

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November 2023

TOP 10

Sustainability Magazine celebrates the top 10 executives making strides towards better diversity, equity and inclusion within their businesses

A

s diversity, equity and inclusion is becoming increasingly important to businesses, a number of individuals are stepping up to lead the charge and make progressive, lasting change.

Pioneers of DE&I have become catalysts for transformative change, championing equality and belonging across all facets of their businesses. Sustainability Magazine has listed the top 10 diversity leaders who are challenging norms, fostering inclusive cultures and empowering marginalised voices, while striving for a more equitable future where diversity is celebrated, disparities are dismantled and inclusion is the norm.

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TOP 10

09

Julie McKay

Title: Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Wellbeing Officer Company: PwC

10

Sámi Ben-Ali

Title: Head of Diversity Recruiting Programs – EMEA & LATAM Company: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

As an accomplished professional in the fields of DE&I, HR operations, generalist HR functions and recruitment Sámi Ben-Ali brings a wealth of experience to AWS and possesses extensive knowledge of leadership and change management tools and techniques.

Holding both MCIPD and MSc HR qualifications, Sámi’s expertise spans a broad spectrum of HR activities, ranging from strategic business partnering and leadership in the DE&I arena to in-house recruiting and Recruitment Process Outsourcing solutions, as well as team, location, and regional management.

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November 2023

As Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing Officer and a member of the firm’s Executive Board, Julie McKay is responsible for ensuring PwC is implementing world leading inclusion and wellbeing strategies and supporting clients wishing to benefit from more diverse and inclusive organisations.

With more than 10 years experience in the area of diversity and inclusion, Julie was the Executive Director of UN Women Australia, working to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment globally. More recently, she served as the Gender Advisor to the Chief of the Australian Defence Force.

TOP 10

07

Carrie Adams

Title: Global Head of Inclusion Company: Reckitt

08

Fleur Bothwick OBE

Title: EMEIA Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Company: EY

With 13 years experience in the DE&I space, Fleur Bothwick is well connected and passionate about driving change. At EY, Fleur leads the DE&I strategy for the EMEIA Region, which comprises Europe, Middle East, India and Africa with ninety nine countries and 105,000 people. Her role requires her to develop, drive and embed an integrated diversity strategy across this large multi-disciplined matrix organisation.

Global inclusion, culture and engagement expert Carrie Adams has a proven track record spanning various industries, such as professional services, consultancy, media and law. Her expertise are focused on leading transformational change, encompassing corporate responsibility and sustainability, as well as DE&I and wellbeing and belonging.

Prior to this role, Carrie led an international DE&I team at DLA Piper, the world’s largest law firm, contributing to its recognition as Law Firm of the Year in 2020, partly due to advancements in DE&I.

sustainabilitymag.com

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rd r Bi ffe rly O 95 t Ea ke £2 c Ti 95 £4

6 - 7 M ARCH 2024 QEII CENTRE, LONDON

3,000+ IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL ATTENDEES

60+ INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SPEAKERS

2-DAY NETWORKING, CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION EVENT

Connect with The World’s ESG Leaders

Sean Jones Chief Sustainability Officer

Virginie Helias

Ulrike Sapiro Chief Sustainability Officer

Chief Sustainability Officer

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

BECOME A SPONSOR IN 2024

EXPO • CONFERENECE • WORKSHOPS • NETWORKING

TOP 10

05

Annie Wu

Title: Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity Company: H&M Group

06

Sophia Leonora Mendelsohn

Title: Chief Sustainability and Commercial Officer and co-GM Company: SAP

Annie Wu approaches Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity with a businessdriven, integrated perspective, assisting executive teams in the design and implementation of operational strategies while prioritising a humancentric ethos. She is dedicated to formulating policies that cultivate a company culture in alignment with the overarching vision and strategies of the organisation.

Annie has therefore become a leader and influencer, believes in creating a secure and transparent space for all.

As the Chief Sustainability and Commercial Officer and co-GM, Sophia Leonora Mendelsohn is applying ESG solutions to tech and systemic thinking, driving profit with executable ESG strategies and creating and executing business models for a resource-constrained world.

Over the course of her career, Mendelsohn has been recognised for her leadership and commitment to corporate citizenship. In 2016, she won the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leadership Award and was named Climate Leader of the Year by Ethical Corporation. sustainabilitymag.com

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Carla Grant Pickens Title: VP HR & Change Agent Company: IBM

As a lifelong advocate for diversity and inclusion, Carla Grant Pickens has strived to build and nurture environments where everyone feels welcomed, included, and supported, with an objective to allow people to thrive.

For IBM, diversity and inclusion have been a pillar of the business’s culture for more than 100 years.

Charged with carrying forward IBM’s rich heritage in advocating for equality, Grant Pickens is honoured to be leading the company’s global efforts to realise an inclusive workforce and culture as its chief diversity and inclusion officer.

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Kate Brandt Title: CSO Company: Google

Kate Brandt serves as Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer and leads sustainability across Google’s worldwide operations, products and supply chains. Through this role, Kate partners with Google’s data centres, real estate, supply chain and product teams to ensure the company is capitalising on opportunities to strategically advance sustainability.

Prior to joining Google, Kate served as the Nation’s first Federal Chief Sustainability Officer. In this capacity, she was responsible for promoting sustainability across Federal Government operations including 360,000 buildings, 650,000 vehicles and US$445bn annually in purchased goods and services.

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Musidora Jorgensen

Title: Chief Sustainability Officer Company: Microsoft

Jorgensen joined Microsoft UK as the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, as the tech giant ramps up action on its commitment to becoming carbonnegative by 2030.

Since, she has been tasked with building upon Microsoft’s global commitments and driving progress and impact in the UK. She will be accountable for driving sustainability outcomes for

Microsoft’s customers, partners as well as internally, Microsoft said in a statement.

Being a mum of three daughters, Musidora is a fierce advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace, with a particular passion for supporting and encouraging more women to join the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) industries.

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Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi Title: CEO Company: Masdar

As the Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi is driving the global clean energy powerhouse active in over 40 countries.

Under his leadership, Masdar has developed into one of largest renewable energy companies in the world, with a combined global project portfolio of over 20GW of clean energy capacity, and ambitions to grow to 100GW – and 1 million tons of annual green hydrogen production – by 2030.

First joining Masdar in 2008, Jameel Al Ramahi held a number of senior leadership positions within the company, spanning Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

In 2016, he was appointed as CEO. Al Ramahi also holds a number of prominent board positions, including Chairman of the Masdar Executive Committee, Vice-Chair of the Global Council on Sustainable Development Goals, and serves on the Board of Directors for Emirates Waste to Energy Company, and Shuaa Energy 2 PSC, the company developing phase 3 of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.

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LOGO

48 November 2023

SELLAFIELD

Sustainable impact begins with a sustainable mindset AD FEATURE WRITTEN BY: TOM SWALLOW

AD FEATURE PRODUCED BY: GLEN WHITE

SELLAFIELD

Eirini Etoimou showcases how Sellafield integrates sustainability moving from the ambition to action and to long-term results

T

here is a misconception that one person can tackle all of the global challenges in an instant.

This is especially true with areas of sustainability.

The imminent threat of centuries of damage to the planet makes sustainability a very passionate subject, but it is not without its challenges. This is why one of the most critical tasks for some of the most impactful organisations is managing expectations of what their businesses can achieve in the eyes of those that work for them – but also those that look from the outside-in.

It is in this sense we can say that the majority still don’t grasp the concept of sustainability whereby one change can cause a chain reaction in a particular direction, albeit related to business or climate, that can alter how the world works. In combining the attributes of the economy and sustainability, we open up a very complex environment, of which all businesses will learn to navigate over the coming years – or so we hope.

Some of the most critical industries, namely supply chain and energy, are undergoing great shifts to first de-risk, then decarbonise, with a number of social implications along the way. Facilitating this monumental transition requires passionate people with the ability to listen, learn, and act upon the challenges that come their way – true advocates of, not just sustainability, but ensuring environmental prosperity, social justice, and effective governance.

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Eirini Etoimou Head of Corporate Sustainability & Supply Chain Development at Sellafield Ltd sustainabilitymag.com 51

“ Not everyone is ‘ready’ to listen or to be part of the sustainability journey, but this should not stop us” EIRINI ETOIMOU

HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AT SELLAFIELD LTD

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Someone with passion and at the same time realism, for sustainability within her sector and beyond, is Eirini Etoimou, Head of Corporate Sustainability & Supply Chain Development and Sourcing at Sellafield Ltd. Etoimou seeks to tackle the challenge at its very core in an industry that is under a watchful eye due to the nature of its nationally important work.

As one of the key centres for nuclear engineering management, Sellafield Ltd is tackling the legacy of the past and building a capability for the future. Having spent over two years with the organisation, heading up supply chain development, strategic SRM, and sustainability practices, Etoimou is well

SELLAFIELD

EIRINI ETOIMOU TITLE: HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AND SOURCING LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM

aware that it is not realistic to make the company more sustainable in a heartbeat, but instead takes a more pragmatic approach to the task – starting with its people.

Winning the hearts and minds of the workforce One of the key points that Etoimou makes is about action. Ambiguity around sustainability and the different definitions make people feeling intimidated or reluctant to contribute or even to find out more.

Now we’ve all heard the cliche phrase ‘we just need to take action’, but Etoimou’s approach to building sustainability into

Eirini Etoimou is the Head of Corporate Sustainability & Supply Chain Development and Sourcing for Sellafield, and the Chair of the Nuclear Forum of the Institute of Collaborative Working.

She holds a MSc in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, MBA in Leadership and Sustainability and speaks four languages.

In addition, she is a visitor lecturer on sustainability and global sustainable supply chains.

Eirini participates as a keynote speaker at UK and international conferences. Additionally, she is an author of academic papers and a contributor to business editions, focusing on sustainability, supply chains, procurement, leadership, business strategy.

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SELLAFIELD

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Sellafield Ltd is to transform sustainability from being opaque and complex, to easy, accessible and meaningful for all Sellafield’s people and its partners.

There is a realistic approach here, as Etoimou shares: “not everyone is ‘ready’ to listen or to be part of the sustainability journey; but this should not stop us. We can always focus on the ones that want and are ready. We can identify these areas that can deliver quick wins in order to attract some positive attention and gain more advocates, but we should not fall into the trap of ‘short-termism’.

There are quick wins, but sustainability is equal to the bigger picture and longterm. It is important to pass this message to everyone in the business that would expect immediate results.

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“Considering the nature of our business, and taking a holistic approach, we identified four key focal areas, the interconnectivity of which will allow us to move from ambition to action and to long-lasting results. These areas are aligned supply chains, positive environmental impact, innovative solutions, and motivated people,” says Etoimou.

