Sustainability in focus – where regulations meet business and SAP solutions
SAPSA's focus groups gather members to share experiences and develop their use of SAP in practice. Today, there are 18 focus groups within areas such as finance, supply chain, HR, data & analytics, integration and sustainability.
One area that has rapidly grown in importance is sustainability. Sustainability has moved from a specialist area to a strategic core issue, driven by new regulations and increased demands for transparency and business value.
In SAPSA's Sustainability focus group, members meet to exchange experiences and explore how sustainability efforts can be integrated into the business with the support of SAP.
A question that concerns the whole organisation
The group is led by Albin and Felix who are deeply involved in these issues on a daily basis. Both have seen the challenges of navigating this market among legal requirements, business goals, and finding the best solutions for different organisations. Many companies are in the midst of implementing CSRD and other EU-related regulations. At the same time, expectations from customers, investors, and other stakeholders are increasing for transparency, traceability, and a clear connection between sustainability and business strategy.
Sustainability is no longer an isolated reporting issue – it runs through finance, IT, supply chain and business governance, observes Albin.
This development places new demands on system support, data quality and collaboration between functions. To be able to facilitate this exchange and create opportunities for peer-to-peer best practice sharing is something we are both passionate about, continues Felix.
"The most exciting thing right now is the shift from compliance to business value. Many are wondering how sustainability data can actually contribute to better decisions and long-term competitiveness."
From compliance to business insight
A recurring theme in the focus group is how sustainability data can be used more actively in the business. More and more organisations want to take the next step – from meeting regulations to using data for governance, analysis and transformation.
The most exciting thing right now is the shift from compliance to business value. Many are asking how sustainability data can actually contribute to better decisions and long-term competitiveness, summarises Felix at the start of 2026.
Here, the SAP landscape becomes a key factor – both as an enabler and as a practical condition that needs to be managed in a thoughtful way.
A forum for real experiences
Behind the commitment to the Sustainability focus group lies a clear ambition: to create a forum where real experiences are central.
The group does not discuss ideal images or ready-made solutions, but how sustainability work is actually carried out in complex organisations with existing systems, limited resources and high demands.
There is a great need to be able to talk openly about both successes and challenges. The focus group should be a safe place for sharing experiences – not a platform for marketing presentations. This was another driving force behind our involvement, note both Albin & Felix.
In the long term, the ambition is for the Sustainability focus group to become an established knowledge hub within SAPSA – a natural forum for dialogue, collaboration, and influence.
During 2026, there will, among other things, be deep dives into experiences of selecting sustainability systems and broader application of solutions for sustainability legislation from the EU.
What does the focus group want to achieve?
The goal is to build a long-term, engaged network where SAP users learn from each other and together develop their ability to manage sustainability issues in a structured and business-oriented way.
The focus group also aims to act as a channel for the user perspective towards SAP – both regarding functionality, roadmaps and practical usability.
Who is the Sustainability focus group aimed at?
The focus group is aimed at both business and IT roles working with sustainability, ESG, reporting, risk, procurement, supply chain or system management. It is open to participants from various industries, where the breadth of perspectives is seen as a clear strength.
Sustainability issues vary across different organisations – but challenges regarding data, integration and governance are often common.
What do you get as a participant?
As a member of the Sustainability focus group, you gain access to:
- a network of colleagues in similar roles and situations
- insights into how other SAP customers work with sustainability in practice
- increased understanding of SAP's solutions and developments within sustainability
- inspiration, new perspectives and concrete lessons
Activities and focus areas ahead
The focus group plans digital meetings, roundtable discussions and sessions in connection with SAPSA's physical events. The content is shaped together with the participants, but recurring themes include:
- CSRD and ESRS in practice
- data quality, governance and integration
- architecture and SAP solutions for sustainability
- the link between sustainability, finance and supply chain
- customer cases and concrete experiences
Do you want to help shape how Sustainability is managed in the SAP landscape?
The SAPSA Sustainability focus group is open to all members who want to share experiences, discuss concrete challenges, and develop together with other SAP users in the sustainability field.
Whether you work strategically with sustainability or more operationally with data, reporting, and system support, you are warmly welcome to participate.
Want to know more or be invited to upcoming meetings?
Contact the focus group leaders Albin, Felix, or SAPSA.
Albin Askman Junhede is Corporate Sustainability Manager and works with sustainability strategy, reporting, and business integration in SAP environments. He has extensive experience in translating regulations such as CSRD, EUDR, and others, as well as business needs into practical processes and decision support, with a particular focus on data quality, governance, and cross-functional collaboration.
Felix Kaltea works as a consultant in Sustainability and SAP, focusing on how sustainability requirements can be met through the right system support and architecture. He has extensive experience with SAP's sustainability solutions and works closely with both business and IT in the transition from compliance to more value-creating sustainability efforts.