Side 2
summary How to speed up the sustainable transformation Agenda 2030 was established by the United Nation as a universal call to action to end poverty and set the world on a path of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all on a healthy planet. The agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 under- lying targets to be achieved by the end of this decade. It has been adopted by all UN member states. The ASF Advisory Board consists of representatives from leading public and private companies with a background in IT, s ustainability or purchasing. Over the last few years, the Board has issued three reports: on Transparency, Circular Economy and Closing the Loop on Materials. The goal is to p rovide the industry with valuable insights into the expectations of the Nordic market and recommendations on how to address urgent issues. 2 The IT industry is a game-changing enabler for a sustainable future. Digital solutions offer possibilities that help fulfill the UN Sustainability Goals in several sectors. It’s unarguably a positive development and also a fact that presupposes that the industry itself becomes more sustainable. The question is; what does the industry need to do to speed up its own s ustainable transformation? Atea Sustainability Focus (ASF) is an initiative that consolidates the voices of the Nordic IT buyers on how the IT industry meets the expectations on important sustainability issues, and how that connects to the 2030 Agenda. The initiative provides the industry with valuable insights into the expectations of the Nordic market and recommendations on how to address urgent issues. A race against time This year’s report concludes that we are not moving fast enough. We are in a race against time to fulfill the S ustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the sustainability performance of the IT industry needs to accelerate. In order to succeed there is an urge for a collaborative effort from all stakeholders. Invitation to dialogue To help achieve results faster, the ASF Advisory Board invites the industry’s sustainability coalition Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) as well as leading IT brands to a series of dialogues, beginning in the spring of 2021. Atea Sustainability Focus | February 2021
Side 3
The dialogues should result in New business models that favor circularity, focusing initially on closing the loop on materials and increasing product lifespan. A platform for circular design that defines best practices for industry and buyers. Transparent information to buyers about progress in circular design, materials reuse and reparability/ modularity among others, including auditable circular- economy code provisions. Adaptation of existing standards for circularity to fit them to the challenges of the industry. A common understanding of what is important from an impact perspective translated into science-based sustainability requirements that can be included in the tender process. 12345 The dialogue invitation was formulated during a two-day ASF Advisory Board meeting in November 2020. The meeting included a briefing on the stakeholder dialogues, industry analysis and on the sustainability, progress made so far by the IT industry. The Advisory Board had profound discussions that covered a wide range of perspectives, insights, and assessments before deciding on the final statement to the RBA. February 2021 | Atea Sustainability Focus 3