It is not just about working with advocates but ensuring that their missions align with those of the business because, as Etoimou points out, there are some individuals with a passion in sustainability that can work against the effort to strategically move in the right direction.

“For me pushing back sustainability is equally a problem with the obsessive passion,” says Etoimou. She continues: “In the sustainability journey, we need to work

Use more image captions as often as possible

together. Everyone may have an idea or a thought, but quick, opportunistic raids, won’t help anyone. Sustainability requires structure and focus. Everyone should be clear of the plan, their role; have an idea, have a thought, but share, be aligned, build up on this structure.

This is the reason why I keep avoiding the phrase ‘sustainability strategy’. Instead, I say “I build the strategy for the sustainability integration”. Sustainability is a mindset, and from my perspective, you don’t strategise the mind; work with it, influence it, inspire it”.

“Many years ago, when I realised what sustainability was about, I remember I had a T-Shirt-slogan, ‘I love Sustainability’, approach; back then I thought sustainability was self-explicit, no further details needed.

Obviously, that was a mistake. That was

“ In the sustainability journey, we need to work together.

Everyone may have an idea or a thought, but quick, opportunistic raids won’t help anyone.

Sustainability requires structure and focus” EIRINI ETOIMOU

HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AT SELLAFIELD LTD sustainabilitymag.com

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SELLAFIELD

“ Those who will seriously and strategically integrate sustainability in their businesses, in their projects, they will experience positive financial performance and long-lasting savings” EIRINI ETOIMOU

HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AT SELLAFIELD LTD

when I realised that I had to personalise my message to every individual or team I spoke to about the subject. So, it was and still is my responsibility to find ways to approach and to bring people along.

“I am not saying it is easy. It requires a lot of time and effort to engage with every single person, but there are ways,” says Etoimou.

“Obviously sustainability is not down to one person, therefore some specific actions can achieve some quick wins. Impact requires more advocates, and you can attract people with a different voice or way of communicating to work with others that you may not be able to.

“This could be somebody’s friend or close colleague with a completely different way of approaching that one person or group of people. However, we need to accept that

some, no matter what, simply don’t want to engage. So, let’s focus and work with the ones that are more receptive.”

You could say that Etoimou refers to a pyramid effect here, whereby working with the right mindset towards sustainability creates a pool of individuals that can carry the message to others – creating a ripple effect throughout the organisation. In doing so, not only does this reduce time to impact others but also the extent of which Etoimou must address individual cases of nonadvocacy or even ‘over-advocacy’.

“I am a big believer of the impact the environment has on you as an individual, and we are affected by other people’s behaviours – so we can be influenced,” Etoimou says.

“Even if one person is not, I doubt that person would remain 100% against sustainability. This is where we discuss equal rights, we talk about our children, our parents, and the environment, there is nothing that this person won’t relate to. It is not black and white, and we start with those that understand it and can support what we are doing.”

There is one major factor among the first steps to bringing teams on board. Making sustainability’s impact more measurable and having an equal share in the business plan or corporate KPIs. “Thinking of a CFO as an example, we need to acknowledge that they are right in some respects. The language is different: they discuss Return on Investment (ROI), Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Amortisation (EBITDA), and we discuss waste management, carbon reduction, and social value. The ambiguity on metrics and the numerous and inconsistent approaches to measuring sustainability impact does not help either.

“There is also a ‘short-termism’ effect, which means trying to prove sustainabilitymag.com

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“ From the awareness level and throughout the supplier journey, sustainability will be there. We are taking an end-toend approach with our supply chain” EIRINI ETOIMOU

HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AT SELLAFIELD LTD

that a sustainability activity will have an immediate result, and this is where any evidence remains incomplete, and we lack this evidence of sustainability’s value.”

Embedding Sellafield’s principles into the supply chain There’s a common theme here, which is all about taking action on things that are achievable. In an ideal world, Sellafield Ltd would align its entire workforce to sustainability as a way of living and operating as opposed to a strategy. This was stressed

by Etoimou as a staple part of society and how it functions as more than just a means of achieving the climate netzero emissions goal.

When looking at the supply chain the approach is very much similar, whereby feasible actions can be taken to ensure that new companies tendering for contracts with 58

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SELLAFIELD

Sellafield align with its sustainability goals.

The controllable aspect of this is the criteria, which is how the organisation ensures that suppliers meet the necessary requirements to do business going forward.

“We are taking an end-to-end approach with our supply chain. From the awareness level and throughout the supplier journey, sustainability will be there. Considering the nature of our business, which predominantly relies on our supply chain for our purpose of delivery, it only makes sense to work collaboratively with our partners to support, directly and indirectly our sustainability goals,” says Etoimou.

“We want to ensure that we will achieve our goals, but most importantly, that we will contribute so more of our existing and potential partners can appreciate the importance of embedding sustainability principles in their organisations. It is fundamental to have more role models around us; only in this way we can achieve a greater, positive impact.

“Evidently, there is a direct correlation between meaningful business relationships and exponential impact from sustainability actions. In our case, our social value programme, our Six strategy, combined with our environmental strategy, and the carbon management programme, can only multiply and maximise their impact through collaboration with our supply chain.

This provides both parties with the right visibility and understanding of each other’s priorities and maturity level, allowing sharing of knowledge and expertise to advance progress.”

Etoimou then explains the need to align its principles and actions with those of its partners.

“First of all, it is important and only fair for everyone that would like to work sustainabilitymag.com

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SELLAFIELD

with us to be aware of our expectations and principles in advance. Our ‘supplier journey’, an interactive guidance tool that describes every step of a supplier’s life cycle within Sellafield, includes among other useful information guidance, sustainability and collaborative working principles. We created a new market engagement strategy, introducing the ‘principles alignment’ and as part of the tender process, new, meaningful, sustainability questions,” says Etoimou.

“We are seeking commitment, not perfection, and we ensure that we cover cases of existing contracts as part of our SRM model”, she explains, “this is as well one of the reasons we decided and recently launched an upskilling programme, initially focused on our SMEs, and we are working with our major partners on a joined socioeconomic programme, ensuring alignment and targeted actions with credible results for our communities.

“Having said that, I still believe that despite all of these being in place, and all the interactions with the supply chain and our colleagues, in principle, all of this is necessary, but still reactive. In the procurement world, sustainability should start from the design phase, but even this is the second step for me. The first step where everything starts with sustainability, is the mindset. Only a person, a team, an organisation with a mature sustainability mindset will design or describe a need embedding these principles; then, all the system will need to serve this need as described, without ‘negotiations’ in the process.”

This re-emphasises the need for a sustainability mindset at the beginning of any design process (no matter if it is the design of a product, service or business model) having and aligning to ESG goals in mind – from 60

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“ I am a big believer of the impact the environment has on you as an individual” EIRINI ETOIMOU

HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AT SELLAFIELD LTD

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here we begin to paint a picture of how the different stages look with mindset being the vital first step that educates further processes.

“The person or teams to decide that we need this product, service, building, for example, must have the sustainability mindset in order to begin writing the specification in that way”, Etoimou says, and she continues: “the list is long, but incredibly rewarding: emissions, energy, materials, lifecycle value, impact on the communities, supply chain transparency, among others. It becomes exciting when we look at the numbers. Those who will seriously and strategically integrate sustainability in

their businesses, in their projects, they will experience positive financial performance and long-lasting savings.

“I appreciate that numbers matter, but at the same time, for a successful sustainable transformation, we need to invest in the human capital, as this will support and contribute to our social value, competitive advantage, and reputation.

“We are currently working on a number of environmental and socio-economic areas, such as compliance, data, energy & water, carbon management, travel, transport, natural capital, good health & wellbeing, built environment, engineering and climate sustainabilitymag.com

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“ We are seeking commitment, not perfection” EIRINI ETOIMOU

HEAD OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY & SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AT SELLAFIELD LTD

adaptation among others. But, in parallel, our priority is investment in sustainability integration. For this reason, we built a new engagement plan to make our people feel that everyone has a role, and everything counts. Within this structured approach, focusing on the same goal, everyone will have the opportunity to initiate, influence, and inspire their social or professional circle.”

It is acknowledged as well that sustainability at this stage does not mean the same for every single person. “It is part of our engagement plan to achieve this minimum level of common understanding, the understanding of the ‘so what’, ‘why’ we need to care, and ‘how’ we can care meaningfully,” she explains.

Etoimou aims this strategy for integrating sustainability into Sellafield Ltd that will likely trigger deliverables through collaboration.

Centring sustainability in the heart of every business decision and culture, organisations can look at sustainability as a characteristic of their business rather than an industry or status or buzzword, meaningful actions can be taken to change the way they approach the subject and begin to consider the bigger picture and the long-lasting results.

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ESG ACCREDITATION: SHOWCASE SUSTAINABILITY PROFICIENCY AND BUILD TRUST With many ESG standards available, organisations can focus their attention on accreditation backed by finance institutions in their sustainability efforts WRITTEN BY: TOM SWALLOW 64

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ESG

he act of becoming more sustainable is largely down to organisations’ abilities to measure, disclose, and act upon key environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics by reputable means. With a variable pool of knowledge across industries and largely subjective definitions of what sustainability really means, companies have long been in need of methods to understand and determine whether they truly meet the promises they chose to make.

This responsibility does simply lie in the hands of businesses, but also their employees. The landscape is changing to allow personnel to express their expertise in sustainability through ESG accreditation – a means of certifying an individual for their knowledge and application of ESG compliance – also referred to as ‘ESG certification’. While this can apply to all industries, there are also variables that impact how different professions look at ESG based on the nuances of their particular sectors.

Some of the key points to be considered when considering ESG accreditation that apply to all areas of business include financial materiality, understanding social factors as well as environmental impacts, and the specific challenges that will arise among different professions. This report will also consider the types of accreditation and their suitability for universal applications versus those more specific positions.

Some key terminology to confirm before delving into this topic: ESG - The focus on three specific pillars of sustainability. The environmental, social and governance factors are investor- and analyst-driven to attract more sustainability focus among corporations. sustainabilitymag.com

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How AirSet Technology is helping Renault Group reach its sustainability targets Discover now

ESG

Sustainability - A much broader, umbrella topic that is comprehensive of general environmental and social wellbeing. This can also include economic stability, community engagement, and other ethical practices of business.

Why become accredited for ESG proficiency?

ESG accreditation is more than simply a tick-box exercise. For professionals and businesses, it’s a chance to showcase proficiency in the key sustainability pillars that impact global market trends, therefore opening up new methods of building trust and aligning with partners and key stakeholders. Also, as investors begin to pay closer attention to ESG, accreditation is one of the ways to showcase clear proficiency to a set standard or framework.

Aside from stakeholder engagement, organisations can shift the mindset of their employees through education and

documentation of key climate targets and metrics to boost the importance of ESG among teams.

