1 The sustainable society is built on collaboration The key to the sustainable society and a more efficient use of resources is closer collaboration in new constellations: collaboration between different sectors in trade and industry, between private enterprise and the public sector, and between individuals both as citizens and consumers. This year’s Green Advisor Report gives new examples of what we are doing to promote greater, closer collaboration that paves the way towards a sustainable future. Fifteen years have passed since the UN formulated its millennium development goals to combat poverty, hunger, diseases such as AIDS/HIV and malaria, and to meet the threats to climate and the environment. Significant progress has been made in many areas, not least in reducing extreme poverty. In terms of sustainability, however, the challenges are greater than ever. Global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and coal, oil and gas still reign supreme in satisfying the world’s thirst for energy. Every passing year sees the loss of millions of hectares of forest, the extinction of large numbers of species and dwindling supplies of life-sustaining resources such as water. One of the main factors compelling waves of refugees to seek sanctuary in Europe is climate change compounded by political and economic instability. The UN’s new goals for its post 2015 development agenda focus on three areas: poverty, equality and climate. As a leading engineering and consulting company and member of the UN Global Compact, ÅF shares a responsibility to act as a pace-setter, showing others the way forward in these areas. A more sustainable society that makes more efficient use of the resources at its disposal calls for closer collaboration between stakeholders. Today’s small, isolated entities can be interlinked in new, large-scale systems that make more effective use of capital and resources. With solar panels on the roof of their home linked to smart electricity grids, electricity consumers can also become electricity producers. With technology and better teamwork household waste can be transformed into a valuable energy resource. The utilisation rate for a private car increases by several hundred percent when it becomes part of a car-sharing pool. New concepts like the sharing economy, the circular economy and collaborative consumption all describe this accelerating trend towards more teamwork in society. ÅFs role is to enable our clients to achieve greater sustainability in their business operations by embracing solutions and offering products and services that are more sustainable. This report focuses on just a few of the many collaborations in fields such as renewable energy, land-use planning and infrastructure investments where ÅF has made a contribution towards a more sustainable society. In all such collaborations – with clients and partners in trade and industry, the public sector and academia – we use our knowledge, our expertise and the technology at our disposal to pave the way towards greater sustainability. The Green Advisor Report makes for stimulating reading, with features on ÅFs innovative, climate-friendly solutions for the expansion of Gardermoen Airport in Norway, roadmaps for a global transition to sustainable energy, and how better street lighting has reduced criminality in a Copenhagen suburb. Welcome to the world of ÅF – and to closer collaboration for a more sustainable society. Nyamko Sabuni Vice President Sustainability, ÅF GREEN ADVISOR REPORT 2015
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