Jennifer Roberts has been Sustainability Manager at Apleona Switzerland since 01 July 2022. Born in France, she holds a Master's degree in Controlling and Auditing as well as in Corporate and Social Responsibility and continues to expand the topic of sustainability for our customers and for us.
You can find out in the interview, what is part of her daily tasks and what measures she is currently planning or already implementing.
The topic «sustainability» is on everyone's lips – please explain briefly what sustainability exactly comprises or means.
Sustainability is much more than just «energy» and «environment». What is sustainable is what is socially, economically and environmentally friendly at the same time. To illustrate this understanding, I think the illustration of a three-legged stool is suitable. The three pillars of economy, environment and social thinking have to be present and taken into account, otherwise the whole system collapses. Interesting about that: Everything is held together by «corporate governance», i.e. fair company management.
However, the concept of «sustainable development» has actually existed for quite some time. It was defined in 1987 in the famous Brundtland Report «Our Common Future»: Sustainable development is development «that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and choose their own lifestyles».
But it is important to know that today we are the «future generations» that were always talked about in the past. So we must act now!
Why is the issue becoming more and more important and what can each of us do?
Awareness and questioning of our lifestyle are usually a slow process. We often find it difficult to accept that what has brought us so much comfort may not have done only good. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny the accumulation of facts that show us that our growth and lifestyle (can) have harmful effects.
We need to realise that we can all do something and that each individual has an impact. I am convinced that actions arise from knowledge. If I don't know anything about current world events, I can't do anything about it.
A first, small step could be, for example, to use the Footprint Calculator to calculate your own carbon footprint and thus become more aware of your own impact. For me personally it was very informative!
What are your main tasks at Apleona Switzerland? And what challenges does the new task bring with it?
My main goal is to support our customers and accompany them on their way to sustainable management. This ranges from energy measurements and decarbonisation strategies to support in the introduction of ISO standards or the development of action concepts and the implementation of specific measures.
Due to the wide range of tasks, I depend on the cooperation with other departments. Therefore, my goal is to mobilise and support the different departments and partners. Ultimately, I also want to promote sustainability internally. For example, we could recycle more or cycle to work more often.
What specific projects are you currently working on?
In the external area, I am currently working closely with one of our long-standing partners. This company has an ambitious project for energy optimisation in its properties and is now looking at tenant involvement through a comprehensive tenant survey.
Internally, I am in constant exchange with all specialists at Apleona, because we have established a whole network of competent experts in Germany, Austria and England. At the moment, the focus is particularly on energy and the environment, but I am convinced that the topics of water, soil and nature in general will soon also move to the centre of discussions. In addition, we already have a few new ideas on how we can further sensitise our employees to the topic of sustainability.
