Malin, you have built up 2050 Consulting in Linköping. What are your driving forces?
When you work with climate and sustainability issues every day, you realize how big the challenge is to change our society, and also how urgent it is. Working with companies that want to change the way they do business and take greater responsibility is extremely fun. Being able to coach others and support employees to contribute to customers' transition is a bonus. The more talented employees 2050 has, the more we can increase the impact of our work. Many of the people we hire are young and extremely competent, which in itself provides a lot of energy. We can really learn from each other and achieve good results together. I also think it's great that the Linköping office is 2050's second largest office (after the head office in Stockholm).

People sometimes talk about sustainable leadership. What do you understand by that concept?
For me, sustainable leadership is about long-term thinking and responsibility. The company's long-term development and profitability depend on the company taking responsibility for the consequences of its activities, both positive and negative, and internal and external. For example, a company that causes high climate-related emissions, negatively impacts biodiversity, uses materials or products that are not produced under fair labor conditions, or allows corrupt business practices, will not survive in the long run. In any case, the value added to the company will be meager. So for me, responsibility to people and the planet is closely linked to responsibility to owners and employees. Leadership that includes sustainability as a natural part of business is therefore good leadership. But perhaps that's being a little presumptuous. You can see it as simply cleaning up your own mess, respecting nature, and not treating others in a way that you don't want to be treated yourself. That goes a long way.
You are very committed to the climate issue. How do you deal with working with customers who are not prepared to change?
In fact, it's quite rare that I come across companies that don't want to find ways to become more sustainable. For one thing, they may not be looking to 2050, and for another, we have a principle that we turn down assignments that we suspect are more about "greenwashing" than anything else. When this happens, it is usually about individuals in the company who are skeptical. By listening to their thoughts and trying to understand why they are skeptical, and ensuring that we understand the core of the business and what is really important to address, you tend to bring those who are initially reluctant on board. But, having said that, of course there are times when I get frustrated that things move so slowly, and that sometimes completely irrelevant perspectives are brought into the decisions on how to move forward. In those cases, I can sometimes be glad to be a consultant and be able to move on and work with someone who wants more and faster!