Caroline Tivéus, Director of Sustainable Business, new member of Pandox group management
The appointment comes at a time when sustainability issues are higher up on the agenda, both globally and at Pandox. But in the future, she hopes her role will not be needed.
We are very happy that Caroline Tivéus has accepted to become part of Pandox's group management team. Caroline joined us in February 2018 to increase Pandox's focus on sustainability issues throughout the business, in both property management and own operations.
“The role confirms that sustainability issues are commercially important for Pandox, and now we ensure that the sustainability perspective is involved at an early stage in business processes. In this way, we do not lose tempo and can create long-term change.”
Since starting at Pandox, she has built up clear priorities that have resulted in the sustainability strategy “Pandox Fair Play”, which will generate cash flow-driving green investments, including energy and water efficiency in Pandox’s properties. Caroline emphasizes that sustainability must be a critical and integrated part of the business.
“For me, it is incredibly important that we constantly work with sustainability issues based on business advantages for Pandox and our tenants. Without the business advantages, you can think and feel about sustainability as much as you like - but you will still not get the right response from within the organisation.”
Challenges are not lacking, neither for Pandox nor for the real estate sector. Globally, the real estate industry accounts for almost 40 percent of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Pandox operates in an industry where sustainability issues are becoming more and more business-critical, complex and integrated. We need to find a new format for cooperation with our stakeholders to be able to tackle climate change quickly enough. As operation and property are interdependent in our industry, we need to find new ways to proactively work with the properties together with our tenants.”
“I am also convinced that within five years, the sustainability data will be as established as the financial information and follow the same reporting cycle. With future taxonomy legislation that seeks to direct capital flows towards sustainable companies, potential green loans and other financing alternatives, the data needs to be reliable and validated by an independent third party, which is not a requirement today. This in turn creates increased incentives for the companies' management teams, which clearly see how sustainability can also contribute to the business financially. In other words, everything is connected.”
One of Caroline's strongest driving forces is to contribute to solving a global, complex problem. But her long-term view is that her role will not be needed.
"Just like when most companies had 'internet managers' in the early 2000s and then disappeared because the digital perspective was so integrated into companies, I believe that in the long run there will be no need for a 'sustainability manager'. That perspective will be a natural part of managers' mindsets and business areas. But reaching that state requires a lot of work and a helicopter perspective!”