1% certification - reflecting on our third year
Agilytic celebrates its third consecutive year as a 1% For The Planet certified company. We sat down with Julien Theys, Agilytic's co-founder, to discuss the motivations behind joining the initiative and to explore Agilytic's future involvement in sustainability efforts.
What inspired Agilytic to join the 1% for the Planet initiative, and how does it align with your company's values?
When Agilytic grew to about ten people, it became clearer to me that our organization's decisions were significantly impacting society and the environment.
We share our values publicly. These values guide every decision we make. At our core, we focus heavily on ownership and initiative. Rather than merely identifying problems, we ask ourselves, "How can we become solution finders?" This approach is what we apply daily for our clients. It's crucial that we also hold ourselves to these same principles.
We explored various environmental certifications and are considering them for future commitments. However, 1% for the Planet stood out due to its simple yet meaningful commitment targets.
Can you share a specific environmental project or organization that Agilytic has supported through this initiative, and why it was chosen?
I'd like to highlight two organizations we've been supporting since the beginning of our 1% for the Planet involvement.
First, there's the European Cyclists' Federation, which promotes cycling as a sustainable and healthy mode of transportation across Europe. They advocate for cycling-friendly policies at the European level.
We're particularly drawn to the pan-European impact our contributions can have. With the ECF, we provide data analytics support, helping them enhance their analysis and data-driven advocacy efforts.
Secondly, we support Goodplanet Belgium, an organization dedicated to educating and inspiring individuals—especially young people—to adopt eco-friendly practices and make positive changes for the planet. We believe that everything starts with the right mindset, so educating younger generations is a crucial cause to support.
Beyond our modest financial support, I also assist them in structuring their fundraising activities, applying our B2B marketing and sales experience to the non-profit world.
How has being a member of 1% for the Planet influenced Agilytic's business practices and company culture?
I'm far from perfect, but I strongly believe in leadership by example and "showing, not telling." Ensuring we respect our 1% for the Planet commitments is crucial in demonstrating that we practice what we preach.
We've also begun highlighting what we call "impact projects"—initiatives where we've developed credible expertise and that significantly contribute to improving our clients' sustainability goals.
What positive impacts have you observed since joining the initiative?
Let's explore three types of impacts we've observed.
First, the "in-kind" donation element allows us to create impact multipliers for the nonprofits we assist. While a monetary contribution has a one-to-one impact—which is valuable in itself!—our project-based contributions can significantly enhance fundraising efficiency or advocacy efforts, providing even greater value to these organizations.
Second, our involvement has motivated us to showcase our impact projects more prominently. We've realized that we were perhaps too modest about our optimization achievements, despite them being among the most environmentally impactful projects an organization can undertake.
Third, it serves as our internal guiding star in becoming a better company. We've managed to drastically reduce our real estate and energy footprint, even as we've experienced double-digit growth year over year. We now prioritize alternative mobility solutions. Moreover, in our core business, we offer cloud optimization services to minimize unnecessary technology usage.
Speaking of which, how do you see the role of businesses, especially in the tech sector, in addressing environmental challenges?
The tech sector can't bury its head in the sand. The latest generative AI developments, while technologically fascinating, represent an ecological setback. Big tech players have delayed their net-zero targets due to the massive computing power required to train and operate cutting-edge models like ChatGPT.
We bear a significant responsibility in deploying these technologies only where they create tangible impact. Otherwise, we risk developing wasteful "Rube Goldberg machines" that serve no purpose beyond showcasing AI for its own sake.
This pragmatic approach aligns naturally with Agilytic's stance. We've always advocated for practical applications of the latest technology. While we possess advanced skills in AI, our responsibility extends to challenging ourselves and our clients to consider: "Is it truly worth the investment?"
What would you say to other companies considering joining 1% for the Planet? How can they overcome potential hesitations?
I strongly encourage companies to join the movement. The process is straightforward, and the 1% for the Planet team members are incredibly helpful and supportive.
Our commitments are simple, making them easy to communicate both internally and externally.
Regarding hesitations, I empathize with sectors where margins are thin and 1% of revenue could be significant. In such cases, I'd encourage considering donations in kind, which can be extremely impactful for our partner non-profits.
Additionally, I recommend getting involved with local NGOs. Face-to-face interactions with our partners are crucial, as they allow us to maximize our impact and find the most effective ways to support their efforts.
Looking ahead, what are Agilytic's goals within the 1% for the Planet framework, and how do you plan to achieve them?
We view this as a virtuous cycle: as our business thrives, we can contribute more to our partners' growth.
While we don't aim for exponential growth, we're committed to finding impact multipliers in our contributions, maximizing the effect of our support.
Finally, how can individuals and smaller businesses contribute to environmental causes, even if they're not able to commit 1% of their revenue?
Remember, every action counts. It's not about the scale of your contribution, but about initiating momentum and consistently reviewing your commitment. Even small efforts can make a significant difference.
Moreover, one of the great aspects of the 1% for the Planet (1% for the Planet) system is that there's no minimum business size required to participate. This means companies can—and should—consider joining early in their lifecycle, eliminating any excuses for delaying involvement.