ESG compliance can be measured by a few different accreditation frameworks, however, this is not exhaustive – organisations are encouraged to go above and beyond their requirements and consistently challenge their positions to incorporate new innovative sustainability efforts into their strategies.

Key ESG accreditation and frameworks Navigating the different ESG certifications and requirements can be challenging for businesses undergoing this process for the first time. There are a number of accreditations in the market today and lots of information to decipher.

Many of the frameworks out there today are there to provide professionals with the ability to successfully report on their ESG credentials in a way that is presentable to a number of business applications. sustainabilitymag.com

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ESG STANDARD VS ESG FRAMEWORK These terms are not interchangeable but do go hand-in-hand with each other. The idea of an ESG framework is to provide guidance on some of the directions that reporting efforts can take. Frameworks are supplementary to the ESG standard, which provides the specific methodology for gathering data and formalising it in a report. Each is more successful with the other, but standards will drive the initial action to being defining what sustainability means to the business.

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Strategic approach to ethical investment It’s important to understand the reasons for accreditation and build a roadmap based on what financial institutions are looking for, but also choose a means of certification that will serve the business beyond the confines of the financial agenda.

Organisations like BlackRock and Vanguard have gone public about their efforts to direct investments towards ESGcompliant businesses that uphold specific sustainability standards. Both of these organisations expressed their requirements for SASB and TCFD as benchmarks of sustainable investment opportunities.

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ESG ESG ESG ESG

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): The GRI plays a crucial role in fostering sustainability to support various stakeholders. This accreditation is one with a broad range of applications to support businesses, investors, policymakers, labour organisations, and other experts to establish and implement sustainability reporting standards.

This certification is inclusive and is recognised, as the name suggests, on the global stage.

Organisations have the autonomy to report information in a way that suits them and reflects their impacts on social, environmental and economic areas.

This educational endeavour equips corporations with the expertise to convey their advancements in environmental stewardship through their CDP responses and may delve into the scoring methodology utilised to evaluate a firm’s disclosed environmental impact data.

Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI): The PRI globally champions responsible investment, emphasising companies to embed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects into investment decisions.

Rooted in six key principles, PRI promotes incorporating ESG elements into investment analysis and decisions, aiming to create sustainable markets and secure a flourishing future. Engaging in responsible investment with PRI involves meticulous consideration of ESG issues, advocating for sustainable practices, and thereby contributing to sustainable development.

Sustainability Accounting Standard Board (SASB): The SASB strategically pinpoints sustainability matters pivotal to the financial operations in 77 distinct industries, establishing globally acknowledged standards that empower consistent and comparable sustainability disclosures. The FSA Credential offered by SASB intertwines two examinations to evaluate a professional’s proficiency in understanding the materiality of sustainability information relevant to both corporate performance and investment analysis.

This accreditation safeguards that professionals possess the vital knowledge and expertise to adeptly navigate, administer, and apply sustainability information crucial to corporate and financial performance. Consequently, it enhances transparent and accountable sustainability reporting and practices within organisations.

CFA Institute Certificate in ESG Investing: A globally recognised credential, was initially conceived and awarded by CFA Society UK and now globally administered by the CFA Institute.

It equips investment professionals with essential skills and knowledge to incorporate ESG data into investment processes. The curriculum provides a balanced approach to various relevant topics, enhancing comprehension and application of ESG investing in practical investment scenarios.

Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP): The CDP’s Climate Change Course is primarily designed for individuals responding to its Climate Change questionnaire, offering a detailed analysis of participants’ climate performance during a specified year. The course intricately explores the subtleties of climate disclosure, assisting organisations in synchronising their financial activities with sustainable finance guidelines.

Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD): The TCFD plays a crucial role in directing global organisations towards climate-aware financial reporting.

It provides recommendations to help stakeholders understand assets linked with carbon and exposure to climate risks, aiming to clarify the climate resilience of financial systems. sustainabilitymag.com

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ESG

“ SHARING A COMMON APPROACH TO CLIMATE DISCLOSURE WILL BE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AS SOCIETIES, GOVERNMENTS, COMPANIES, AND INVESTORS TRANSITION TO LOWER-CARBON FUTURES” TIM BUCKLEY

CHAIRMAN AND CEO, VANGUARD

TIM BUCKLEY TITLE: C HAIRMAN AND CEO COMPANY: VANGUARD INDUSTRY: FINANCE AND INVESTMENTS LOCATION: UNITED STATES Tim Buckley is a prominent figure in the investment sector, currently serving as the Chairman and CEO at Vanguard. He influences the financial community by sharing insights and participating in industry events, such as the 2023 Leadership Summit.

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The TCFD fosters a consistent ESG reporting standard which is adhered to by organisations globally and makes data and disclosures much more comparable when the approach is aligned by one specific set of guidelines. This was addressed in Vanguard’s ‘Report on Climate-related Impacts 2021’, where CEO Tim Buckley explained “sharing a common approach to climate disclosure will be increasingly important as societies, governments, companies, and investors transition to lower-carbon futures.”

Financial institutions have a strategic role to play in influencing the sustainability agenda. In a powerful position to regulate funding based on specific criteria, ESG accreditation is one of the evolving credentials that organisations can adopt to meet the needs of investors. Without sustainable practices, companies won’t qualify for funding. Lack of funding can limit the opportunities offered to companies, which will ultimately influence them to build sustainability into their strategies for growth.

At the core of growth are the people, making them a key touch point for generating more sustainable company-wide principles. As financial firms like Vanguard recognise the importance of their roles, they are likely to influence the need for ESG accreditation, but also encourage companies to align with their chosen standards.

CENTRAL CO - OP

How Central Co-op is creating a sustainable society for all WRITTEN BY: TOM CHAPMAN PRODUCED BY: CRAIG KILLINGBACK

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CENTRAL CO - OP

Paul Lockwood, Head of Procurement at Central Co-op, outlines the importance of sustainability in his own department and across the entire organisation

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entral Co-op can trace its history all the way back to the mid-19th century, when the modern co-operative movement was just taking off.

Today, it exists as the second-largest co-operative in the UK, having assumed its current form following the merger of Anglia Regional Co-operative Society and Midlands Co-operative Society back in 2013.

At the heart of Central Co-op’s operations is its retail offering, consisting of more than 250 convenience stores across the nation.

On the other side of the business is the funeral division, comprising 180 funeral homes, a crematorium, three stone masonry outlets and a coffin factory. And that’s without even mentioning the organisation’s property arm, responsible for buying, selling and maintaining thousands of buildings.

Many of Central Co-op’s core values remain the same as those established around 175 years ago but, in 2021, the company unveiled its new purpose: to ‘create a sustainable society for all’.

This ethos now stretches right across the business, impacting decision-making and actions at every level of all departments.

That includes in the field of procurement, which is headed up at Central Co-op by Paul Lockwood, who joined the company in February last year.

“Within that new strapline there are numerous themes,” explains Lockwood.

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Paul Lockwood, Head of Procurement at Central Co-op sustainabilitymag.com

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“ It’s amazing how, more than 150 years after the first co-ops were started, their core values are still just as relevant today” PAUL LOCKWOOD

HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, CENTRAL CO-OP

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“There’s the environment and sustainability; there’s self-funding; there’s inclusion; and there’s self-help, as well.

“You may think when you join Central Co-op that you’re joining a movement, but actually what you join is a social movement, which makes for an interesting dynamic. It’s amazing how, more than 150 years after the first co-ops were started, their core values are still just as relevant today.”

Energy crisis accelerates Central Co-op’s solar strategy It certainly hasn’t been a straightforward start to life at Central Co-op for Lockwood, who

CENTRAL CO - OP

PAUL LOCKWOOD TITLE: HEAD OF PROCUREMENT COMPANY: CENTRAL CO-OP LOCATION: ALREWAS, ENGLAND

became Head of Procurement just a couple of weeks after the global energy crisis escalated thanks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

However, as the saying goes, in the midst of chaos there is also opportunity. That opportunity for Central Co-op came in the form of accelerating its investment in solar power, an important future-proofing strategy that had long been discussed.

Solar panels were installed at two convenience stores by the end of July; within a further eight weeks, Lockwood and his team had tended and contracted a provider to roll out solar panels at no less than 180 stores by end of 2023.

EXECUTIVE BIO

Paul Lockwood has worked in the field of procurement for more than 20 years, including in both the public and private sectors. For six years, Paul headed up procurement at BNP Paribas Personal Finance, before moving to Dignity in 2019 to lead the company’s procurement transformation programme. Last year he joined Central Co-op to look after GNFR for the entire retail and funeral business. Over the past 18 months, he has overseen the rollout of solar panels across 180 stores and modernisation of the organisation’s ceremonial fleet. Paul has a proven track record in delivering year-on-year savings and process improvements through the application of innovative business techniques and by optimising operating and delivery models.

Inspired PLC: Energy procurement, cost control and net-zero leader Through expert insight and tailored advisory services, Inspired PLC empowers businesses to manage their energy costs, consumption and net-zero strategies.

for any organisation, but with the right support and advice, businesses can achieve these goals in a commercially and operationally beneficial way,” says Alex Mackey, Account Director at Inspired PLC.

Inspired PLC are a leading technology-enabled service provider supporting corporate businesses to control energy costs and transition their journey to net-zero carbon.

“Our purpose can be summarised as helping businesses manage their journey to net-zero and responding to the climate emergency whilst controlling their costs.

Energy is a significant overhead and now a board-level concern for UK organisations. Inspired PLC provides the expert insight and tailored advisory services to help businesses manage their costs, optimise energy consumption and reduce their carbon emissions.

Inspired PLC also helps clients to prove their net-zero and ESG credentials to their investors, customers and other stakeholders.

“We know that reaching netzero is a massive challenge

“Our solutions create clear and actionable long-term plans to help realise these goals.” All businesses need to understand how to effectively control their 4Cs; cost, carbon, consumption and compliance.

Co-operatives, owned by members, aim to positively impact their communities, including the environment.

They typically have large and diverse portfolios, so energy and carbon make up a key operational cost. Energy and sustainability is often seen as

an area of complexity, but it is also an area of opportunity to look to reduce impacts on the environment wherever possible.

Inspired PLC is assisting cooperatives to formulate a strategy to best manage these energy risks through innovative and collaborative procurement solutions, while exploring every avenue to reduce consumption and ultimately carbon emissions, helping to further those goals to have positive impacts on their community.

Mackey concludes: “In light of the mounting challenges businesses encounter in addressing sustainability and ESG concerns, it is crucial for them to engage expert advisors who can demonstrate to their stakeholders a comprehensive plan to effectively manage costs, achieve carbon neutrality, and enhance their ESG performance.”

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“ For us as an organisation, investing in a green funeral fleet is massively important, and there’s also an expectation from the public” PAUL LOCKWOOD

HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, CENTRAL CO-OP

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Moreover, in May the company opened a new shop in Staffordshire which, for the first time, had panels pre-installed.

