Looking back on my journey to sustainability...

I started my sustainability journey in the shoes of a problem-solving person. Back then, I only took for granted what science said. I would take the KPI and start to work on possible solutions. I soon found out that there are many ways we can optimize how we do things, environmentally speaking, even when you only look at the surface of things. So, I (naively) started to look around and have open discussions with the people who could impact and help make some changes. From there, we started defining strategy and building a more impactful roadmap. I thought it was about acquiring new habits. I know old habits die hard, but to me, it looked like “only” a question of prioritization (and money, sometimes). It looked clear and easy to me, but some things did surprise me as I embarked on that journey toward environmental sustainability.  

Some say there are no failures, only lessons, so here is what I’ve learned up until now.  

We shouldn’t approach sustainability only through a technical lens.  

The first “trap” is to think of environmental sustainability as only a technical problem when it encompasses way more aspects. Awareness is essential, but alone it cannot thrive. It is a bit like smoking; People know smoking kills and yet it doesn’t prevent them from starting or help them quit. Knowing about a problem and its consequences isn’t enough to solve it and you need to accept that it will take more time to embark everyone that you thought.  

You cannot thrive alone. 

I thought I could make things change on my own, and fast too. First, I learned that getting sponsors and allies is crucial when dealing with such systemic issues. The part where you convince stakeholders to back you up is essential to carry on. Second, take a step back to put your ideas in order and prioritize. It is a brand-new project, so obviously, you get thousands of ideas and potential projects to start. If you give in to all of them, all you’ll get is an overwhelming feeling, which can be counterproductive. It can be demoralizing when you face people who don’t share your enthusiasm. You can try to push harder and end up exhausted, wanting to do too much too fast. That is why it’s important to slow down and go step by step. 

It takes time to embark everyone. 

Pushbacks are part of the process, and it doesn’t mean you’re failing. When launching a disruptive project, whatever it is I think, it is normal to face some pushback. You must be prepared to hear a lot of “What for?”, “Are you sure your data/information/process is correct?”, “Do we really risk something if we don’t do anything?”, “Sorry, we have other priorities.” No need to say it may make you feel discouraged when you’re on the receiving hand. I’ve found that one way to turn it around is to stay positive, and proactive and educate people, showing them what they could gain: cost savings, new opportunities, innovative projects, and better performance. Always remember that no structural and disruptive change can happen overnight, and it doesn’t mean you ought not to try.  

You must fight deep-rooted assumptions about sustainability. 

The last real obstacle I had to overcome was the deep-rooted assumption that talking about environmental sustainability is bullshit. Anytime you address this topic, there is a risk you’ll be called out to do greenwashing. I’ve found the term sustainability to be quite repulsive for some people. To some, it sounds shallow and more like a buzzword than a project. If we think about it, the same thing happened to the term “smart cities” at some point. There is still awareness to be raised among the tech community for starters. It remains hard for some tech people to take up this task and consider it their job to take care of optimizing our energetic footprint.  

We all know big changes don’t happen overnight but when something matters to you, you always wish people would seize its importance right away. In truth, it always takes time. When I look back, I feel awareness has grown and spread over the years, and more and more people no longer deny the urgency of this project. From an infrastructure standpoint, changes have been made and we’re heading in the right direction, but we still need to accompany other stakeholders, like our users, for example. That is the tricky part of environmental sustainability. Furthermore, even if Criteo were to cross the finish line tomorrow, it wouldn’t make much of a difference if we cross it alone. The entire value chain must evolve to enhance sustainable change across the industry. The good news is we’re on the move, and even though there is still a lot to be done, and we now know we are not running a sprint but a marathon.