2023-08-25 15:00

Friday Flavours #5

The experts on our team regularly bring you a selection of recommendations and insights related to environmental and social responsibility. Whether it's an enticing book, an intriguing article, a project supporting a great cause or a helpful tool, we'll share our thoughts on why this particular piece spoke to us and why we think this particular topic is important.

Let us know what you think about our recommendations and insights, or whether you’d like to share some of your own tips with us - we’d love to hear from you.

Jana:
"Are you familiar with the term 'productivity paranoia'? It refers to bosses doubting the efficiency of their remote employees, despite these employees working longer hours than before. According to a 2022 Microsoft study, while 90% of workers feel productive, 85% of bosses don't believe them, as they find it hard to assess their hybrid team's productivity. And the result? A burnout. Yoga, meditation apps and productivity training sessions are great but only address symptoms, not root causes. The answer is not in making your employees more resilient, it's in shifting the company culture to accountable leadership, starting at the top."
Learn more: What is burnout? | McKinsey

Jenny:
"Lately I've been listening to the information podcast series ESG Talks by Workiva, which gives useful information about current topics in ESG management. For example the latest podcast "Reporting Led Transformation," based on an interview with Nadja Picard, partner and global reporting leader at PwC Germany, touches on a topic that I've been thinking about as I get more familiar with the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). Namely, thanks to rigorous standards such as ESRS, reporting is no longer "just about compliance" but rather is providing the impetus for companies to start thinking about sustainability in relation to their business strategy. So while it's about mandatory reporting of indicators and disclosures, it's also about mandatory reporting of how sustainability impacts and risks will change the company's business model and strategy -- and that's where true change can start to happen."

Lenka:

"The term 'no-growth' is increasingly being used in connection with the possible solution to the climate crisis. To be honest, I am very sceptical about this concept. Why? Because, although it offers an optimistic vision of the future (we will stop wasting natural resources, bridge the income gap, fix societal problems), I don't see how such a system could be actually implemented. The whole ideology of no-growth is well described in the article - Can no-growth save the planet, or is it a dangerous utopia? And what alternatives do we have as a civilization? We answer. Here the author alludes to three possible ways in which no-growth could take hold. Either in response to some devastating catastrophe. Or by a more or less violent solution (since a strict application of the principles of no-growth is hardly conceivable in a liberal democracy). And thirdly, and I think this is the most interesting idea, no-growth could establish itself as a worldwide spiritual movement. Western society is going through something of a spiritual crisis, and this void could be filled by preachers of new values. But personally, none of these options appeals to me."

Eva:
"Recently I came across an interesting study by Deloitte, which deals with the development of renewable energy in the Czech Republic till 2030. According to the study, the Czech Republic can build over 17 GW of new renewable energy capacity with EU funding. The acceleration of renewable energy has a major impact on the competitiveness of our country. According to the study, GDP could increase by 4.7% over seven years, while creating 34,000 jobs. At present, the share of renewables in our country's electricity production is around 17%, which puts us at the tail end of Europe. So there is a lot of work to be done. And if we have a significant amount of funding from the European Union specifically to support renewables, it would be a shame not to exploit it."

Martina P:
"I have been increasingly reflecting on the topic of the circular economy lately, not only when working on ESG reports. I am happy to see that more and more companies are using its principles to create new business opportunities and that it is not just about reporting successes in waste management or recycling products originally intended for disposal (plastic bottles, clothes, furniture). What caught my attention, was the study by INCIEN, which aims to stimulate discussion about the circular economy and its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Czech heavy manufacturing. It uses analyses of selected sectors (plastics processing, aluminium, automotive and building construction) to show the specific context and to present possible future solutions."

Friday Flavours