We sat down for a short chat with Viviana Andermatt, Sustainability Manager at BDO, one of GreenBuzz’s important premium partners, to find out about their sustainability journey and future plans.

GB: What first prompted BDO to become a GreenBuzz partner?

Viviana Andermatt: The GreenBuzz network, with its promising potential and engaging events organized in collaboration with various stakeholders from science, government, and the private sector, has motivated us to contribute to this crucial knowledge exchange actively. We value the GreenBuzz network for its momentum in pioneering sustainable initiatives and for the great diversity of its members. The impact of the network’s events is significant, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be part of this. The valuable expertise of GreenBuzz in connecting complementary decision-makers who can drive sustainable change, and our involvement in this network is pivotal to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through impactful collaboration.

GB: We’ve met up at a few of our events – what has been your favourite so far?

Viviana Andermatt: I thoroughly enjoy attending events hosted by our network partners, as they provide a platform to exchange ideas with industry experts on trending sustainability topics. Additionally, I find the social events at the DAR Restaurant to be equally delightful.

GB: How important is sustainability to you personally and BDO as a company?

Viviana Andermatt: Raising awareness about the limits of our planet’s resources is crucial. By doing so, we can ensure that we use our resources wisely and effectively in our daily lives. I am confident that the current wave of new regulations, which encourage companies to shift their focus from short-term profits to long-term risks and opportunities, will make businesses more resilient in the long run.

For BDO, sustainability is not just a buzzword but a core principle guiding our corporate culture and services. As a global organization with more than 1776 offices worldwide, we understand the unique challenges that local businesses face with international regulations. This understanding fuels our unwavering commitment to helping our clients, including many small and medium-sized enterprises, transform their business models to be more sustainable and resilient, and last but not least, to promote their organic business growth.

BDO Global, as one of the leading international networks of independent accounting and consulting companies, offers a wide range of services to various industries, such as the financial, healthcare, and high-tech sectors. We are proud to play a key role in the sustainable and digital transformation of both domestic and global economies, inspiring businesses to adopt more sustainable practices and technologies.

GB: Tell us about BDO’s sustainability journey over the years.

Viviana Andermatt: BDO Switzerland’s journey in sustainability started almost ten years ago when we started measuring our carbon footprint. Soon after, we began offering our first advisory services to our clients. BDO Switzerland and the entire international BDO network are well-positioned to provide local support for regional and local sustainability issues. What sets us apart is our proactive approach to understanding and addressing sustainability challenges in the context of our client’s geographic and economic circumstances. This demonstrates our commitment to providing the most effective yet pragmatic sustainability advice possible.

BDO Switzerland’s comprehensive annual sustainability report demonstrates its commitment to non-financial transparency and accountability. According to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, this report describes our sustainability strategy and the measures we have taken to achieve our sustainability goals. By reading this report, you will gain an extensive understanding of our sustainability initiatives and our progress.

GB: What sustainability challenges does your industry need to overcome?

Viviana Andermatt: Our current challenges are twofold. First, we proactively strive to meet our clients’ expanding and diverse sustainability needs with customized solutions. Second, we are dedicated to building up specific expertise in emerging and increasingly complex sustainability matters, demonstrating our commitment to staying ahead in the field.

In daily business, we also counter the need for greater awareness and understanding of the urgency and necessity of a sustainable transformation at the various company levels, especially among boards of directors. Despite growing legal requirements within the sustainability field, there is often a very conservative attitude towards sustainability,’ which is still associated with somewhat commercialized marketing-like selling points.

GB: If you could make one change to make the world more sustainable, what would it be?

Viviana Andermatt: The urgency of our current environmental and economic challenges demands a more holistic approach to creating a sustainable market economy. This approach involves the participation of various actors from the private and public sectors, as well as the development of new scientific methods. To this end, the formation of regional working groups is crucial, as it could significantly contribute to creating ecologically self-sustaining communities within individual ecosystems. Sustainable communities focus on creating environmentally friendly, economically stable, and socially inclusive living spaces.

I believe it is essential to establish collaborative sustainability networks at both the regional and global community levels to effectively address regional and, ultimately, global challenges. By linking this to political policy, sustainable communities can ensure that all relevant economic actors work together to identify and address long-term risks and opportunities for society.

Viviana, thank you for your time!