We discuss what is next for organizations in the wake of COP26 and how they can rapidly adopt a sustainability agenda.

#COP26 President Alok Sharma has suggested that the conference is the moment where "the rubber hits the road" for reaching the all-important goal of capping global heating at 1.5°C.  As we reach the end of COP26, we can argue whether we have put the world on the right path or not. But, irrespective, what is clear is that the real work of COP26 is yet to come.

The threat of a looming climate disaster has resulted in many heated discussions at the board level about what commitments are appropriate, as well as calculating the cost of sustainability for shareholders. As a result, organizations have set sustainability targets, knowing it is the right thing to do, but with little idea on how to achieve them. While pivoting may come at a reduced cost for some enterprises, for most, this has meant looking into the abyss and wondering how to act in the face of a possible existential threat to their businesses.

Pivoting into new business models requires innovation at every level of an organization. 

The big question remains: How do you activate behavior change in your workforce to meet your sustainability plan?

Cognician’s approach creates practical steps for a company’s board to become more familiar with challenges and potential solutions. It also makes it possible for the board to engage the organization, posing the right questions while challenging leadership, management, and employees to develop practical solutions. In addition, we help to design measurable outcomes at each stage, which make the change more accessible and achievable.

We also set challenges at the leadership and management level, translating the board’s strategic targets. These enable leaders to engage with their teams and to build their awareness and understanding of the language, tools, and methods needed to address the sustainability agenda in their business context. Our programs help managers take responsibility for their part of the organization’s sustainability plan and help them break it down into the relevant components. For example, what does it mean to create sustainable manufacturing? How do we address carbon across our supply chain? And what does sustainable HR look like? Across team, division, functions, and geographic dimensions of a large corporation, these questions must be asked, and innovative solutions must be co-created. Our platform enables you to set the behavioral agenda for each.

As a digital-first company, we are heavy users of cloud-based solutions, so we are asking these questions of ourselves. Specifically, how can we create a net-zero future for our platform and be a force for good when it comes to climate and carbon? The most important thing we believe we can contribute is deploying our behavior change activation platform for corporations to change at scale and quickly deliver a sector and industry-wide transformation.