At IDEA Consult, sustainability is not a new ambition or a recent add-on. It has long been part of how we work, think and collaborate: shaping our projects, our partnerships and the choices we make as an organisation.

Every year, we contribute to a wide range of projects that relate, directly or indirectly, to sustainable development: from social and economic innovation to labour markets, governance and stakeholder engagement. Long before sustainability strategies became standard practice, many of these principles were already embedded in our work, through our focus on people, collaboration, the public interest and long-term impact.

From SDG Pioneer to SDG Champion: building structure to strengthen what we already do

In 2020, we decided it was time to make this long-standing commitment more explicit and more structured. Together with CIFAL Flanders, we embarked on a formal sustainability trajectory. We took a step back as an organisation and asked ourselves some fundamental questions: what are we already doing well? Where can we improve? And where can our expertise genuinely make a difference?

This internal reflection, shaped by the input of many colleagues, led to a first action plan and a clearer framework for how sustainability lives within IDEA Consult, both internally and in our work for clients.

An important milestone followed in 2023, when IDEA Consult was recognised as an SDG Pioneer. For us, this recognition was not an endpoint, but a confirmation that we were moving in the right direction and a motivation to keep raising the bar. Since then, we have continued to sharpen our strategy, identify the sustainability topics where our impact is strongest, and invest in learning, governance and impact thinking. Today, we are taking the next steps towards becoming an SDG Champion, with a stronger focus on impact, transition and transparency.

A journey shaped by people, practice and learning

Sustainability is not a static plan or a checklist. It is an evolving process that requires learning, dialogue and concrete action. It lives not only in strategies and reports, but in everyday choices, project work and collaboration across the organisation.

That is why, in the coming newsletters, we will zoom in on the people and stories behind this journey. In the next editions, colleagues will share their personal experiences and reflections on what sustainability means in their work at IDEA Consult: from research and advisory projects to internal practices and partnerships. To keep the conversation going we will share monthly sustainability insights on LinkedIn through our “Stories of Change” series.

A dedicated internal sustainability working group helps keep this journey moving. It follows up on actions, supports learning across the organisation, and ensures sustainability remains part of our daily practice, not just a plan on paper. The group also helps bring our insights to the outside world through communication and knowledge sharing.

Make sure to follow the series here.

This is very much a journey in progress, and we are glad to share it with you.

Already curious to learn more? Discover our full sustainability story on our website or discover some of our earlier compiled projects with impact here.

P.S. In addition to integrating sustainability as a red thread throughout our work, IDEA Consult also offers dedicated support to organisations navigating their own sustainable transition. You can find more information about this service here.