“We’re just over a third of the way through that journey and we’re very fortunate to have an executive and board who want to kick on with the investment,” says Lockwood. “We’ll have payback in less than three years based on our current commercial model which, for us, is unheard of.

“For me, it’s brilliant as well because it’s something I’ve always been passionate about.”

Praising Central Co-op’s key partner on the project, he adds: “The supplier we’ve had, SolPV, has been amazing and really hit the ground running.

“Now, the exec is asking me ‘what’s next?’, which is exciting and it’s great to be challenged like that.”

Bidding to become self-sufficient taken such as investment in more Creating a sustainable society for efficient freezers and putting all covers numerous aspects but, doors on chiller cabinets. as Central Co-op’s solar efforts “It all contributes,” Lockwood Year founded suggest, a significant proportion goes on. “It’s all very well of the strategy relates to energy producing green electricity, but usage and becoming more selfit’s no good if you’re then burning Number of sufficient in this space. it off really quickly.”

Employees In the relatively near future, That all-important it is hoped the organisation will co-operative team spirit is truly be producing 100% of its own coming to the fore from an energy Revenue power, which is evidently a big perspective, with the launch of a ask. Nevertheless, things are most new consortium including Central certainly heading in the right direction.

Co-op and a host of independent co-ops.

Lockwood forecasts that the solutions The goal is to collaborate on the purchase currently being put into place at of utilities, while sharing knowledge and convenience stores will produce around investment opportunities.

30% of the energy needed in a supermarket “This is a journey we’re going on together,” setting. Within that, simple steps have been says Lockwood. “We’re trying to share that

2014

7,000+

£961.4mn

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How SOL PV helped Central Co-op become a greener business SOL PV has become a standout in the renewable energy industry and is helping organisations like Central Co-op to achieve their sustainability goals SOL PV Group is an established name in the solar sector, specialising in the installation of PV panels.

While an increasing number of requests for projects on the ground are flooding in, the company’s bread and butter remains the commercial rooftop sector.

Very few large installers in the UK are doing similar work to the same standards, making SOL PV a standout in its field.

Forming a partnership with Central Co-op In early 2022, Central Co-op invited SOL PV to tender two trial sites with a tview to rolling out solar capabilities across its portfolio.

The trials proved successful and ultimately resulted in the go-ahead for installation at 180 Co-op sites, including convenience stores and funeral homes.

Already, the aforementioned trial locations are producing an energy yield which is 10-15% greater than originally predicted.

“We’re very much focused on quality products and materials because, for us, it’s all about safety,” says Brett Reynolds, Sales Director at SOL PV.

“Supermarkets open seven days a week are fantastic models for utilising solar because they’re using 90-100% of what they generate.

“Everyone’s happy because we’re making greater savings and a quicker return on investment for the Co-op.”

A good time to go green Reynolds calls the nine years from 2010 to 2019 a “solar coaster” thanks to the government’s feed-in tariffs scheme.

Although customers were paid for exporting energy to the National Grid, firms like SOL PV were confronted with a “nightmare” in trying to keep up with demand.

Now, the market has matured and can stand on its own two feet.

Reynolds adds: “Two factors are stimulating the commercial marketplace: the rise in energy prices and this requirement for businesses to reduce their carbonfootprint.

“That, combined with the reduction in price of materials, means solar has become a fantastic addition to commercial buildings and we’re seeing extremely favourable ROIs on these systems.”

“ What we’re doing is quite cutting edge for the industry and it’s an exciting time for us” PAUL LOCKWOOD

HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, CENTRAL CO-OP

good information between ourselves to help each other on that journey.

“There has always been co-operation, but last year – with the energy crisis and cost-ofliving crisis – created a need to do more, and it has been fantastic. Coming together and sharing resources will help us to be more sustainable, not just as individual societies but as a movement.”

Energy strategy extends to colleagues Crucial to Central Co-op’s values is looking after its people, to the extent that its investment in renewable energy capabilities has also been extended to colleagues.

“It’s great investing in our stores,” continues Lockwood, “but part of what we do as an organisation is invest in our colleagues.”

After receiving various enquiries, Central Co-op reached an agreement with its solar provider to extend the commercial terms of their deal to staff, giving them the option to purchase clean energy infrastructure such as panels or EV chargers.

“For us, it’s about putting options in front of our colleagues and leaving the decision up to them,” says the procurement chief. “It’s quite a unique scheme, but it’s something we had the ability to do.

“So far, we’ve had about 200 colleagues show interest and it’s only been going for a few weeks. It definitely helps as well that we’re offering them a trusted provider with a quality product that is going to last.”

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Funeral fleet going green Despite the industry’s obvious traditions, Central Co-op has been careful not to overlook green aspirations in its funeral business, too. This process has begun with its fleet of vehicles, which can cost upwards of £120,000 apiece – making for a complex and expensive transition.

CENTRAL CO - OP

Paul Lockwood, Central Co-op’s Head of Procurement Highlights Sustainability’s Organisational Impact WATCH NOW

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Central Co-op is the secondlargest co-operative society in the UK Central Co-op employs around

7,700

people across divisions including retail and funeral services Central Co-op’s history can be traced back to the modern co-operative movement of the mid-19th century

“It’s a significant investment,” Lockwood explains. “For us, we had an ageing fleet and we had reached a crossroads, so you could say it’s been a case of right place, right time.”

In looking to go green, Lockwood’s team went through an exhaustive procurement tender exercise, before finally identifying the Ford Mustang Mach-E as its limousine and hearse solution. The new fleet is due to be rolled out over the next 12 months.

Investment has also been made in charging infrastructure courtesy of a new partnership, and will evolve as the fleet expands: “For us as an organisation this is massively important, and there’s also an expectation from the public. This investment has been really popular with our colleagues as well.

“We are a traditional business, but we have to evolve. When we’re talking about helping the environment, we need to look at every aspect of what we do.

“I think what we’re doing is quite cutting edge for the industry and it’s an exciting time for us as a business. There are bigger providers and bigger competitors out there who are maybe not as far down the road as we are in this space.”

‘Amazing’ partners across Co-op’s business Clearly, a vast operation like Central Co-op cannot function without crucial input from partner organisations.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some amazing partners,” says Lockwood. “One of the things we talk about with regards to partnerships is trying not to just have a transactional relationship. We want to put in effort across the business – not just in procurement – to drive value and sustainability.”

One such example of a fruitful partnership is with Lyreco, which has spent time trying to sustainabilitymag.com

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“ One of the things we talk about with regards to partnerships is trying not to just have a transactional relationship. We want to put in effort across the business – not just in procurement – to drive value and sustainability” PAUL LOCKWOOD

HEAD OF PROCUREMENT, CENTRAL CO-OP

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Central Co-op has also entered into a partnership with Inspired Energy, a consultancy which is helping various co-ops with the process of buying utilities.

Lockwood continues: “Their insight so far with regards to the environment has been massively powerful. They’re helping us future-proof ourselves as an organisation which, in essence, involves buying smartly and buying with the right people – but also looking at who we are in terms of sustainability, which is at the heart of what we do.”

understand the motivations of Central Co-op and its colleagues. As a provider of supplies and workplace solutions, the firm introduced a bio-hygiene cleaning product which has proved to be a roaring success in terms of cost reduction and environmental benefits.

Technology-wise, Central Co-op recently implemented a purchase-to-pay solution provided by Zycus, a pioneer in cognitive procurement software. Positive impacts have already been seen in various departments through the automation of processes which were previously paperbased or required manual inputting.

Lockwood adds: “We’re trying to create a core of suppliers who we work with and, instead of us just going to them, we want it to be a two-way street, giving them the opportunity to talk about what they can do.

“For us, with our suppliers, whether it’s in the retail business, property business or funeral services, that’s a common approach we’re trying to roll out at the moment.”

Looking ahead With eyes on the future, Lockwood believes macro-economic factors and the growing importance of sustainability must remain key considerations in the procurement space.

The war in Ukraine has, of course, had a profound impact on the supply chain and forced companies to rethink their suppliers.

“We are living through turbulent times,” Lockwood concludes. “What’s going on in Ukraine has been utterly horrendous and there has been a huge knock on effect throughout the world.

“One of the things I’m looking at and considering is the ability to source locally because shipping goods over from the Far East is more expensive. Sustainability’s massive as well, so local sourcing is important when we start looking at our carbon footprint.

“I think for us, working in procurement, we’re probably going to find more challenges and demands in understanding who our supply base is in more detail and measuring their impact on the environment.”

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DE&I

THE POWER OF

LGBTQIA+ Wunderman Thompson’s Ezinne Okoro discusses how LGBTQIA+ leaders inspire progress to break down corporate barriers and increase representation

R

epresentation matters. Having LGBTQIA+ leaders in positions of power and influence sends a powerful message to individuals throughout businesses, encouraging others to aspire to take on similar roles.

Although an estimated 5.1% of women and 3.9% of men in the US identify as LGBTQIA+, their representation in corporate America is shown to be much lower, according to a study from McKinsey.

In fact, LGBTQIA+ women make up 2.3% of entry-level employees, which slowly drops as we look further up the career ladder, with only 1.6% of managers identifying as LGBTQIA+. The study continues to state that corporate companies with fewer diverse employees are more likely to make LGBTQIA+ individuals feel more isolated, and thus, less likely to progress in the company.

In contrast, having a diverse representation of employees has been shown to encourage others exploring their sexual orientation and gender identity to achieve their goals, while also boosting their self-esteem and inspiring others to be authentic and proud of their identity.

LEADERSHIP

Additionally, LGBTQIA+ leaders bring diverse perspectives to the table. Their life experiences and unique insights contribute to more comprehensive decisionmaking, which has been proven to benefit organisations and society as a whole.

With Ezinne Okoro, Global Chief Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Officer at Wunderman Thompson, we explore the importance of promoting LGBTQIA+ in a corporate setting, as well as how to increase representation.

Fostering inclusive workspaces at Wunderman Thompson Advertising agency Wunderman Thompson believes that it is business’s responsibility to champion inclusive and diverse representation of all kinds, with particular importance on advocating the rights and equality of the LGBTQIA+ community. “It takes a lot of courage to walk in your truth and convince others that you shouldn’t be discriminated against because of who you love and how you identify,” Okoro says.

