We are a future-facing strategy consultancy working at the intersection of strategy and sustainability with the mission to help our clients act as if they are planning to stay — on this planet and in business.
We are sustainability experts first, consultants second. As such, we bring a broad knowledge and deep experience of sustainability and contribute to the space beyond commercial imperatives. As a mission-driven company, our clients’ sustainability success is our business. Our founders, senior leadership and entire team are personally invested and accountable for every single project.
Spectre, a large B-corp-certified supplier of outdoor wear, is ramping up its sustainability ambitions. Historically, sustainability has been a commercial and personal priority for Spectre. Over the last year and a half, Spectre has used the new EU reporting requirements to inform and update both its sustainability and company strategies - this also entailed committing to science-based targets for climate including a net-zero target. Nordic Sustainability, a Danish sustainability consultancy with expertise in strategy and reporting, supports them on this journey.
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Double materiality assessment helped prioritise strategic sustainability topics
EU mandates large companies to identify material sustainability matters (impacts, financial risks, and opportunities) by assessing how the company impacts society and how that might pose a risk or opportunity to the company itself. While this defines what the company then must disclose information on, it is also a common method used to inform strategy. Simply put, it helps the company prioritise which sustainability topics to focus on strategically.
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Understanding how business model, commercial growth, and sustainability impacts and opportunities are interlinked
Also mandated by the EU, companies must consider how they impact society over time and how their business model might drive negative or positive impacts. For example, if the company grows, will the CO2 footprint increase as well?
Spectre conducted this assessment by bringing together the sustainability and commercial departments. The conclusions were clear: Known challenges were discussed and recognised, while solutions and new opportunities were uncovered. This then shaped the new sustainability strategy.
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**SBTi target setting and submission **
Climate is one of the material topics Spectre included in the ‘environmental pillar’ of the sustainability strategy. Consequently, Spectre also decided to commit to SBTi, the most recognised climate target standard. The process entailed reviewing Spectre’s existing greenhouse gas inventory, modelling different decarbonisation scenarios, and finally, for the executive management to sign off on reduction targets for scope 1, 2, and 3 plus setting a long-term net-zero target.
Spectre will get climate targets approved by SBTi in the fall. During this period, Spectre and Nordic Sustainability will also develop a detailed action plan to operationalise the sustainability and climate targets. Spectre will publish the sustainability strategy and climate targets in early 2025.
