Interview 2

Who Did You Interview?

• Former colleague from past internship

Demographics That Might Provide Helpful Context for Their Responses

• Position: Project Manager
• Age: Sth. in the 30's

Key Findings from the Interview

• Let me ask you cheekily: how can you combine “Sustainability” with your lifestyle as a consultant?
• My interview partner had to laugh at first because he had been asked this question a few times (which was a very nice sign for me). When asked, he replied that people who work in non-consulting companies have the image that consultants are constantly flying around the globe. However, he made it clear that this is not always the case, not for short distances. He, for example, relied much more on train travel than airplanes. Moreover, flying was not an issue at all, especially during the pandemic, and will not be as much in the future as in the past.
• What turned out to be much more important is the work itself. As a consultant, he advised many clients on their corporate strategy, including sustainability aspects. In the process, he took various insights with him on his journey. For example, during a past project for a plastics manufacturer, he realized that plastic as such has remarkably good properties in terms of sustainability characteristics: It is very resilient, lasts a very long time and is a perfect product from a circular economy perspective. His conclusion: plastic is not the enemy (or in Germany we would say: the "Endgegner"). Rather, it is the short-lived use of such products (e.g., through one-time use as a bag, straw or the like). In addition, there are many areas, such as medicine, where we owe many great achievements to plastic - so it is crucial to our society. Therefore, he believes it is very important for people to rethink their behavior and ways to reuse products in a more sustainable way. Ultimately, this concept applies to many different business cases.

• What does your company do around the topic “Sustainability”?
• He pointed out that the company he works for has just announced that it intends to be CO2 neutral in the coming years. This will be achieved, for example, by offsetting every mile flown or driven. In addition, only electric or at least hybrid vehicles are allowed as company cars, which is a big change in the company's culture. Finally, the company is trying to establish an approach of not accepting projects in the future that could harm the environment. So there's a lot going on in that direction, and he seemed very happy to be a part of it.

When was the last time you had a really bad conscience towards the environment?

• In Corona days, my interview partner often bought food to-go, which – usually, and ironically – is packaged in plastic. In recent weeks, he has tried to bring his own boxes to the restaurants, but this doesn't always work (because of possible hygiene problems). He then had a guilty conscience.