“Yet despite strides being made, the number of people in the LGBTQIA+ community openly discussing their sexual orientation is still marginal. It’s challenging to be the first, the only, and even the face of something that many still deem as ‘different’ or ‘unnatural’, so representation matters. sustainabilitymag.com

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“ IT’S NOT ABOUT ACCEPTING OR AGREEING WITH BELIEFS, IT’S ABOUT INCLUSION AND NOT DISCRIMINATING AGAINST SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU” EZINNE OKORO

INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, & EQUITY CORPORATE STRATEGIST, WUNDERMAN THOMPSON

EZINNE OKORO TITLE: C HAIRMAN AND CEO COMPANY: WUNDERMAN THOMPSON INDUSTRY: INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, & EQUITY CORPORATE STRATEGIST LOCATION: UNITED STATES Ezinne (Kwubiri) Okoro is an inclusive leader, change agent, thought partner, and corporate executive. Her life’s mission is to lead with excellence, drive innovative results, champion for progressive change, and use her space to advocate for those that feel muted and unseen.

“All leaders – and by extension, all people – want to be respected for their contributions and not for their sexual orientation. At the same time, the best leaders do so with authenticity and encourage their teams to do the same, so they often have to be cognizant of balancing the two.”

To encourage this, businesses need to foster spaces that are safe for all to selfidentify, safe to self-express, and safe to afford the same rights, too. Additionally, Okoro raises the importance of hosting conversations about changes in the world, from gender-inclusive restrooms to nongender conforming (non-binary) persons – not just in the workplace, but throughout wider society, too. sustainabilitymag.com

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To achieve this within the business, Wunderman Thompson has set a number of workplace goals to foster inclusive spaces for community, innovation, growth and learning.

For example: • Improved ways of working by dropping silos to create spaces to collaborate across functions and geography. As a global organisation, Wunderman Thompson permits staff to work with a hybrid working model, allowing opportunities to collaborate on client projects and celebrate cultural moments.

• Employee resource groups. Wunderman Thompson’s vibrant and expanding Business + Employee Resource Groups span more than 20 countries across the world, which boast volunteer-led groups that gather to curate special engagements to learn more about one’s culture, build community amongst themselves to discuss challenges and experiences, and bring forth policy changes for the agency’s leaders’ consideration.

• Learning pathways. The business believes in designing one’s own authentic brand and pathway forward. Wunderman Thompson’s learning opportunities are accessible and vary based on need and style of learning.

From online videos to interactive gamified plans, to instructor-led sessions. There’s something for everyone, creating an inclusive environment.

Acknowledging privilege in business Representation, sponsorship, and mentorship are three critical components in growing leaders. For those from majority demographic groups, it’s understanding and acknowledging the privilege they hold 94

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“ ALL LEADERS – AND BY EXTENSION, ALL PEOPLE – WANT TO BE RESPECTED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND NOT FOR THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION” EZINNE OKORO

INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, & EQUITY CORPORATE STRATEGIST, WUNDERMAN THOMPSON

in the rooms they occupy. Okoro says they should ask themselves how they are using their success to provide sponsorship or mentorship opportunities for the next generation of leaders and make space to do so.

For those in minority groups, these components greatly benefit them as future leaders. Setting them up for success with mentorship; having someone validate your contribution through sponsorship while opening new doors; and seeing someone who looks like you in similar if not senior roles. It shows the potential and hope that you can achieve those opportunities as well.

“Simply put, representation matters,” Okoro says. “It’s important for everyone to see diversity of all forms in leadership roles.

Specifically to this topic, it’s vital for those in the LGBTQIA+ community to show others

Use more image captions as often as possible

DE&I

EZINNE’S FOUR PIECES OF ADVICE FOR OTHER CORPORATE LEADERS AIMING TO CREATE MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS: • Create spaces to share – experiences, challenges, successes, legislation changes • Improve healthcare benefits – the benefits offered should be inclusive of various needs • Education on supporting LGBTQIA+ community – helping managers and leaders understand the terminology, and how to support the community.

Specifically considering transgender employees. How can you support them in working with their team, etc • Invest – invest in organisations that advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights. This also shows the workplace that those issues matter to the business as well

that their experiences and contributions to the business are just as important.

“I am a firm believer that the more we share our personal experiences with others, the more they learn. It’s like borrowing books or stories from a human library. You can inquire more about that person’s experience which will help people arm themselves with more information so they can understand how to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s not about accepting or agreeing with beliefs, it’s about inclusion and not discriminating against someone because they are different from you.” sustainabilitymag.com

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LEADING DIGIT TRANSFORMAT IN FINTECH WRITTEN BY: LOUIS THOMPSETT PRODUCED BY: JACK MITCHELL

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TAL TION

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FUJITSU

Fujitsu’s Krista Griggs discusses how the IT tech giant is driving digital innovation in the banking, financial services and insurance sectors

K

rista Griggs is the Head of Banking, Financial Services and Insurance Sector for Fujitsu UK. As her title implies, Griggs’ role comes with big responsibilities; she is charged with leading revenue, profit and the growth of the sector.

Managing executive customer relationships, Griggs sets the vision and strategy for her department, leading a team of industry specialists and account executives and orchestrating from the wider organisation to bring the best of Fujitsu to its customers.

An influential leader in the makeup of Fujitsu’s UK division, it’s no wonder Griggs made FinTech Magazine’s Top 100 Women of 2022.

“Phenomenally proud and honoured to be featured,” Griggs takes inspiration from the women represented working to disrupt “what is still a male-dominated industry.”

As a pioneering woman in the predominantly male fintech industry, how did Krista carve out her own path to leadership?

Krista Griggs: The making of Admitting she never had a clear ambition to take up a particular role, the position she finds herself at now ‘is well beyond’ a point in her career she imagined after graduating as a software developer in her native Netherlands.

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“ Fujitsu has the expertise in all those deep pockets to help with the complex integration of fintech systems at banks and other financial organisations” KRISTA GRIGGS

HEAD OF BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES & INSURANCE, FUJITSU UK

Krista Griggs of Fujitsu UK

FUJITSU

“By constantly striving for more and being entrepreneurial, we will achieve further growth and success in the future”

Not that she back into financial didn’t have an idea services because it of what she wanted, is a hugely dynamic it’s more that roles domain, where rapid in the technology change is the norm.” space have grown Fujitsu was more and evolved so of an infrastructuremuch over the years managed services – the professional company when capabilities she has Griggs joined, with a now exceed what mission to become a her formative career digital transformation could ever teach her. company – KRISTA GRIGGS “I started out in something Griggs HEAD OF BANKING, FINANCIAL financial services; I implemented the SERVICES & INSURANCE, studied banking and strategy for in the FUJITSU UK finance,” says Griggs. “So it’s finance division. not a surprise I’ve come back to that.”

It was the success of this strategy that saw Griggs has returned to her roots after Griggs become head of the sector just two previously working in identity management, years after joining Fujitsu. “I’m really proud which saw her take up roles in government of what I’ve achieved there,” adds Griggs. and defence sectors.

“When I joined Fujitsu we were not But working in a vast array of industries progressing in the finance sector. We are now and sectors has only served to sharpen her growing rapidly and doing really well. We’ve skills today. “Working across different sectors got a great team now that is connecting with has given me a real understanding of what our customers and building partnerships – impacts those business domains, what helping clients to navigate industry change challenges there are and how technology and deliver better outcomes for them.” can help to make that better,” Griggs says.

It is this success that has seen Griggs fall “From software developer to enterprise back in love with the industry she started out architect, I’ve always been leading on how in. “I love being able to have a real ambitious you design that change. How does digital vision for the future – to try and break the transformation actually work and what’s the boundaries of what can be done. That is impact it can have on user journeys across where the industry is really exciting and the ecosystem?”

Fujitsu is firmly behind that,” she reflects.

These skills enabled Griggs to make an “Change is always challenging, though. immediate impact when she joined Fujitsu It has been quite a big culture shift for Fujitsu UK five years ago, becoming Chief Architect and our customers, particularly larger banks. for its Financial Services sector.

There can be real inertia and complications in Frustrated with the constraints working terms of getting things done when it comes in defence entailed, Griggs explains: “I came to fintech innovation.

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KRISTA GRIGGS TITLE: HEAD OF BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES & INSURANCE COMPANY: FUJITSU UK

“So keeping pace with the rate of innovation can be a challenge. In many ways, my job isn’t necessarily delivering that change, but rather moving blockers out of the way.”

Fujitsu: A tech giant ready to run Constantly striving to overcome these challenges, Griggs has helped awaken the sleeping giant of Fujitsu’s Financial Services division and get it to run. But, just as Griggs touches on, Fujitsu is far more than financial technology alone.

Today, Fujitsu’s reach extends to five core technology areas: computing, network, AI, data & security and converging technologies.

Krista Griggs is Head of Banking, Financial Services and Insurance at Fujitsu UK. With over 20 years’ of experience in designing and implementing digital transformations across various business domains, Krista is changing the way Fujitsu helps its customers transform their business. She’s built a strong team of consultants who bring deep business and technical expertise.

With their support, Krista is constantly looking for innovative ways to help Fujitsu’s customers succeed and grow. In recognition of her ongoing commitment to financial services and technology, she was a finalist for Role Model of the Year in the Women in Tech Excellence Awards 2022, Top 100 Women in FinTech 2022 and Transformation Leader of the Year in the Women in Tech Excellence Awards 2021.

Griggs expands: “Our computing division focuses on quantum and high-performance computing. Today, we have one of the fastest supercomputers in the world with the most intricate networks, so we do a lot of work around 6G and look at what that could bring to society. AI is a big part of that too, as is data & security which is a fundamental necessity both in financial services and in our public sector space. Converging technologies is where all of this comes together to deliver new capabilities.”

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ambition to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. Admitting this is a lofty goal, Griggs explains that “fundamentally, this goal comes down to the fact that we (Fujitsu) embed sustainability into everything we do.”

Fujitsu: Building an entrepreneurial culture The company is in the midst of a transition from an infrastructure-managed services company to a digital transformation company. This transition hasn’t just required a change of strategy, but a change in culture too.

FUJITSU

“Keeping pace with the rate of innovation can be a challenge… my job isn’t necessarily delivering that change, but rather moving blockers out of the way” KRISTA GRIGGS

HEAD OF BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES & INSURANCE, FUJITSU UK

Today, the company is working towards building an entrepreneurial culture to fuel its shift to a digital transformation proposition.

Griggs says: “That’s very much a change we are continuing to go through, focusing on the verticals we serve rather than just on our technology capabilities.

“As an infrastructure-managed service company, culture was built around risk and was focused on the public sector. Now we are pivoting to achieve strategic growth in the private sector, which means we need to be much more entrepreneurial. We have to understand the business imperatives that

our customers are dealing with. Now it’s very much about co-creation, working with our customers in lockstep to create some of those innovative solutions.”

This culture shift is perhaps most pertinent in Grigg’s division – innovation in financial services.

This is because “financial services is often the early adopter of new technologies and disruptive innovations. The pace of change is really difficult to navigate for financial services providers,” notes Griggs.

“We have to be at the forefront of entrepreneurialism and we are making sustainabilitymag.com

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FUJITSU

progress, helping customers solve some of the biggest challenges they face.

