The full recording of the webinar can be found here.

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In the rapidly evolving world of sustainability, one truth stands out: technological solutions and ambitious targets are only half the battle. The real challenge lies in transforming organizational culture and getting every team member on board. In our recent webinar, Trine Pondal from Flying Tiger Copenhagen shared groundbreaking insights into how culture can be the most powerful catalyst for sustainable change.

The multifaceted role of a sustainability manager

Trine describes the role of a sustainability manager as twofold:

1. Deep technical knowledge about sustainability, regulations, and reporting
2. Being an ambassador, teacher, trainer, cheerleader, and change agen

Creating a sustainability strategy is often the easiest part. The real challenge is making the rest of the organization want to implement and act on that strategy.

Understanding Organisational Inertia

Humans naturally prefer staying in their comfort zone. In fast-paced work environments, asking colleagues to do something different is challenging. People are typically resistant to extra effort and time-consuming changes.

As sustainability professionals, it's crucial to be respectful of the fact that true change is hard.

Becoming the organisational anthropologist

Understanding the internal dynamics is critical because:

• If you don't know what's happening in the company, you can't effectively argue for your sustainability strategy
• You need to understand different "tribes" within the organisation
• Identify how different teams measure success
• Find ways to integrate sustainability targets into existing success metrics

Practical strategies for cultural transformation

1. Create simple, actionable tools

Flying Tiger developed practical tools for non-expert teams, such as:

• A product material guideline that encourages teams to move up a sustainability ladder
• A clear hierarchy of material preferences:
  
  • Prioritise renewable materials
  • Favour highly recyclable materials like glass and metal
  • Minimise virgin plastic usage

By implementing this straightforward tool, they successfully:

• Reduced plastic in products by 20%
• Reduced plastic in packaging by 64%

2. Implement a recognition system

The "gold star" system proved incredibly effective. By:

• Calculating and communicating the tangible impact of sustainable choices
• Praising teams for their efforts
• Leveraging the competitive nature of teams

They created a positive feedback loop that motivated continuous improvement.

3. Comprehensive and Continuous Training

Flying Tiger's approach to training was relentless:

• Conducted monthly or weekly training sessions
• Covered topics like circular economy, material choices, recycling, and certifications
• Brought in external experts when needed
• Trained different departments, including marketing and suppliers

4. Tailored Communication

A brilliant example of tailored communication was how Trine convinced top management to adopt science-based targets. By understanding that executives loved football, she framed the sustainability initiative as "going to the Champions League" - a metaphor that immediately resonated and motivated them.

Key Results and Impact

By implementing these cultural strategies, Flying Tiger achieved remarkable results:

• Cut emissions per product kilo by 26%
• Reduced plastic in products by 20%
• Reduced plastic in packaging by 64%
• Transitioned to becoming a renewable material company
• Implemented biofuel in sea transport, cutting global emissions by approximately 5%

Sustainability is a Collective Journey

Trine emphasises that most employees are aware of sustainability challenges, even if they don't think about them daily. The key is communicating in a way that helps them understand their specific role and potential impact.

The ultimate success is when team members proactively approach the sustainability team with innovative ideas and solutions.

Asks of the audience

Contribute to our 2025 True State of Sustainablity Report here

Apply to join our Heads of Sustainability Community here

Find an expert to help your team through Leafr here

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