Construction Climate Talks: Big companies have big sustainability responsibilities

For a more sustainable world, big companies have to put sustainability into their business strategies. “We have a great responsibility, but also a great opportunity. We have to do it from a moral perspective and it is also good for our business,” says Johan Gerklev, Sustainability Manager at Skanska Sweden, in the latest episode of Construction Climate Talks.

The Construction Climate Talks series by the Construction Climate Challenge initiative highlights some of the most important issues in climate sustainability today. See all the previous episodes here.

To reach the ultimate goal of having a more sustainable world Johan Gerklev works a lot with Skanska Sweden’s sustainability issues.

“We have come a long way, but we are certainly not at the end of the journey. The whole industry has to do their own journey. We have to put sustainability into our strategies, into our products – into our life,” he says.

He also addresses the importance of getting everyone onboard – the people within the company, the people outside of the company and people living in society in general.

“You have to address what’s important when it comes to the green issues and you have to do it in a way that you are also making business or creating value for the society or the clients”.

Johan Gerklev continues to talk about the big responsibilities that comes with a big company – but also the opportunities.

“On one hand it is an opportunity from a moral perspective and on the other hand it’s also good for the business. And last but not least it’s a necessity. Without sustainability there will be no future, so in the future there has to be sustainability,” he says.

The Construction Climate Challenge (CCC) is an initiative hosted by Volvo Construction Equipment to promote sustainability throughout the entire construction industry value chain and provide funding for environmental research. The Construction Climate Challenge is a part of the Volvo CE commitment to WWF’s Climate Savers Programme.