Overcoming those challenges is paying off for our customers and it’s paying off for our business.”

Fujitsu: Leveraging data, AI & machine learning the right way Building an entrepreneurial culture is also vital in driving the development of new financial products for the financial services sector. Innovation is ripe – and the ability

to implement cloud systems and leverage data pools through AI & machine learning is at the forefront of growth plans for many financial players.

Griggs says: “Ever since the pandemic, we’ve seen rapid acceleration in the adoption of digital services across industries, particularly financial services and insurance.

“There’s cloud services, third-party SaaS services and open data sources, which in financial services are really big drivers for change. Open finance too has come to the sustainabilitymag.com

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FUJITSU

WATCH NOW

“ At Fujitsu, we embed sustainability into everything we do” KRISTA GRIGGS

HEAD OF BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES & INSURANCE, FUJITSU UK

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fore and all these new technologies are exacerbated by a diverse set of infrastructure in use.

“People connect from home, the office, they are on mobile devices – they can be on the other side of the world – and you still have to maintain those services and manage things correctly.”

Of course, with new technologies comes an increase in the rate of innovation, something Griggs feels complicates service continuity management. She adds: “Customers expect a personalised, safe and

convenient service. The last thing a company wants is to be in the newspapers about a data leak which can damage its reputation.

Furthermore, transparency is demanded by the regulators especially around sustainability commitments but also around data privacy.

“From the comprehensive datasets you’ve collated, it’s essential to distill actionable insights. So, what’s the next step you need to take? What do your customers need? What do your colleagues need? What do the regulators need?

It is important to leverage abundant ecosystems to gain insights into making better and faster decisions to deliver desired outcomes.”

One area Griggs feels financial services providers and banks must take caution is in their application of Generative AI, to meet all the above requirements.

While its potential is evident, “a lot of banks have clamped down on it because it’s really difficult to maintain trust in the data if you don’t know where or how it’s being used.” sustainabilitymag.com

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For Griggs, banks need to put the right controls in place before taking steps toward AI adoption or risk losing client trust.

This is even truer for data because if data quality coming into the fabric of operations is poor, utilising this data with AI & machine learning is bound to be ineffective.

“The key is to embed the right data fabric,” says Griggs. “Make sure that the data is curated in the right way so that you can trust it.

“It is so important to any bank or financial institution so that they can generate those insights to make decisions quickly, allowing business leaders to have confidence in the insights when they prioritise where they spend their resources.”

Fujitsu: Mitigating fraud, promoting decarbonisation While open data, or third-party data sharing, is reaping many benefits for banks and associated partners in an ecosystem – it has also led to a rise in data breaches and consequently, fraud.

This is something Griggs calls “a real concern for the industry and for governments.”

She adds: “Cyber criminals have access to new technology as well, and we are seeing an increase in fraud and cybercrime in the industry.”

“The key is to make sure that we keep up with that pace of change, that we embrace that technology in a responsible way so that we can counteract those malicious actors.

“Social reach is important here. Having reach through open data allows banks and financial services to see what’s happening with vulnerable customers.

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helping organisations like banks enable the decarbonisation of finance too.

“That’s where we’re seeing partnerships in other industries deliver value to shift financial services from the role of the financier alone, to deliver better outcomes and boost sustainability, like we do with Landmark.”

Fujitsu: Partnerships taking fintech to the next generation The partnerships Fujitsu strikes also help it boost the offerings it provides to its clients. Just as the industry at large is doing, Fujitsu is embracing the impact and benefits of fintechs by integrating these platforms and services into its broader ecosystem.

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FUJITSU: LEVERAGING TECH TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE WELLBEING

Griggs says: “We don’t just need collaboration with fintechs, but we also need big tech and other tech vendors.

For example, we work with cyber companies like Thales and CrowdStrike to support data management companies.

“To manage data and workloads efficiently and effectively, we work with Delphix, Suse and Nuix. Even for AI ethics, we work with a company called 2021.AI, which looks at AI governance and how you make sure that you embed that in the way that you work.

“We also work with workplace technology partners like Riverbed, which understands how the services we provide our colleagues can be used to best effect. With Riverbed, we can identify where things aren’t working

The returns on implementing technology to maximum effect don’t just extend to operations and boosting customer experiences, they can have a significant impact on employee wellbeing.

This is all the more important in financial services, with research conducted

by Solidatus revealing that 71% of global data leaders in financial services are on the brink of quitting.

It doesn’t need to be this way, though and Fujitsu’s workforce is starting to see the benefits of using tech to improve workplace wellbeing.

As put by Griggs: “We are seeing some of these AI-driven technologies taking a lot of the mundane, repeatable tasks out of workers’ intrays.

“These technologies provide the right information at the right time and at Fujitsu, help our team to deliver the right personalised service to our customers.

This in turn helps our customers to provide a better service to their consumers.

“Of course, privacy should be taken seriously here and it’s important to find the right balance between consumer data and respecting privacy laws.”

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FUJITSU: SUSTAINABILITY FRONT OF MIND Amid Fujitsu’s cultural shift, sustainability has become a key pillar in Fujitsu’s financial services sector when looking at providing the best new fintech innovations to its clients.

“We are now seeing a new pillar when weighing our business growth and that is around sustainability and the continued drive to net zero.

“Managing our carbon footprint is one thing, but our ESG strategies and considerations are much broader than that. Today, our entire product portfolio is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

“So we ensure the technology that we’re providing to our customers is contributing to delivering a better society and is achieving some of those Sustainable Development Goals.

“We hold our partners to quite high standards around that as well, and it’s very much part of our onboarding process. If we are representing certain ethics and standards, we must demand the same from them, and this has helped us to develop a great ecosystem.”

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and correct them even before they go wrong sometimes.

“Whilst banks have real technology capability in these areas, as a technology company with multiple partners, Fujitsu has the expertise in all those deep pockets to help with the complex integration of fintech systems at banks and other financial organisations.”

The future of Fujitsu Armed with a history of innovation and technological insight, a true consultative perspective and strategic partners, Fujitsu is truly primed to complete its shift from an

FUJITSU

infrastructure-managed services company to a digital transformation company.

This shift is already in full swing, and it’s reshaping the company with unstoppable momentum.

Griggs concludes: “I’m very much behind and passionate about the changes that we are making. We need to continue what we are doing to move faster at bringing in the right people and technology to grow the partnerships we have with our customers.

“That represents our path to growth and certainty for me, I’m very happy to grow as my sector grows.

“We must continue to ask ourselves the pertinent questions: How can we be even more data-driven? How can we integrate our systems more? How can we use intelligent solutions in the way that we bring products and services to our market? How can we align the full global force of our business to help our customers achieve their outcomes?

“By constantly striving for more and being entrepreneurial, we will achieve further growth and success in the future. That is our path forward.”

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RETROFITTING PRE BUILDING HERITA University of West London’s Nasrin Khanom and Claire Willitts discuss decarbonising existing buildings with a key focus on reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions WRITTEN BY: TOM SWALLOW

NETZERO

EMISES PROTECTS AGE SUSTAINABLY A

geing buildings may not be the most efficient, but they do stand the test of time. There’s something to be said for the longevity that was considered during construction in the 20th Century – or earlier – as the buildings that live today are still appreciated for the history they represent.

They are occupied by businesses, colleges, universities, and other organisations, making them highly valuable to society. Knocking them down wouldn’t suffice, so they must be brought into the future.

Nasrin Khanom, the Head of Environmental Sustainability at the University of West London (UWL), lends a valuable perspective, demonstrating that it’s not only possible, but crucial, to blend historical construction with modern, clean technology.

We set out to answer the question: ‘Is decarbonising existing buildings a mission impossible?’

Much is to be said about the impact of decarbonising construction, but there are ways of reaching this goal; strategies that can be adopted to maintain transparency and deliver true sustainability beyond the 21st Century. This is, of course, the ideal scenario, whereby companies can erect costeffective buildings in a sustainable way that last longer. But what is to happen to older assets – sites that require updatings to maximise clean energy compliance?

For Khanom, this mission is not impossible, but very challenging in the current landscape with several facets to be considered in the supply chain. In a world where businesses and institutions are under increasing pressure to act and drive down their carbon footprints, clean strategies are adopted to see through the next generation of construction that will adhere to more strenuous conditions.

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ECO-ACTION MADE EASY.

The all-in-one tool to engage employees in volunteering and sustainability action.

Find out more

NETZERO

“ IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WE WOULD GATHER ALL CARBON DATA TO ENABLE US TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO INVESTMENTS MADE TO REDUCE EMISSIONS” NASRIN KHANOM

HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON

This is not only in response to government regulations and society’s expectations of corporations, but also in alignment with global sustainability targets.

When we look at protecting building heritage – fragments of history that stand today – the strategy is much the same in terms of how organisations can truly decarbonise them to meet modern ESG requirements.

NASRIN KHANOM TITLE: H EAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY COMPANY: U NIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON INDUSTRY: EDUCATION LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM Nasrin Khanom has worked in sustainability for over ten years and is the Head of Environmental Sustainability at the University of West London. She was featured in the ENDS Power List 2023 recognising the top 100 UK environmental professionals who have made the greatest impact in the past two years.

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“THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR GREEN AGENDA HINGES NOT ONLY ON DOING THE WORK BUT ON PROVING ITS WORTH” CLAIRE WILLITTS

DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY SERVICES, UWL

CASE STUDY: TRANSFORMING THE UWL In January 2021, the University of West London secured £5.1m in funding from the UK government’s Phase 1 Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. With this external funding UWL’s first approach was to replace fossil-fuel-powered energy systems with large-scale clean technologies, including ground source heat pumps (GSHPs), air source heat pumps (ASHPs) and the wellestablished solar photovoltaic thermal (PVT) systems. These solutions were adopted across four sites in West London.

The buildings range in both construction type and age, and the strategy deployed

by UWL showcases how with the right skills, solutions available in the market can cater for different architectural nuances and requirements. The projected carbon reduction was estimated at 529 tonnes of CO2e per year, and the project delivered a guaranteed carbon saving of 560 tonnes of CO2e in its first year following project completion; 6% higher than expected.

“Over the last decade, the University has made significant progress in reducing its

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Scopes 1 and 2 emissions. In 2009, it invested in energy metres to collect accurate data on energy consumption, which marked the beginning of the University’s energy decarbonisation journey,” says Khanom.

Claire Willitts, UWL’s Director of Property Services explains “The University invested more than £50m in the ‘Future Campus Project’ at the main St Mary’s Road campus in 2015. This project involved centralising the heating needs of multiple buildings into one Energy Centre, complete with energy efficient systems and enhancing ventilation systems to be both more effective and efficient. It also involved updating the canteen kitchen appliances, improving the building’s insulation, upgrading the lighting and power, installing the most recent energy monitoring systems and installing an intelligent Building Management System. The projects completed to date have secured both environmental and business sustainability by improving student experience and the ability of our estate to respond to the changing needs of both the market and the environment.”

