Infometis' sustainability team consists of two employees, Maximilian Matthäus and Nishan Portoyan. Maximilian Matthäus discusses current developments in an interview.
Infometis is becoming sustainable, but what exactly does that mean?
Our guiding principle is: "We act responsibly towards society and the environment."
When we hear the word sustainability, we often think of ecology, but there are two other pillars of sustainability: the economy and society. Infometis strives to operate sustainably in all three pillars. We have further subdivided each of these three pillars into three thematic areas where we see the greatest potential for Infometis. We then determined our current position in these nine thematic areas and where we want to be in the next five years. From this, we derived concrete measures. Ultimately, all measures aim to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals .
What are these nine subject areas?
In terms of ecology, these are: energy, mobility, and resources. In terms of economics: sustainable investments, high-quality work results, and transparency. And in terms of the social pillar, it's about the responsible selection of customers and partners, and last but not least, Infometis itself treating its employees responsibly as an employer.
Let's go into detail: where do you stand in the field of mobility and where do you want to go?
The largest part of our ecological footprint stems from our mobility, as we are often on the road for our clients. There are already many incentives to choose public transport over private vehicles. For example, the maximum reimbursement for travel by car is the amount that would have been incurred using public transport (with a half-fare card). Depending on the car, this amount may not cover the costs. Furthermore, a significant time saving is required for car expenses to be reimbursed. The vast majority of Infometen already rely on public transport, so we see no need for further measures in this area.
Every two years, an Infometis trip takes place. We choose a destination to spend a long weekend together. The destination is selected so that it can be reached by train in a reasonable amount of time; in addition, we recommend traveling by train. The emissions generated by the trip are therefore already relatively low. Nevertheless, they will now be offset via myclimate.org.
In doing so, we are participating in the Sustainable Development Goals numbered "12: Responsible Consumption and Production" and "13: Climate Action".
Does this mean the goal for the topic of mobility has been achieved?
Not yet. Another change is that account managers will ask our clients if we can work from home 1-2 days a week. This will reduce commuting and therefore emissions.
How do customers react to the request to be allowed to work from home 1-2 days per week?
So far, we've had positive experiences. For many clients, working from home a few days a week has become the norm since the COVID-19 pandemic. This was unthinkable three years ago. A new way of working has become established. We now often see "team days" where all employees are asked to be in the office at the same time. On other days, employees have the choice of working in the office or from home.
Are these environmental measures measurable?
Yes, there are various studies and measurements that show that public transport produces significantly fewer emissions than private transport. According to SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), taking the train on the Zurich–Bern route saves 22.8 kg of CO2compared to driving a car.
Can you give us an outlook on the topic of resources?
Another source of emissions is our work equipment, such as our computers. How long should these last, and what constitutes resource-efficient use of work equipment? You can learn more about resources in the next blog post.
