From the first footprint to strategic management: How Nexplore embeds CO₂ management internally
How can an initial carbon footprint assessment be turned into an effective management tool in everyday business life? In this interview, I, Jan Geissbühler, consultant at Swiss Climate, talk to Eveline Gloor from Solution Consulting and sustainability ambassador at Nexplore about how the company has gradually built up its CO₂ management internally and strategically embedded it.
Motivation and starting point: Why CO₂ management at Nexplore?
Jan Geissbühler: What motivated Nexplore to address the issue of CO₂ management early on and intensively and to draw up a CO₂ balance sheet?
Eveline Gloor: We wanted to show our customers, partners and, of course, Nexplore employees right from the start that sustainability is deeply embedded in our corporate culture. That's why we decided to introduce ISO 14001 certification as a first step. To ensure that our measures are implemented where they have the greatest effect, we drew up our first carbon footprint for the 2022 financial year. We are now working on our third carbon footprint, and preparations for the next financial year are already underway.
It is particularly exciting to see how our company's growth and the move to new office premises are affecting our emissions. Since this year, we have also been publishing a sustainability report on our website to report transparently on our progress. ISO 14001 should not remain the only proof of our commitment: as our next big step, we are aiming for an SBTi commitment.
From external support to internal responsibility
Jan Geissbühler: You have increasingly taken CO₂ accounting into your own hands. How did the transition from external support to internal responsibility go?
Eveline Gloor: The transition went very well. I took the opportunity to complete the training programme to become a Professional CO₂ Manager at Swiss Climate. This enabled me to quickly build up a sound technical foundation and, above all, to develop the motivation to take on the accounting myself. Swiss Climate continued to provide me and Nexplore with close support and expert advice during this phase. This combination of personal responsibility and selective support was ideal for us.
Methodological and organisational challenges of CO₂ accounting
Jan Geissbühler: What challenges did you overcome along the way? Methodological, organisational or cultural?
Eveline Gloor: As an IT service provider, we have high demands on our application landscape. It was important to us to work with a simple and practical tool. In order to learn the basics of accounting properly and to comply with the requirements of the GHG Protocol in terms of accuracy and transparency, we deliberately chose to use a classic Excel spreadsheet at first.
This works very well for our current needs. However, it is quite conceivable that we will switch to a specialised tool in the future. Another key challenge – and at the same time a major step forward – was the expansion of our accounting scope. Between the 2023 and 2024 financial years, we systematically used our chart of accounts as a basis and precisely defined which items are included in the accounting. This enabled us to significantly expand our Scope 3 in particular, which is absolutely typical and necessary for our industry.
Holacracy as an enabler for sustainability
Jan Geissbühler: Nexplore works according to the principle of holacracy. What role has this form of organisation played in CO₂ management?
Eveline Gloor: Our self-organised structure offers plenty of room for new ideas and change, which was a major advantage. In the course of setting up our environmental management system, the role of ‘sustainability manager’ was initially created. However, we quickly realised that more was needed: people who would actively raise awareness, communicate and exchange ideas with Nexplore employees. This led to the creation of the role of ‘sustainability ambassador’, which very quickly attracted a great deal of interest.
We also benefit enormously from our organisational structure when it comes to collecting data for our carbon footprint. Support and helpfulness are a matter of course for us, and I can quickly obtain the information I need from other roles. This makes the process much more efficient and faster. True to our motto: ‘zäme fägts’ (together we can do it).
Impact and change: sustainability as part of our identity
Jan Geissbühler: Looking back on the journey so far, what has changed at Nexplore in terms of thinking, actions and perhaps even self-image?
Eveline Gloor: We have definitely achieved a higher level of maturity in environmental management. This is evident, among other things, in the fact that, following the publication of our carbon footprint, we immediately received feedback, ideas and concrete suggestions for reducing emissions from within the company. That's really great. At the same time, this commitment also strengthens us externally: we are now very well positioned to meet the sustainability criteria required in public tenders. It is important to us to think about sustainability holistically. In addition to ecological aspects, we always take social and economic dimensions into account. This approach is now firmly anchored in our self-image.
The professional support we received in setting up our CO₂ management system, from the initial assessment to training as a professional CO₂ manager, was a decisive factor in our success. We greatly appreciate the competent support and advice we receive in achieving our ambitious sustainability goals. Thank you for standing by us as our partner on this journey.
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