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Securing progress in ESG: Turning ambition into action

Our Head of Group ESG, Giulia Modolo, reflects on how Conscia’s rapid growth is driving an equally rapid ESG transformation – and the way ESG priorities are now shaping the way we do business.

Why ESG matters

Only a few years ago, ESG was often treated as a value rather than a practical way of working: important but largely separate from commercial priorities and day to day decision making. Today, that has fundamentally changed. At Conscia, ESG is becoming embedded in how we manage risk, build trust with customers, and create value in a fast changing digital infrastructure market.

This reflects wider changes across Europe. Regulation has helped create a shared agenda and a common language across the value chain, making progress easier to measure (as reflected in our ESG reporting). Potential employees now expect clarity on values and priorities, and this is captured in our evolving Employee Value Proposition. But it is often customers and vendors that help us tangibly raise the bar, working with us to develop new solutions to practical challenges.

The ICT challenge: a sector with a growing footprint

Conscia operates in digital infrastructure. While we believe that technology has the power to transform society, our industry presents a unique paradox: digital services create value, yet they simultaneously require increasing amounts of energy. We invest in the health and well‑being of our people while navigating rapid technological change, including the impact of AI on skills. And while we keep critical systems running, from healthcare to transport, the emissions associated with ICT are becoming increasingly visible.

Overall, the sector’s complexity makes decarbonisation challenging and there are few established pathways and no shared roadmap for reaching net zero by 2050. Recognising this complexity is the first step towards creating meaningful solutions.

Our focus over the past year has been on building solid foundations and turning ambition into practical action; we have invested time in improving data quality and understanding where we can have the greatest impact. This helped us prioritise actions that address real business risks and deliver measurable results, while building ESG skills and building confidence.

From ambition to measurable progress

One of the clearest examples of this is decarbonisation. In FY25, we committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which gave us a science aligned framework to guide our climate action. This commitment has sharpened our priorities, provided direction to our teams and accelerated delivery. While continuing to grow the business, we reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by around 10% – this was driven by improvements in energy sourcing, energy efficiency, and fleet transition, with renewable energy sourcing in place or underway for all key locations.

ESG as a part of risk management

Conscia is a security company and ESG is closely linked to risk, not only regarding compliance, but business. Customers, investors, and partners expect clear targets, reliable data, and strong governance, so falling short can affect access to tenders, partnerships, and financing. This year, we are delivering on our promise to improve our ESG risk management by integrating ESG risks into our broader risk framework.

Responsible procurement and a transparent value chain

Responsible procurement has emerged as one of the most important ESG themes for our customers (and for us). Our value chain partners play a critical role in achieving our ESG goals by collaborating on solutions like making supplier emission data easily available to customers. In parallel, we are rolling out a more rigorous vendor risk management toolkit that integrates environmental, social, and governance criteria.

This is not about shifting responsibility upstream. It is about collaboration and shared improvement. Clear expectations, better data sharing, and ongoing dialogue help reduce emissions, improve social standards, and support our customers in meeting their own regulatory and ESG requirements, all while reducing risk across the value chain.

People at the centre of the transition

Progress on ESG depends on people. At Conscia, more than 1,700 employees contribute through everyday decisions – advising customers, managing projects, choosing solutions, and shaping local initiatives. This people-first approach is evident across the business. Teams are taking ownership of targets that reflect both scientific guidance and local realities.

We are also providing ESG training to make priorities clear and practical, as well as supported by targeted learning for specific roles. We continued to invest in diversity, development, and well being, increasing the share of new hires from underrepresented genders to 31%. This has consequences for retention, customer trust, and long term stability in a competitive labour market.

Looking ahead: securing progress and increasing predictability

Our focus is on securing progress and increasing predictability as we look to the year ahead. What can our customers expect? Our journey to continue at pace: targeted Scope 3 decarbonisation initiatives, stronger vendor risk and data transparency tools, and deeper integration of ESG into our customer dialogue. We will continue preparing for CSRD compliance while focusing on what matters most: being a low risk, trusted partner in a complex and regulated environment.
Our direction is clear. ESG is no longer a side project at Conscia. It is part of how we work, manage risk, and secure progress. Step by step, together.

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