O PI N I O N Putting your money where your mouth is Sustainability is the buzzword of the moment, with everyone from politicians to business owners to celebrities sharing big statements and pragmatic best practices. But, asks FIDI Secretary General Jesse van Sas, how do we apply it in our own daily professional lives? Y ou will have heard that FIDI, along with ve other associations in the global mobility world (IAM, WERC, CHPA, EuRA and CERC), have joined forces to structure our efforts in the complex world of sustainability in our industry. There is a clear need for an industry roadmap and strategic direction; every company is frantically looking for dened next steps to respond to growing pressure from legislators, the public, customers and staff to take meaningful action in this area. This really is a great initiative, particularly for the movers in the industry. They, after all, are the rst to be singled out when carbon emissions are tallied up. We operate trucks and vans, order air and ocean freight, and use other transport means. These are all polluting activities and, as a result, ngers will be pointed at us. However, a move only takes place because a customer orders it, and that indicates a shared responsibility between customers and movers. The customer is indirectly responsible for the carbon emissions caused by the relocation supply chain, which are identied nowadays as Scope 3 emissions. This makes the whole environmental sustainability matter highly complex and interconnected. Therefore, cooperation between all stakeholders in global mobility is not only a must it is a simple and unavoidable fact. FIDI has a clear intent to make this a focal point in its strategic development for the coming years. The pressure is not going to go away; rather, it is going to increase as the impact of unchecked economic growth continues to take its toll on the world. We do this not just because of the push from all angles, but because we all feel this is the right way forward. While legislators and global organisations are working top-down on this matter, what can we do, as businesses, to play our part in protecting our environment? How do we practise sustainability, and put our money where our mouth is? Allow me to kick at an open door. In October and November this year, many of us went on a two-, three- or even a four-week business trip to North America, lining up multiple conferences and RMC meetings. All badly needed gatherings, after almost three years of COVID-induced virtual meetings. We are all human beings after all, and we need the social contact to forge true and longlasting business relationships. But four weeks of rather uncoordinated travelling, with little or no respect for the time commitment and the environmental impact? Deep down, we all know that this is very hard to justify, and that we can and should do better. Yes, the pressure post-COVID to increase our business performance is high. There is much to do to recover nancially from what has been, and still is, a very challenging time. But can we at least try to be more efcient about this? Can the organisers and this includes our own association nd ways to combine events and meetings, and thus reduce the need for so much travelling? If we are serious about environmental sustainability, we need to start with ourselves and get clever about how we do business. Do share your views; we are listening. Jesse van Sas, Secretary General of FIDI Global Alliance Connect with me on LinkedIn or by email: jesse.vansas@fidi.org Twitter: @jessevansas @FIDIglobal 21 FF308 Dec-Jan 23 pp21 Jesse Opinion.indd 21 05/12/2022 16:42