Auratal: Hagnaður af sjálfbærni
Clap Investors prefer companies that prioritize sustainability
Jón Ágúst Þorsteinsson, CEO of Klöppi Grænna lausni hf., says that it is absolutely essential for companies today to maintain reliable and transparent environmental reporting and demonstrate their social responsibility in action. This is important both to meet legal requirements and ensure a good reputation, and furthermore, it leads to financial benefits. This is strongly emphasized in the Paris Agreement from 2015. The management at Klöppi is convinced that digital technology is the most cost-effective, efficient and reliable method to gain an overview of the real environmental impact of companies.
Að mati Jóns Ágústs varð hugarfarsbreyting í íslensku samfélagi árið 2015 þegar eitt hundrað forstjórar skrifuðu undir Loftslagsyfirlýsingu Festu og Reykjavíkurborgar í Höfða. Þá fóru íslensk fyrirtæki að fjárfesta af auknum krafti í að ná utan um umhverfisáhrif sín, mæla ávinning af aðgerðum og setja sér markmið. Klappir grænar lausnir hf. hófu þó vegferð sína fyrr en hugmyndin að fyrirtækinu fæddist árið 2014 þegar aðstandendur félagsins ráku annað fyrirtæki sem hjálpaði skipum að halda utan um umhverfismál sín. Þau sáu í hendi sér að brýnt væri að ná einnig betur utan um umhverfismál á öðrum sviðum atvinnulífsins. Í dag halda sjálfbærnilausnir Klappa utan um orkunotkun og sorpmyndun hjá yfir 350 fyrirtækjum, stofnunum og sveitarfélögum, og veita notendum hugbúnaðarins þar með skýra og skiljanlega mynd af vistspori og orkukræfni. Sjálfbærnilausnir Klappa hafa þannig myndað svokallað „stafrænt vistkerfi“ á Íslandi, sem nú hjálpar fjölda íslenskra fyrirtækja að fara betur með auðlindir þjóðarinnar, lækka rekstrarkostnað og hlíta umhverfislöggjöf. Klappir liðsinna fyrirtækjum enn fremur við að gera umhverfisuppgjör og samfélagsskýrslur samkvæmt ESG-viðmiðum Kauphallarinnar. Íslenska skammstöfunin fyrir ESG-viðmiðin er UFS, sem stendur fyrir „umhverfislegir, félagslegir þættir og stjórnarhættir“.
"All of these factors affect the sustainability rating of companies," says Jón Ágúst.
"If the company behaves in a socially responsible manner - complies with the law, returns to society whether in wages or taxes, works towards gender equality and so on - then it is a safer and more attractive option for investors than a company that cannot demonstrate that these factors are in order."
Jón Ágúst adds that companies that do not have their governance in good order can suffer. "Accounting on these issues must of course be reliable and trustworthy so that people can trust that the information presented there is correct."
The financial benefits to companies of practicing socially responsible business practices come in two ways, according to Jón: "Companies achieve operational savings when they look closely at their polluting assets; examine how fuel, electricity, hot water and everything related to employee travel, for example, are handled. Then people better understand where costs can be reduced and the company's sustainability improved. Secondly, companies that address these issues become more valuable. They command higher prices and their products and services are more highly valued in society."
Klappir bjóða upp á ýmis tól fyrir fyrirtæki sem þau nota til þess að mæla umhverfisáhrif af starfsemi sinni.
Jón Ágúst says he has noticed a big change in investor sentiment over the past two years. “When new investors come to the market, they ask how companies are doing in terms of social issues. They want to read social reports, and we see that they are willing to pay a higher price for shares in companies where all this is already in place.” He mentions that Landsbankinn, which is among Klappar’s clients, is currently reviewing its entire portfolio with regard to the sustainability of each asset. “Those companies that don’t measure these aspects have a harder time.”
Jón Ágúst notes that it is necessary for financial incentives for companies, as well as a strong legal framework, to be in place if Icelandic society is to become more sustainable.
En geta öll fyrirtæki hagað rekstri sínum þannig að þau standi bæði skil á rekstrarhagnaði gagnvart hlutafjáreigendum og samfélagslegum ávinningi?
"Yes, without a doubt. Companies that deal with this issue with seriousness and ambition are well-run companies and deliver greater profits to shareholders and society as a whole. There is no contradiction in delivering operating profits and addressing social issues; on the contrary, they are one and the same. These cannot be viewed as opposites." Jón Ágúst then says that the CEO's vision is an absolutely key factor when a company embarks on an effort to increase its sustainability.
“The prerequisite for success is that CEOs and senior managers have their eyes on this issue and support their employees well.” According to Jón, the reason why the agreement between Festa and the City of Reykjavík marked a real turning point in Icelandic society is that the CEOs who committed their companies really took action. Many of these companies, for example, use Klappar’s services today. Jón says that it has not been particularly difficult to convince Icelandic companies to implement smart solutions in their sustainability efforts. These companies now have access to information about their energy consumption and waste generation in real time and can make strategic decisions much earlier in the process than was possible before the era of digital technology.
"The nature of companies is to measure, set goals and build on solid information. Company leaders immediately understood that this is not something you do in an Excel file. This is not some piece of cake work, but a long-term journey. People also need to understand that there is no magic solution to these issues." Jón says the importance of delving deeper into these issues is becoming more and more apparent to people.
„Ferðalagið er ekki einfalt en sannarlega þess virði.“
"We need to be united in this effort and support each other. At Klöppar, we have made a point of starting a conversation with as many parties as possible about the importance of the journey, this issue, and the need for us to not work against each other, but all together. That is how, and only that way, we will achieve success."
