From environmental studies in Poland to sustainable adventures in Denmark

When as a company you make a living from selling products that are used in nature – and when you are passionate about the environment – it makes a lot of sense to work with sustainability as part of your daily work tasks.

At least that’s how it is for Category & Sustainability Manager Kasia Bartosik Sørensen, who daily works with responsibility for purchasing, sales, and marketing at the Danish outdoor chain Eventyrsport.

From Poland to Denmark

Already as a child, Kasia sorted cardboard for recycling, green waste for compost, and collected waste in nature together with her scout friends in Poland, where she grew up.

In the mid-90s, she studied environmental management, carried out market analyses of green investments in Poland, and wrote a thesis on how countries can set binding targets for the reduction of CO2.

Therefore, it was completely natural for Kasia to choose Denmark, “the green country with many wind opportunities”, which she moved to after finishing her studies, where she found both love and her career, working for Eventyrsport.

Purpose in work

At Eventyrsport, Kasia has made it part of her personal work-life mission to incorporate sustainability into the heart of the business.

Even when something requires more time than the day allows, in addition to negotiations, product assortment composition, logistics, pricing, sales and marketing, one must find time to incorporate sustainability requirements for suppliers and launch new sustainability initiatives.

We must make a positive contribution to preserving the environment for future generations – and at the same time future-proof the company’s earnings in the long run. But when you have limited time to work on sustainability, the most important thing for me is to stay focused and do more of what works, explains Kasia B. Sørensen, who became a certified Sustainable Business Change Manager in 2018.

Adventure sports’ first sustainability step

Already during certification training, Kasia began to translate the new learning into concrete sustainability initiatives in Eventyrsport.

It began with an alliance with Hus Forbi, where Eventyrsport donates quality branded goods with product complaints that can be easily repaired so that the goods both get a “second life” and at the same time make it possible to support the most vulnerable in society.

Since then, these activities have included: CO2 accounting for the company’s shopping bags; promotion of Eventyrsport’s selected sustainable brands such as Tentree as well as introducing Eventyrsport’s sustainability brand “Careful choice” . The brand is used to help customers buy sustainably, but suppliers have also started to use the Careful choice criteria, so that their products are further developed and contribute to Sustainable Development Goals.

Kasia has no doubt the efforts are already creating value both on the internal and external bottom lines:

Our employees are super proud to be part of this journey, the Hus Forbi alliance, and the work with sustainable brands. This affects sales in a positive direction. The more of these sustainable products we sell rather than other alternatives, the more we can support positive sustainable development in the retail industry, says Kasia enthusiastically.

Committing to the motto “Always on top”

When Eventyrsport has the motto “Always at the top”, then we are fully committed.

Therefore, Kasia’s next focus will be to get even more brands, especially footwear, on the sustainable journey. And then to ensure prioritizing the sustainability work in the strategic context of the company to future-proof both profit and viability in a market dominated by strong competition.

For the next steps, the sustainability training will once again show its value:

I used the education at the time to start the first sustainable projects in the company and to further formalize my position. But I have many more ideas for what we can do to contribute and strengthen our sustainability profile even further. So when I start to tackle new areas, I know that there is inspiration to be found in both the curriculum and the good tools from the education – and that I can draw on our strong Alumni network for fully qualified Sustainable Business Change Managers, where we support each other with knowledge and solutions.

For Kasia, the way forward is bright and clear. ” My goal with the sustainability work is to contribute to positive development in the fight against climate change and for the fulfillment of the UN’s global goals, by creating a strong sustainability profile for Eventyrsport,“ explains Kasia and elaborates:

“I see the work with CSR as the way to build greater customer loyalty, strengthen relationships, strengthen employee satisfaction, ensure greater earnings and make Eventyrsport a preferred business partner, especially for companies with sustainable strategies. And in that community to create sustainable growth.”

Kasia’s 3 good tips for sustainable change management:

Tip #1:  The CSR area is huge. So take small steps at a time, focus, and do more of what works.

Tip #2: Think in terms of alliances and invite others to the sustainable work – then the change will be greater. If we all make a small change, we can make a huge impact together.  🙂

Tip #3: Talk about both victories and challenges on the journey – this creates a positive atmosphere, support and transparency towards both customers and employees. No one is perfect, at least we aren’t!

More about Eventyrsport
Adventure Sports’ “Careful Choice” labeling scheme

The Sustainable Business Change Manager Online certificate programme is provided by TANIA ELLIS – The Social Business Company®, a leading Scandinavian-based speaking, consulting and training company. The programme is supported by B Corp Movement in the Nordics and endorsed by Henley Business School Denmark. Sign up to our Academy newsletter to learn more about our training opportunities.

Learn more at www.sustainablebusinesschangemanager.com