A bigger challenge than climate change lies in biodiversity 

“Many people think that the green transition is primarily about climate change, but when it comes to solving the crises around us, biodiversity is an even bigger challenge that needs to be addressed,” says the CEO of sustainable development pioneer Gaia Consulting, part of the Sweco Group. Maria Sangder. 

The challenge is that green transition solutions may not necessarily fit directly into the markets we are used to. The success of solutions cannot be modeled on the basis of actual data, but rather uncertainty must be tolerated in a different way.  

"In companies where responsibility is only perceived as mandatory and a risk, change is not only more difficult to achieve, but the impact of change is also likely to be smaller. It all culminates in leadership. Companies need to create a culture of change and make sustainability a part of everyone's everyday life," says Maria Sangder.

"We work to promote biodiversity from several different perspectives. The consequences of specific projects must be identified already in the planning phase so that we know in which direction things should be taken. At the same time, we need to look at what kind of drivers affect nature loss in the big picture and what kind of actions in your own organization's value chain can promote both biodiversity and your own impact. Together with Sweco, we can support companies in their biodiversity work, from business strategies to concrete project planning," says Gaia's business director. Piia Pessala. 

Gaia Consulting Oy is a pioneer in sustainable development, with 30 years of experience in providing companies and communities with a holistic view and action plans on sustainable development. At the corporate level, one of the challenges is to produce solutions that create value while taking biodiversity goals into account.  

"In order for the transformation to take place, in addition to new innovations that promote the green transition, we need to make current offerings and services more responsible. We must be prepared to examine our own operations and see how they could change. Changing pain points is the best way to have a positive impact towards more sustainable development and the economy," believes Piia Pessala.