Consid’s Sustainability Manager – nominated for Sweden’s most influential

– I don’t even think we consider that we are dealing with sustainability. In everything from recruitment, the working environment, partnerships, to procurement and contract writing, sustainability work guides us. It is an integral part of doing business, says Nathalie Besèr, Head of Communication and Sustainability at Consid.

Nathalie Besèr is a journalist by background and has worked at Sweden’s Radio Eco department, Dagens Nyheter, and TT before becoming a senior advisor to the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. In 2015, she joined as an advisor to the Social Democrats, and five years later, she moved to the IT and tech company Consid, where she currently works as Communications Manager and Sustainability Manager.

– Sustainability has evolved from being a side project for companies to playing a crucial role today, she says.

Nathalie Besèr describes how she can clearly see a change in how the concept of sustainability in the business world has evolved from being something “all companies must talk about and have in their policies” to being one of the most important factors for success.

For Consid, sustainability has always been a natural part. Since the company’s founding in 2000, sustainability initiatives have grown larger. This can be tracked through the company’s prioritization of total transparency as one of the most important aspects.

– We disclose all our emissions, data, and progress in our combined annual and sustainability report. We believe in total transparency. Because we identify and report all our emissions and impacts on the Cemasys platform, it’s easy to show. It’s a hygiene factor for our customers but also in terms of recruitment. Through this, we want to inspire other companies to start investing in sustainability, explains Nathalie Besèr.

Furthermore, Consid is also a member of the UN’s Global Compact initiative, aiming to create international principles regarding human rights, labor issues, the environment, and anti-corruption for businesses. Consid also participates in the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) to set climate goals in line with scientific models. Consid, as one of the few Swedish companies, has had its goals approved by SBTi.

Nathalie Besèr emphasizes that sustainability work includes much more than just environmental sustainability, which becomes clear when looking at the goals that Consid is working towards.

– We have identified 10 of the UN’s 17 global goals where Consid can contribute specifically. It’s about contributing to equality, innovation and technological progress, an egalitarian society, sustainable cities, and education, says Nathalie Besèr.

One of the biggest challenges in sustainability right now is the issue of gender equality and diversity in the tech industry.

– It is challenging to attract women and individuals with different backgrounds to IT jobs. It is a very unequal and unfair industry, which we work to change through the Q by Consid platform, she says.

She continues: “Through Q by Consid, we have really shown how to combine theory with concrete actions. Based on research, we have identified various areas where we, in the business sector, have a responsibility and the opportunity to be involved in change. Based on this, we have, within Q by Consid, put together a mentorship program that annually supports hundreds of women and non-binary individuals in a tech career. We have created programs to counteract burnout and stress-related sick leave and organize training and networking events where we gathered up to 600 people in 2023,” says Nathalie Besèr.

On the same theme, Consid is a partner of the children’s rights organization War Child, where Consid, in addition to financial contributions, also provides technical expertise.

– We organize seminars and training sessions with War Child and support them in various matters. Together, we also annually award the War Child Award to a person or organization that has made special efforts for children in difficult situations, she says.

Nathalie Besèr has been educated through the UN Global Compact – SDG ambition accelerator and continues to take various courses to stay updated.

– We are three people at Consid who further educate ourselves and then make sure to educate all employees in sustainability. We constantly make sure to keep up with what is happening technically in the field, she says.

What are your most important tools as a Sustainability Manager?

– That everyone has such a great interest and understanding of sustainability work at Consid, from the CEO to the most recently recruited. Then it is easy to work with sustainability. It should also be said that we have recruited fantastic interns from elite programs in terms of sustainability. Then we get updated input on both theory and practice, she says.

Finally, as more and more companies and organizations prioritize their sustainability efforts, how do you ensure competitiveness, and how do you weigh sustainability in your market positioning?

– We work long-term and systematically with our sustainability. There is no strategy to position ourselves in the market. The work is based on a genuine belief that we all must collaborate to tackle the greatest threats of our time. It’s not something we compete with, but an approach that is part of Consid’s DNA.