Is it as easy as adopting new energy solutions?

The solutions themselves are crucial in this regard as they must be flexible enough to be tailored to the limitations of existing buildings. An innovative design ethos is therefore critical to success, whereas in new-build scenarios, design can be purist and therefore much less challenging.

Retrofit does require true innovation and can therefore be leading-edge. UWL now has the world’s largest combined GSHP and solar PVT system in the world and a Europe’s first accolade for the ASHP system.

But there is more to be said about the approach than simply getting the technologies right. Khanom explains that data is one of the key components of the sustainability strategy, while also noting that it is important to have a comprehensive view of an organisation’s environmental impacts before generating a clean energy strategy.

“Carbon emissions data is a critical component of sustainability efforts. It

CLAIRE WILLITTS TITLE: D IRECTOR OF PROPERTY SERVICES COMPANY: U NIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON INDUSTRY: EDUCATION LOCATION: UNITED KINGDOM Claire Willitts is the Director of Property Services at the University of West London and has over eighteen years of experience in estate and project management. She is a chartered surveyor and a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

provides valuable insights into the impact of an organisation’s activities on the environment and helps them make informed decisions to reduce their environmental footprint and promote sustainable practices,” says Khanom.

In a sense, it seems more beneficial to refer to individual technologies as solutions to key tasks in the overall strategy to achieve efficiency, but branding them as ‘solutions’ for emissions reduction isn’t always so fitting. There is a shift among companies to understand the overall impact of their actions in their wider context. A great way of looking at this is to understand the principle of Scope 3 emissions, which has more emphasis now that public awareness has risen about the flaws in the majority of supply chains. sustainabilitymag.com

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NETZERO

“ CARBON EMISSIONS DATA IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS” NASRIN KHANOM

HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, UNIVERSITY OF WEST LONDON

Data can showcase this. Not just any data, but good data. Organisations and institutions, much like UWL, must understand the impacts of their own energy solutions through the businesses that serve them for manufacture, supply and install down to the detail of component and raw material sourcing. The supply chain for energy ‘solutions’ is becoming four-

dimensional and true decarbonisation relies on data to make this useful.

“In an ideal world, organisations would gather all carbon data (operational, embodied, and whole life cycle) to make informed decisions, particularly in relation to investments made to reduce emissions. However, in reality, it requires organisations to invest time and resources in improving data quality to obtain that granularity. The skills in this area are as important as the skills in the delivery of the technologies themselves, and there is a trade-off between investing in data resources or investing in tangible carbon reduction measures,” says Khanom.

“There are difficult decisions to be made, but the integrity of your green agenda hinges not only on doing the work but on proving its worth and this isn’t possible without the data” says Willitts. sustainabilitymag.com

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I X A F R I C A : PUTTING KENYA ON THE MAP AS A DATA CENTRE LEADER WRITTEN BY: MAYA DERRICK PRODUCED BY: LEWIS VAUGHAN

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IXAFRICA

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Co-Founder & Chairman Guy Willner shares IXAfrica’s journey from start-up to operator sustaining East Africa’s growing demand for digital infrastructure

K

enya may seem like an unconventional place to build a state-of-the-art revolutionary data centre campus, but if anything it boasts better credentials than other geographies, which lend themselves as favourable to sustainable locations.

And that sentiment is echoed by IXAfrica’s Co-Founder and Chairman Guy Willner.

The seasoned data centre specialist has experience setting up facilities worldwide, and highlights how Kenya boasts a plethora of benefits – both for the environment, operator and its clientele.

“The interesting thing about Kenya is that it uses 90% plus renewable energy. To put that into context, the UK is probably about 25% on a good day. And this is 24 hours, so it’s not wind energy or solar, it’s geothermal – which means it’s available 24/7. It’s a massive thing for Kenya.”

Kenya’s a bit like Nordic nations, like Iceland or Norway with 93% renewable energy – due to its access to hydropower, Willner explains. “But geothermal is neither damaging for the environment like building dams, nor is it only available eight hours a day like solar. This is really serious stuff.

I don’t think there’s one European Union country that gets anywhere close to where Kenya is in terms of renewable power.”

IXAfrica’s data centre campus expansion in Nairobi, Kenya Situated in Nairobi, IXAfrica’s campus is strategically located amid Africa’s growing technology epicentre and is

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Guy Willner is the Co-Founder & Chairman of IXAfrica sustainabilitymag.com

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IXAFRICA

“ Our mission is to build good businesses with good people, and real businesses that generate profits and contribute to the local economy” GUY WILLNER

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, IXAFRICA

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the first hyperscale data centre in East Africa. IXAfrica, in partnership with Tilisi Developments, is expanding its offering with a new, second campus in the Kenyan capital.

Last year, IXAfrica announced a US$50m investment into its Nairobi One campus to accelerate its development and help cement IXAfrica’s reputation as East Africa’s leading hyperscale data centre provider and to cater to the increasing demand for cloud computing services, digital transformation, and edge computing applications in the region.

In collaboration with premier real estate developer Tilisi, IXAfrica purchased 11 acres of land to construct its second data centre campus in the Kenyan capital.

WHY NAIROBI, KENYA IS A FAVOURABLE DATA CENTRE LOCATION Setting up a data centre facility in Kenya can be done with a pretty clean conscience thanks to geothermal energy, Willner attests.

With a population across West Africa of more than 400 million – more than 50 million of which in Kenya alone – the average age is around 21, compared to approaching 50 in Europe. And with this demographic statistically more likely to be more frequent users of smartphones, Kenya is located well to deal with the sheer volumes of traffic coming from sub-Saharan Africa.

“If you start looking at medium term demographics,” Willner illustrates, “we’re heading for a massive revolution in the next 30 years. Emerging markets have always had high interest rates, so they’ve always had to manage their businesses very carefully. There’s been very sensible management to companies, and suddenly people are beginning to look at Africa in particular and see what they can do.”

And with IXAFrica’s campus located in Nairobi, IXAfrica utilises the naturally high altitude to its advantage.

Willner explains: “Nairobi sits at 1,700 metres – to put that into context, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom is 1,300 metres. Europeans and Americans have no clue about what’s going on in Africa, thinking power is terrible and it’s super hot.

Nairobi is about 24 or 25 degrees all year round. It’s never too hot, never too cold. So when our first design came through and we had US$300,000 worth of central heating systems for the data centre, the people locally questioned as to why.”

Nairobi is the only city in the world with a national park on its doorstep, and Willner shares how a massive part of Kenyan culture revolves around protecting their environment.

“There’s always a pull from the teams and people in Kenya to look for green solutions,” he says. “They’re still very close to nature and are really sensitive to that.”

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IXAFRICA

Guy Willner on IXAfrica’s growth and how it is sustaining East Africa’s growing data centre demand WATCH NOW

“The new Tilisi development is at 2,200 metres altitude, so it’s about five degrees cooler. It’s 20 or 21 degrees during the day and maybe 10 at night. Below 14 degrees, you can use free cooling in data centres. So that’s what we’ll be doing. It’s very exciting to have that second campus.”

Catering to growing demands in East Africa Using an analogy of a data centre being the head of the internet as it houses the technology for it to function, Willner likens long distance networks to the body and arms, the fingers are the last mile, whether mobile telecoms, fibre to the home or WiFI in a village.

“Everything is connected and therefore everything has to be built in synchronisation,” Willner illustrates.

“There’s no point in having a data centre if there’s no network. This is all part of a whole development in Africa in general. Dozens of companies are now laying fibre across Africa, 132

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and also into small communities. We are part of that whole ecosystem where everybody has to do their own thing.”

For this reason, Willner attests that IXAfrica’s carrier-neutral and vendor-neutral qualities makes it favourable and desirable to its current and future clients.

By providing state-of-the-art infrastructure, green power availability, advanced security measures, and efficient cooling solutions, IXAfrica is poised to play a pivotal role in bolstering East Africa’s technology landscape.”

“In terms of environmental responsibility I think we’re probably about a decade ahead of most of Europe,” he says, proudly. “We’ve been able to use local construction techniques and not import a whole load of glass and steel from Europe or Southeast Asia.

We’ve got 90% green grid. We’re in a super lucky position in Kenya to have geothermal energy.”

Guy Willner

TITLE: CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN COMPANY: IXAFRICA LOCATION: KENYA Guy Willner – A worldrenowned Data Centre expert and entrepreneur, having invested in and founded a number of DC startups including in emerging markets over the last 25 years.

Mr. Willner founded IXEurope in 1998 and oversaw the company’s growth from a sole datacenter in London to a network of 14 datacenters located in four countries IXEurope was purchased by Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) for $555 million, and Mr. Willner remained as the President of Equinix’s European sector through June 2008.

In 2018, Mr. Willner co-founded IXAfrica, a hyperscale datacenter operator in Kenya that is projected to be the largest hyperscale datacenter campus in East Africa by 2025. In 2022 Guy joined the Board of Elea Digital in Brazil.

Mr. Willner holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Oxford Brookes University.

In 2022 Guy became an Advisor to Helios LLP in Digital Infrastructure with specific focus in the African Region.

“ I think we’re probably about a decade ahead of most of Europe” GUY WILLNER

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, IXAFRICA

BLEND INTERNATIONAL WITH LOCAL – THE BENCHMARK FOR TIER 2 DEVELOPING MARKETS As a Design Consultant working solely on data centre projects across the EMEA regions, Future-tech has a unique perspective on meeting international standards and best practice in a wide range of local markets

Learn More

Future-tech has worked in 38 different countries across the EMEA region in the last 36 months. In environments as diverse as Helsinki, Milan, Athens, Lagos, Nairobi and Johannesburg.

This has led to a company-wide sensitivity to local markets, in both design and management. Working with local consultants that have varying experience with data centre projects, but also with systems, software and timescales that have become the standard expectation in FLAP-based data centre projects.

Future-tech’s experience has led us to understand and appreciate the capabilities and nuances of local supply chains, working practices and cultures.

By collaborating with key local stakeholders – architects, structural

Learn More

and civil engineers, fire, environmental consultants, etc – Future-tech and its partners deliver market-leading international expertise and project processes, combined with in-country knowledge and relationships.

Our clients benefit from the advantages associated with maximising resources, materials and labour available in the region, together with international design management, solutions, and technology. This blend results in greater sustainability, lower overall cost, regionally sensitive procurement, and efficient programme delivery.

The IXAfrica Nairobi-One Campus is an example of this formula in action.

Future-tech is very proud of the relationships developed, the success of the project, and the opportunity to help shape a future Tier 1 market.

