Improving environmental foothold of our business
As a company that looks to the future and works to adapt the service it offers to market demands and needs, Strategist is firmly devoted to environmental protection in line with its business model. With that being said, management of our environment, society and governance (ESG) performance has taken on significant importance for us as a company and in many ways became the compass guiding all our current and future business ventures. By adhering to these standards, encouraging others to do the same, and communicating these changes, we hope to contribute to making the world a better place.
We promise to closely monitor our company’s environmental effect and take steps to improve sustainability in our operations by placing a significant emphasis on the environmental component in everything we do.
A growing demand for ESG
Today, to a greater extent than it was the case before and largely as a result of Euro-Atlantic integration and globalization tendencies, the economic actors in Montenegro are turning to foreign markets. In this search for new clients and sales channels, new trends and ways of doing business are being established and pursued.
If we look at the European Union regulation in this area, a shift towards a greater demand for ESG reporting is more than evident. The regulation is being adopted at a pace and level never seen before, particularly through Corporate Sustainability Regulation Directive and the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) with all their components. In addition to the ESG framework provided by these documents, they also contain a regulatory component for the financial actors in the market, some of whom are also present in Montenegro, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
However, regardless of all these novelties and requirements, being present in the international market is extremely competitive for every business as it implies and queries an increased reliance on internationally accepted procedures and standards in order to gain a foothold and guarantee the quality of services and products provided.
Looking to the future
Beside the Western Balkans region, the European Union, which has 500 million potential clients or end users, is the nearest prospective market for firms in Montenegro. It is a market that also establishes certain conditions, particularly in terms of the quality of a good or service thus playing a significant role in retaining existing and securing new markets. This is why ISO standards come to the fore as they attest to not only what the customer is expecting and demanding, but also as a proof that a company controls its processes through independent accredited certification organization and their expert frame. In addition, obtaining an ISO standard certificate is a goal for every company that cares about upholding its reputation and has high expectations when it comes to entering new markets and expanding its client portfolio.
As the 21st century advances, a growing number of businesses and organizations are being very selective about who they want to partner with, and are doing so by taking into account companies’ environmental and social impact. The same happens with customers and end users. Regardless of the size or the scope of operations of a certain business, the public opinion is shifting in favor of businesses that have an environmental management system in place to minimize their environmental footprint and continuously look for areas in which they can improve. In line with the aforementioned, obtaining an ISO 14001 certification for Strategist and going through the entire process with a local company Mobes Monte for several months, was a useful and rewarding experience.
Environmental management system at Strategist
ISO 14001 is an internationally-recognized framework that provides businesses with the requirements of an environmental management system which allows a company to minimize its impact on the environment and optimize its environmental outputs by identifying environmental risks, as well as areas of improvement in order to become more environmentally friendly. Furthermore, for us this standard represents a tool which adds credibility to what we as a company do by demonstrating that our services and business operations meet the environmental requirements and expectations of our clients and partners. Not only that, it enables us to demonstrate that we as a company are capable of adjusting to the changes in the environment in which we do business and, by taking initiative, convey a message that we do not need to wait for this to become a legal or contractual requirement for us.
As we assist and consult our clients in minimizing their negative environmental and increasing their positive societal impact, as well as remain committed to reducing our own footprint, we at Strategist place a high importance on ISO 14001 accreditation. As part of the environmental initiatives of our business, we actively support recycling and reducing our consumption. All of this is also in line with our emphasis on the well-being of our employees, as well as stimulating working atmosphere and a more environmentally conscious way of conducting business.
In a world which is increasingly witnessing ESG become critical for businesses all across the world as it is a key factor in corporate decision making, we are aware of its importance and are doing our part in acting accordingly while also hoping to inspire others to adopt a different business approach. This certification is just a beginning for us and we are diligently preparing for all the challenges that lie ahead.