Introducing Stefan Gevaert
We recently welcomed Stefan Gevaert as SDI analyst in the team. He introduces himself in a short Q&A article and shares his inspiration, challenges and hopes for the future of the SDI AOP.
1. Who is Stefan Gevaert and what’s your role within the SDI AOP?
I’m a sustainable business professional and music lover with a background in CSR, transformative investment, and green hydrogen research. Prior to this, I employed these skills in my work at Entis, EcoReview, and Utrecht University.
In my current role, I will strengthen and build on the SDI Taxonomy as well as how subscribers engage with its data. One of my first tasks is to support research director James Leaton and the team in delivering metrics that more closely approach the real-world outcomes that companies provide.
2. What inspired you to get involved in the SDI AOP?
The SDI AOP first appealed to me due to its transparent, standardised classifying approach and the potential areas for improvement in the Taxonomy that I could already see myself working on. In combination with what felt like an earnest desire to grow from the team, this foundation presented an engaging and interesting opportunity to enhance a project that affects significant investment decisions and real-world impact.
3. What challenges surprised you after joining the SDI AOP?
The challenging nature of bringing top-down investment perspectives closer to SDG goals and targets was not a surprise. What was a surprise was the breadth of ways in which those perspectives can be brought closer. While difficult, I am glad to be addressing everything from revenue classifications to the application of SDI Data together in order to match fast evolving sustainability and technology standards.
4. What do you hope the future of the SDI AOP looks like, and how do you see yourself contributing to that future?
I hope the future of the SDI AOP sees us emerge as a leader in approaching the real-world impact of companies on SDG Targets by pursuing consistency and credibility, and by considering key contextual information around their activities. I’d aspire to be part of this collaborative endeavour by actively engaging with the user community to help them implement and report on SDI alignment with confidence.
If you want to raise a question to Stefan or discuss the ins and outs of delivering on the SDGs with him, feel free to reach out to stefan.gevaert@sdi-aop.org