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IXAFRICA

A Kenyan data centre for Kenyan people “Our mission is to build good businesses with good people, and real businesses that generate profits and contribute to the local economy in terms of people, in terms of training, in terms of taxes,” Willner adds, excited by the challenge of this emerging market.

“The excitement here, although there are other data centre players in Kenya, is building up a data centre company that really makes Kenya part of it.”

Willner and IXAfrica pride themselves in delivering a project end-to-end with ESG in mind as well as profit and quality of service.

“IXAfrica is a new company, but from the point that we started designing, it was all about keeping Africa” GUY WILLNER

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, IXAFRICA

From left to right, IXAfrica Data Centre Engineer on Board and Shareholder Naresh Mehta, Niraj Shah, Director, Sales & Business Development and Chairman Guy Willner

“There’s no expats in Nairobi, it’s all local employees,” he says. “We might have people there for two months at a time or something like that, but Kenyans run the Kenyan business. IXAfrica is a new company, but from the point that we started designing, it was all about keeping Africa.”

Trust is a major factor in the data centre workforce, Willner explains, with experience, reliability and a 24-hour infrastructure key to success – needing a workforce braced and ready for any unexpected disasters, whether that be if power fails at 4am on a Saturday morning or otherwise. sustainabilitymag.com

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“ It will benefit us, it’ll benefit our competitors, but most importantly it’ll benefit the country and the industry” GUY WILLNER

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, IXAFRICA

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“We’re the newest game in town.

We’ve made sure that our data centre can cope with some of the most complex concentrated super compute that you can find.”

The importance of people “You build an amazing data centre, but you’ve got to have people who can operate it and with the passion to make sure this data centre never fails. It’s very much about people,” he continues. “The two things that I like most about the industry is that it’s full of very friendly people who help each other out. And the other thing is the international aspect where you might be doing something

in Nairobi – or London or Birmingham or Paris or similar – but the challenges are very similar.

“If I’ve got a friend running a data centre in Brussels, there’s no competition between me and him or him here with my Nairobi business. We can share information, we can share ideas. There’s a lot of sharing of ideas and information. “ The importance of a skilled, local workforce is something Willner firmly believes in, but appreciates is a pool that needs nurturing to shape the industry of tomorrow. For this reason, Willner and his team are working to establish and operate a data centre academy in Nairobi, working with Moringa School.

“I’ve always wanted to establish a school and Kenya’s a good place to do that because it has a very highly educated population,” Willner reveals. “It will benefit us, it’ll benefit our competitors, but most importantly it’ll benefit the country and the industry. If Kenya is going to be a massive regional hub for compute, then it’s good that we get more and more people who are trained up to understand what a data centre is.”

Putting Nairobi on the map as a thriving data centre location Willner envisions IXAfrica further establishing itself as a key player in the Kenyan data centre market. Although in its infancy as sustainabilitymag.com

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an operating data centre company, he has a strong vision of populating his campus with expanding hyperscalers in the space of five or six years.

“With the Tilisi project being in a big business residential park, just northwest of the central business district, it’s got fantastic power,” he adds. “It’s got 66-kilovolt lines coming in, and with geothermal energy, it’s in an ideal place.”

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And Willner hopes to power the progress of IXAfrica’s growth with the positive relationships he’s built up over his 25 years in the data centre industry.

Looking forward Likening the next 12 to 18 months to a white-knuckle ride, Willner and his team are working to set up their data centre from a standing start, navigating building an empty

“ We’re all interlinked because if you’ve got that trusting relationship, you are going to work to build the right thing” GUY WILLNER

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, IXAFRICA

data centre into a thriving hub of information exchange, connectivity and thriving business.

Partnerships with powerhouses Despite feeling strongly about the strength of his team and having a core passion for startups, Willner acknowledges the power of collaboration across the industry.

“A lot of people we’ve worked with for a long time, like Future-tech and Schneider,

help out with our conceptual designs, keeping an eye out to understand what the next steps are in the industry. They help us understand how to operate and keep us on our toes in terms of all the newest technology that’s coming in.

“It’s really interesting to have big powerhouses behind us where they’ve got big R&D groups looking at what’s going to happen in 20 years so we can guide our designs so they are futureproof.”

Sharing values, core morals and ethical practices with partners is equally valuable to Willner, with trusting relationships and ensuring synchronicity, one of the main things looked for when partnering with businesses for the betterment of IXAfrica, the wider data centre industry and the communities they serve.

“You can’t do anything on your own,” he states. “So you need a bunch of friends and they can also keep you in focus.

We’re all part of this ecosystem. We’re all interlinked because if you’ve got that trusting relationship, you are going to work to build the right thing.”

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TECHNOLOGY

AI

USING

TECH MAHINDRA’S VISION: TO FAST-TRACK CLIMATE GOALS Sandeep Chandna, CSO at Tech Mahindra, discusses how generative AI simplifies ESG reporting and aligns with evolving sustainability standards

I

ndian information technology services and consulting company Tech Mahindra has put sustainability at the heart of the business, with efforts to pursue ‘purpose beyond profits’ by embedding ESG principles into its core strategy.

Aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero by 2035, Tech Mahindra has made an ambitious target to increase renewable energy in its energy mix by 50% by 2025 and 90% by 2030. Additionally, the business has committed to SBTi net zero targets and is in the process of a target review and approval. The goal sits at 2°C SBTi approved targets of reducing 22% GHG emissions by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

With Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer at Tech Mahindra, we discover how digital technologies – including AI – are impacting the ESG landscape.

Revolutionalising digital transformation Digital transformation plays a major role in improving sustainability efforts across 142

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a wide range of industries – sustainable supply chains are just one example.

Digital technologies such as blockchain and digital twin are being used to track the environmental and social impact of products throughout their supply chains.

This information is used to make more sustainable sourcing and procurement decisions. Technologies like IoT based solutions – smart sensors find extensive applications in resource optimisation such as waste management, water management and especially energy management. By optimising resources, these efforts lead to more sustainable operations and emission reductions averaging 25-30%.

“Advanced AI technologies are finding their way in climate modelling and scenario analysis to improve the recommendations and insights available for sustainability efforts,” Chandna says.

“By implementing sustainable supply chains and other sustainable practices like cloud computing and IoT and smart sensors,

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© 2022 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. ED None.

What if resiliency isn’t about withstanding today but envisioning tomorrow?

TECHNOLOGY

“ WE HAVE IMPROVED OUR SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY AND SCALED OUR SPENDING ON SUSTAINABILITY MEASURES TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE WHILST ALSO CREATING VALUE FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS” SANDEEP CHANDNA

CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, TECH MAHINDRA

businesses can reduce their environmental and social impact and make a positive contribution to the planet.

In summation, the benefits of digital transformation for sustainability are many and varied. It improves sustainability by closing material and energy loops and creating circular economies. It also reduces environmental impacts by optimising resource use and reducing waste.

Using generative AI to boost sustainability Generative AI is innovative because it can make new designs, concepts or materials based on specific criteria. This can lead to the development of more sustainable products, materials and systems that might not have been conceived through traditional methods.

Moreover, artificial intelligence can be applied in a wide range of economic sectors and situations to manage environmental

SANDEEP CHANDNA TITLE: C HIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER COMPANY: T ECH MAHINDRA INDUSTRY: TECHNOLOGY LOCATION: INDIA A versatile, goal driven, results oriented executive leader with diverse background in multiple sectors with a proven track record of 25 years in IT & IT Services, Oil & Gas and Infrastructure industry.

With more than a decade of experience in the area of EHS and Corporate Sustainability, I have led the sustainability agenda from the initiation stage at Tech Mahindra to the Leadership position today.

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impacts and climate change. For example, it can be used in a variety of ways such as AI-infused clean distributed energy grids, precision agriculture, sustainable supply chains, environmental monitoring and enforcement and enhanced weather and disaster prediction. Research by PwC UK shows that using AI for environmental applications could contribute up to US$5.2tn to the global economy in 2030.

“In order to meet the goals set out by the Paris Agreement in 2016, companies will need to cut down their emissions by 50%

WHY ARE NET ZERO AND DECARBONISATION PRIORITIES FOR TECH MAHINDRA? At Tech Mahindra, we have pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2035 and a 50% renewable energy mix by 2025. This comprehensive approach aligns with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and positions Tech Mahindra as a responsible leader in the technology and business sectors, prioritising long-term sustainability over short-term gains. We also plan to be carbon neutral by 2030 and achieve 90% renewable energy by 2030 across our operations.

We have a clear vision; we want to sustain a leadership position globally for sustainability. Tech Mahindra is committed to the Paris agreement targets and we’re consciously adopting a strategy that will deliver innovative solutions without adversely affecting the environment.

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by the end of this decade,” Chandna says.

“AI applications, including generative AI, can help fasten the pace of progress by 2030.

“In parallel, the application of AI levers could reduce worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4% by 2030. At the same time as productivity improvements, AI could create 38.2 million net new jobs across the global economy offering more skilled occupations as part of this transition.”

Generative AI can also help in achieving ESG goals for organisations in numerous ways such as: • ESG reporting: Generative AI can simplify ESG reporting by analysing reporting needs, collating details as per reporting formats • Data models and analysis: GenAI’s predictive and prescriptive analytics capabilities can be applied to ESG Data Management data and information to help create data models and apply analytics • Sustainability standards and frameworks: Due to the ever-evolving standards and frameworks of ESG & sustainability, Generative AI can help align the ESG data with the latest ESG Standards and frameworks To utilise these methods, Tech Mahindra has committed to addressing environmental challenges by reducing its carbon footprint, adopting sustainable practice and leveraging technology to develop eco-friendly solutions.

TechM amplifAI offers a suite of solutions to drive the adoption of AI in a responsible manner, with sustainability built into its foundations. As part of the business’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, it launched the #AI4ACTION challenge to

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TECHNOLOGY

“ IN ORDER TO MEET THE GOALS SET OUT BY THE PARIS AGREEMENT, 2016, COMPANIES WILL NEED TO CUT DOWN THEIR EMISSIONS BY 50% BY THE END OF THIS DECADE” SANDEEP CHANDNA

CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER, TECH MAHINDRA

collaborate with a global community of innovators, corporations and educational institutes, to develop creative, AI-powered applications to tackle the environmental challenges. The goal of the project is to use AI technology to combat the most pressing environmental and social issues.

“We have improved our sustainability strategy and scaled our spending on sustainability measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change whilst also creating value for our stakeholders,” Chandna says. “With our comprehensive ESG offerings, we are taking a step further to help our customers shape a better and more sustainable future.

“We are currently working on i.Sustain, i.RiskMan and i.GreenFinance – our proprietary ESG offerings for customers, which aim to bring together ESG data reporting, Sustainability risk management and sustainable finance for supporting our clients in their sustainability journey.

We are looking to incorporate AI-based models and bring together useful insights for our customers through our amplifAI sets of offerings.” sustainabilitymag.com

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