Achieve sustainability goals with interim consultant

Scarlett Roa had a grateful path into the interim industry - she started as a consultant because she simply received so many assignment requests.

”I felt every time I got a request, that in this mission I can make a difference. Many clients needed help from the ground up - setting up a sustainable business strategy and operationally implementing it.”

It is not surprising that Scarlett was courted by several companies and decision-makers. She is a sustainability consultant and drives issues that are high on the agenda of most companies.

”Many companies do not have this expertise. They're stuck in operational issues and lag far behind when it comes to sustainability. In the last six or seven years, that has definitely changed and people have started to talk more about sustainability at a strategic level, for example in the boardroom, but the implementation of sustainability in business models, goal setting and processes tends to lag behind.”

When you came in as an interim consultant and started from scratch. What did you do then?
To start with, raising awareness. I usually talk about things that everyone has a relationship with, such as the climate issue. Then my assignments usually involve creating sustainability frameworks and training other employees to implement them. Since my entry into the company is temporary, I also ensure a good transfer of skills before the assignment is completed.

Most recently, Gunnebo has borrowed you as interim Chief Sustainability Officer. What did they need help with?
What most need help with today is preparing for the CSRD, conducting a double materiality analysis, and implementing the disclosure requirements and data points of the ESRS accounting standards. They also needed support with setting science-based climate targets under the Science Based Targets Initiative, and developing decarbonization pathways to reach the targets. CSRD is a legal requirement that represents a paradigm shift for accounting. All large companies must have processes in place to capture their impact on people and the environment and the risks and opportunities they face from a sustainability perspective. Whether it's supply chain auditing, compliance with new legislation or alternative energy sources, I have been pushing the issue internally”What does it mean for Gunnebo?”  

How are you expected to leave the organization? What changes will you have achieved?
The goal is for Gunnebo to be better equipped for future legal requirements, but above all to have processes in place to continue developing its sustainability work. ”I've laid the foundations and guidelines for how they should work going forward and also ensured that the knowledge is now in-house. We have recruited several new employees in sustainability, trained the entire organization in sustainability issues and started several projects in the area. These run over 2024 and my goal is that it is a fairly ”self-playing piano" when I leave.

Many interim consultants dream of a big change assignment, what are your top tips for driving change management as an interim manager?
Turn to the employees who are early adopters and get buy-in from managers and leaders. This is particularly important in my field, where you cannot expect everyone to be equally knowledgeable. Accept that not everyone has time for what you are going to change or implement, and align yourself with those who are interested. You should approach the rest of the organization with humility and show understanding that they are dealing with other operational issues. Otherwise, get to know the organization and work a lot with the business case for sustainability!