Mathieu Gregori, founder Econos: The first step to sustainability is to measure your current status. You can’t improve what you don’t track.
Sustainability is high on every company’s agenda these days as pressure from governments, regulators, investors, clients and society as a whole is pushing the business environment to adopt responsible business practices and minimize their…
Sustainability is high on every company’s agenda these days as pressure from governments, regulators, investors, clients and society as a whole is pushing the business environment to adopt responsible business practices and minimize their negative impact on the environment. Mathieu Gregori, founder of ECONOS – one of the biggest consultancy companies on sustainability issues in Romania, talks about solutions to make businesses more sustainable.
“The definition of Sustainability has sensitively evolved in this last decade, becoming more and more concrete, precise and transparent. From an all-encompassing term that used to be applied anywhere - with its load of greenwashing - sustainability is becoming an auditable concept with objective criteria and clear KPIs,” says ECONOS founder Mathieu Gregori (in opening picture).
When it comes to making businesses more sustainable, he likens the process to that of starting a diet.
“The first step when embarking on a healthier journey is to measure your current status. For companies, this involves measuring their current carbon footprint, analyzing their supply chain, and identifying areas for improvement. You cannot improve what you don’t track. Understanding the baseline is essential for setting meaningful sustainability goals and creating a tailored strategy,” Gregori believes.
Read the full interview below:
What defines a sustainable company in your view? Has the definition of sustainability changed in the last 10 years?
Mathieu Gregori: I believe that the definition of Sustainability has sensitively evolved in this last decade, becoming more and more concrete, precise and transparent. From an all-encompassing term that used to be applied anywhere - with its load of greenwashing - sustainability is becoming an auditable concept with objective criteria and clear KPIs.
An important illustration of this evolution are the recent actions taken by the EU Commission to ban misleading terms such as "climate/carbon-neutral" and other green claims lacking credibility. This signifies that companies cannot simply make sustainability claims; they must substantiate these claims through concrete actions.
Which are the industries/business sectors that are faster to align to sustainability goals and which sectors are lagging?
Mathieu Gregori: A 2017 report by CDP revealed that 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions are produced by just 100 companies. Consequently, the primary focus should be on companies operating within industries characterized by high greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the financial institutions that provide funding to them.
