Interview on Sustainability Insights and Future Thinking with Managing Director and Founder of denkstatt Austria

We are proud to celebrate many milestone anniversaries this year with reputable long-standing companies within our global Alliance. Below is an interview conducted by our Associate denkstatt with one of the founders and managing director, which now has locations in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

It has been 30 years since denkstatt was founded. In a personal interview, Christian Plas, Managing Director and co-founder of denkstatt, tells more about the beginnings and his assessment of the current situation and the future against the background of ecological developments. Check out the full original article on here.

In your opinion, what has changed in terms of ecological challenges? What were the issues 30 years ago, what are they today?

A lot has happened there. When we talk about environmental problems, at that time it was mainly waste, air and water problems. Of course, that has changed drastically to this day. We were simply not aware of the developments we were heading towards as a result of climate change – it was not a social issue either. Sustainability as a concept did not exist. But I am convinced that not only the topics and the language were different, but also the attitude. Environmental awareness was perhaps even more widespread then than it is today – for example in the times of acid rain or the ozone hole. It was also the time of the energy crisis. When I was young, people were willing to give up their car for one day a week. Today it is a completely different social discourse.

Photo: Christian Plas at the 4Gamechangers Festival 2022.

What dominates today's discourse on sustainability?

I think on the one hand it's the fear of what's to come. Today, science is able not only to substantiate images of the future with probabilities, but also to clearly outline what the world will look like in the coming decades. We know very well about the effects of the climate crisis and that is difficult to bear, especially for the younger generation. I can't even imagine how you must feel there. That's why I try to make my contribution as best I can and to create the greatest possible impact with denkstatt and I dare to say that we at denkstatt have developed a really good approach. We work scientifically and with science.

In addition to fear, society is also saturated with an eerie polarization. Let's take the topics of meat consumption, mobility or climate strikes. Discourses on these topics are primarily emotional and rarely fact-based or scientifically sound. The social networks certainly also play a major role here, offering a stage for everyone who wants to comment on a topic.

In your opinion, what conditions must be met in order to find a constructive form of sustainability discourse?

From my point of view there are two big levers. The first has to do with knowledge and education. For most people, the science behind climate change and other sustainability issues is difficult to grasp, and that's where the problem begins. This is compounded by the fact that climate change is a complex problem. The core message of 2 degrees of global warming does not seem particularly threatening at first. The fact that parts of the world will be affected differently, that it has a massive impact on the weather and favors extreme weather events, that ecosystems can no longer perform and that our livelihood is threatened - all of this requires a more detailed explanation.

The second is the willingness to discuss. Nowadays, most people stick to their opinion, there is a lack of self-reflection and the ability to take criticism. This is dangerous breeding ground for alternative facts. In addition, every discourse needs good moderation. Otherwise there is a risk that opinions will become more entrenched.

These two levers affect not only the societal level, but also the companies. If decision-makers cannot do anything with scientific facts, if there is a lack of reflection and openness, the results of projects will of course be different. Once the urgency of sustainability issues has been internalized, we can achieve a lot together, even if the change in the company is of course still challenging. But that shows how important knowledge and education is about the current situation, in all social classes and age groups. It will not be enough to revolutionize the education system. We have to reach everyone and in this respect we depend on good information offers.

30 years is a long time and the topic of sustainability is certainly not easy to digest. How did you manage to keep your motivation over the years? Perhaps also in difficult times and phases?

Of course, we didn't just experience heights at denkstatt. Around 25 years ago we had to work hard to earn our right to exist. Sometimes we didn't know if it would work out at the end of the month. That was a long time ago and now we are experiencing the other extreme. Today we are experiencing strong growth and we have to respond to different market needs in different countries where we have offices. This also has to be managed and brings with it its own challenges. And even if we have a lot of tailwind from EU politics, it happens that really good and sensible project proposals are not implemented and disappear in the drawer. That can be frustrating, and it's not always easy for our employees either. But what always motivates me personally is the people I get to work with. What we are now doing with denkstatt I could not have done on my own. I think what drives me in this context is that I just can't look away from what's happening with and on our planet.

We have to do something, we have no other choice. Our denkstatt team, which is working on exactly this, gives me an incredible amount of energy and what we achieve here together motivates me every day. Of course, this also applies to positive feedback from our customers. We always have projects where we can achieve incredible results and that is motivating for everyone. That's why I think cohesion and collaboration are so important. This is probably particularly true in the area of ​​sustainability. Good cooperation and successes in the team are a good counterbalance to one or the other setback.

Photo: The joint successes are celebrated at the annual denkstatt summer party.

You just mentioned the dynamics at EU level. Where do you think we would be if the obligations had existed 30 years ago, for example through the CSRD or the EU taxonomy?

It would all be easier for us if we hadn't lost so much time. There was already enough knowledge about climate change, but it was not used. Politics is definitely in demand here. Because I believe that we can only solve the climate issue if politicians create the right framework, for example in the form of laws and taxes. It is not in line with the dynamics of competition for a company to do more than it should. Yes, in many cases I CAN'T do that as a company.

At the moment, however, everyone is trusting that we will find some kind of solution and that we will then easily succeed. What many forget: In the past, environmental problems were solved by bans. Sulfur in fuels was banned to help control acid rain. CFCs in aerosol cans and refrigerators have been banned to stop the rapid growth of the ozone hole. That worked and was good and useful. But it is tempting to believe that we can also mitigate global warming with a similarly simple solution. What is different here is that we have to operate an extremely large number of levers at the same time and the problem of greenhouse gas emissions as a consequence of energy production actually affects everyone. Our society depends on energy. In addition, the price we currently pay for energy not reality. It is simply disproportionate to the impact for which we - our children and grandchildren - will have to pay a very high price later.

Let's stick to the future. In which world will we live in 30 years and what place does sustainability have in society and in consulting?

I am generally an optimist and have a positive image of the future. Fossil energy will no longer exist in 30 years and all business models based on it will no longer work. The Green Deal also includes the financial system, which is why these companies are already finding it more difficult to obtain financing. This development is already in full swing. This whole dynamic is reinforced by social trends that are increasingly raising their voices, such as the Scientist for Future Community, for example, which is increasingly appealing to take real developments and the voice of science seriously.

Sometimes I also notice a great deal of solidarity with the younger generation who are taking to the streets for the climate. Personally, I fully support it and have the utmost respect for it. But I believe that this whole social development cannot and will not pass without conflict. The social injuries and conflicts will need to be dealt with. We'll see where we are in 30 years.

However, in 30 years we will have solved technological problems to deal with climate change. I am convinced of that. But if we stay with the climate - that will have changed unpleasantly with all the consequences that we already know. Any effort to mitigate this development is therefore more than necessary. That's why it's so important for me to make a contribution here with denkstatt - through our scientific orientation, through our expertise and through our network and cooperation with other important players. I would like to see the same standards from all sustainability consultants. Our consulting service must focus on the social contribution. There must be a common vision for 2050 that we are working towards.

Thank you Christian for your insightful views, we are proud to share more from leadership across the Alliance on these topics.

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