Boards of directors face the challenge of sustainability

On April 4th, I had the opportunity to organize and moderate a debate organized by dss+ and the Swiss Leaders association. Dedicated to the topic of sustainability within boards of directors (BDs), it took place with Adèle Thorens Goumaz and Sofia de Meyer. The first, well known for her political career and her current role as a professor at the School of Engineering and Management of the Canton of Vaud, has sat on Alpiq’s board of directors for a year. As for Sofia de Meyer, founder of Whitepod and the lemonade brand Opaline, she is a member of the board of Romande Energie.

During this exchange, several lines of reflection emerged to answer a fundamental question: how should sustainability issues be integrated and then assumed within boards of directors?

First of all, it appears that the notion of sustainability should occupy a central place in a board of directors’ strategy, or at the very least constitute one of its fundamental pillars. Ideally, it should even be inscribed in the company’s purpose. Without this anchoring, it becomes particularly difficult, in times of crisis, to rely on strategy to reaffirm a clear direction.

At Romande Energie, Sofia de Meyer indicates that this notion of a heading translates into the objective of guiding the company towards the decarbonization of French-speaking Switzerland by 2040. This commitment is deeply rooted in the organization itself. Thus, any decision or investment that would stray from it would struggle to find internal legitimacy. Regarding Alpiq, Adèle Thorens Goumaz explains that the group also integrates the preservation of the climate into its purpose, alongside supply security, and has set itself the ambition of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.

It is about considering the company as an actor inserted into a global ecosystem, and not as an isolated and compartmentalized entity.

Thinking of the company as an ecosystem

During that same debate, the notion of systems thinking was raised. It is about considering the company as an actor inserted into a global ecosystem, and not as an isolated and compartmentalized entity. By integrating the different stakeholders, it becomes possible to create a more legitimate framework for action and to accelerate transformation or transition processes. In this perspective, the board of directors can be a driver of this thinking, by facilitating the emergence of synergies around common interests.

Of course, and this falls within its mandate, a board of directors must ensure compliance with applicable legislation and anticipate risks. But it is also incumbent upon it to adopt a forward-looking vision, proactively and openly.

With the recent decisions of the European Union concerning the CSRD directive and its OMNIBUS package (amendment proposal dated 26 February 2025), it becomes crucial for companies to consider the sustainability report as a genuine strategic instrument, and no longer as a mere compliance or communication tool.

The essential thing is that sustainability is treated transversally, and that it is taken into account as a priority in every strategic decision of the company. Sustainability is not limited to the environment: it also encompasses social and economic dimensions. These are three objectives that are often complex to reconcile. Their prioritization must be at the heart of debates within boards of directors.

Every sustainable transformation rests on the daily commitment of all employees, across the diversity of their roles.

Uniting all employees

For Adèle Thorens Goumaz as for Sofia de Meyer, it is essential that sustainability be erected as a central value, capable of bringing together and uniting all stakeholders of a company. In the same way that workplace safety unites employees around an immediate objective — preserving lives — the company should be able to make the protection of ecosystems a shared and unifying objective.

What satisfaction to be able to say to oneself: “Today, I contributed to making my company a responsible company, by respecting my colleagues, my partners, while taking care of the impacts of our activities on terrestrial ecosystems.”

This is where the notion of the individual makes all the sense. For every sustainable transformation rests on the daily commitment of all employees, across the diversity of their roles. To succeed, it is essential to make the strategy operational, and it is in this perspective that we discussed the need to establish a genuine transmission belt between the board of directors and the executive committee. Indeed, a decision only makes full sense if it is actually implemented.

In this perspective, it seems wise to regularly involve members of the executive committees in board meetings. This sustained collaboration not only makes it possible to ensure smooth communication, but also to promote the integration of diverse viewpoints and expertise. Training also constitutes a privileged lever for many companies, in order to align knowledge, and thus enable everyone to start their own path towards a sustainable transformation.

There is no doubt that, faced with the major challenges confronting the energy sector, the role of the board of directors is more crucial than ever: it must carry a sustainable and constructive vision of the company’s future, centered on people, which aligns with and acts in coherence with a shared direction and objectives.

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