Advania's group-wide sustainability report: 5 things we learned

From circular IT, to progress towards SBTi, here's what the Nordic reseller achieved in sustianability in the past 12 months

Nordic reseller Advania Group is looking to focus on its sustainability initiatives around the UN global compact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), circular IT lifecycle management, cyber resilience and closer relationships with customers as a lever to improve sustainability in the channel.

The group, which operates in Britain under the Advania UK logo (formerly Content+Cloud), outlined the key pillars of its green strategy in a group-wide sustainability report, published this week.

Advania is looking to position itself as a leader in the sustainability transition.

CEO Hege Støre (pictured) emphasised the company's dedication to becoming a sustainability leader in the channel. Some of the key efforts in supporting the transition over the past year have been reviewing and refining Advania's materiality assessment to align with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

The reseller said this process will continue in 2024, focusing on detailing its sustainability impacts, risks, and opportunities, and integrating them into the wider business strategy. The firm does not believe that the focus will change significantly, but will continue to review and adjust.

Focus on circular IT

Advania Group's investment in building an IT equipment recycling centre in Sweden was a highlight as the reseller is looking to expand its offering of circular IT management.

With the capacity to refurbish up to one million IT devices annually, this initiative addresses widespread waste management issues in the IT sector.

The group's Swedish business is also a member of the Circular Electronics Initiative – a global network with 29 member companies initiated by the organisation behind the third-party sustainability label TCO Certified.

Employee and customer retention as a sustainability driver

Advania singled out the importance of retaining both employees and customers as essential aspects of sustainability.

"We invest heavily in our employees' skill development and focus on creating an optimal physical, psychological, and social work environment," Støre's statement read.

"A low turnover keeps competence and knowledge in our companies and at our customers' disposal."

Cybersecurity in focus

Acknowledging the increasing cyber threats in today's connected world, the report identifies cybersecurity as a crucial sustainability area.

It emphasises the importance of ensuring trustworthy and resilient digital infrastructure to uphold democratic values and societal trust, aligning cybersecurity efforts with their sustainability goals.

The report points to increasing geopolitical risk, cybercrime and threat actors armed with AI as key drivers behind this pillar of its strategy.

As part of the push to improve cyber coverage, Advania points to its employees' high levels of information security training (between 88 per cent and 100 per cent of employees across its various markets) and GDPR (between 83 per cent and 100 per cent).

Preparedness for future sustainability requirements and SBTi validation

Advania expects upcoming legal requirements and shifts in priorities towards sustainability, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and other EU regulations.

The report references these changes positively, recognising the potential for increased systematisation, transparency, and risk-awareness.

The company is confident in its preparedness to meet the demands of upcoming legislation.

Advania's Swedish business has had its climate targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, and the Iceland arm has moved partway through the validation process. The report indicates that it will push further towards having its targets validated in other markets.

Brand refresh and the Advania way

In 2023, Advania undertook a comprehensive brand refresh, focusing on key elements such as the brand promise and employer value proposition.

Content + Cloud's own rebrand to Advania UK last year was part of this push.

Central to this initiative was the development of "The Advania Way," a brand platform aimed at articulating the company's culture and values.