Meet Rikke Therkildsen, the new Regional Sustainability Advisor placed at the Consulate General of Denmark in Istanbul.

Rikke has been working with business development in multiple sectors and industries for over 20 years and with Global Goals and Sustainable Development at the core for the last 5 years.

Along with 4 global colleagues, the SGVC team is part of an initiative listed in the Danish action plan to support the 17 Global Goals. By strengthening the MFA advisory on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) and Sustainable Global Value Chains (SGVC) including Due Diligence procedures to mitigate sustainability risks, the team supports businesses around the world in their efforts to do business without harming the environment, people or the society in which they operate.

The initiative has the following purpose:

• To increase awareness about RBC and Due Diligence in global supply chains.
• To assist trade advisors and companies address and take action on sustainability issues in both sourcing and sales efforts globally.
• To initiate and participate in relevant events and projects, to support relevant activities and initiatives already planned and build bridge between potential project partners.

For some companies, responsible business conduct throughout the value chain has been addressed for many years and continues to be a focus point – this is especially true for the large global enterprises. For the SMEs it can be more difficult, as they lack the knowledge and resources. The increased focus from customers and lawmakers has made it necessary for them to also take action in this field and the extended responsibility throughout the value chains, means that there is pressure on suppliers and sub-suppliers to document responsible conduct both regarding the possible negative impact the activities have on the environment and climate change, as well as the effect on people and society.

Therefore, we have to start the dialogue and discuss these issues.

• How can we work together to reduce CO2 emissions and the pollution of air, water and soil?
• How can we reduce the use of fossil fuels, energy and water?
• How can we optimize the use of the (scarce) resources on the planet and work towards increased reuse and recycling of products and materials?
• How can we ensure the fair treatment of workers and make the working conditions better?
• How can we positively impact the surrounding society and respect human rights and equality for all?
• What does it take? Which investments are needed? What data can be provided and what cannot? How can we collaborate about this and share knowledge and experiences?

For some we may even have to start with "Why is this action necessary?", but action is urgently needed and we must all collaborate to make it happen!

Did I mention that on top of this it is a really good business case? The future is sustainable, and the sooner a company takes action, the better the business case can potentially be!

Let me know if I can help you on how you and your company can support the sustainable development of your business.