Kvadrat Change Maker Networks and the need for collective global action

 

The earth has reached 1.1 degrees global warming, with only 0.4 degrees left to the alarming 1.5 degrees global warming, which is predicted to create devastating consequences to nature and people. Therefore, we need to act now.

There is no simple solution to fighting climate change, as it includes many factors. Some are known, some are unknown. All these need to be understood in relation to each other, which requires collective thinking and collective action, to bring different perspectives in, and to motivate that we all strive towards a common goal.

To meet this, and to ensure that our sustainable agenda is understood and lives in- and beyond our organization, we have introduced the Kvadrat Change Maker Networks. Our Head of Sustainability, Philine Kriependorf will give us an introduction.

As Kvadrat´s Head of Sustainability, Philine is leading the strategic direction within sustainability for the Kvadrat Group. She oversees Kvadrat´s GHG accounting and reduction roadmap, defines the direction of the company’s eco-design principles, and circular business model development while implementing inclusive organisational transformation.

Q: What are the Kvadrat Change Maker Networks?

When we launched our sustainability strategy, it was clear that we had an ambitious agenda that needed to not only live in one department of the company but come alive through the engagement of all colleagues in different functions and regions in Kvadrat. However, we also acknowledged that the strategy introduced a lot of changes and required new learnings that would push people out of their comfort zones. We wanted to create a comfort zone, in which we would train selected colleagues through four different knowledge networks within design, our global sales offices, our HQ functions and our production partner sites. These would then become the catalysts to share the knowledge with their local teams.

At this point, the networks have evolved beyond this and have become much more than a learning platform for colleagues. They have also become a valuable access point for the wider sustainability team to gather market insights and learn about challenges and new opportunities.

Q: How do the Change Maker Networks create value in Kvadrat and beyond?

The most important takeaway is that the Changes Maker colleagues have learnt to see the link between our 12 sustainability targets and their specific functions and roles. This means that each Change Maker can act and create value in different areas.

We have some very good examples of how our Change Maker Networks have fueled change. One example is one of our Change maker colleagues in Australia that after some time in the network and getting familiarized with our targets, suggested a sustainable showroom policy, adding a sustainability layer to our showrooms. This proved a success and was then something we could roll out globally in our 40 showrooms. Another example, is a Change Maker colleague that challenged how we monitor and collect data around emissions of our business travels. With her role in our strategic procurement team, she could develop a process for more streamlined data collection that is now used in Kvadrat. These are just two examples out of many, and beyond this, we encourage the Change Makers to act as advocates, to share knowledge and inspire clients, suppliers, or friends and family, etc. This is where the real value is created.

Q: How do the change maker networks connect Kvadrat to the collective global action needed to fight climate change?

The Change Maker Networks act as accelerators of sustainability knowledge dissemination across the global Kvadrat organization. This most importantly contributes to a cultural change agenda that is needed to ensure that we can operationalize and succeed in our ambitious targets and in turn contribute to fighting climate change.