Tatra banka’s Danka Daubnerová is the Green Brands Personality of the Year 2024

I was pleasantly surprised by the nomination itself. Ten Slovak personalities were nominated, including ex-President Zuzana Čaputová, diplomat Maroš Šefčovič, and long-time head of TANAP (Tatra National Park) Pavol Majko. In the first round, the public voted, and three names made it to the shortlist. The jury then selected the winner, considering also the number of public votes. When I received the call that I had won, I was literally in shock. This was followed by feelings of happiness and fulfillment. I am very glad that someone noticed my work and nominated me, and that the public and the jury appreciated it with their votes. It is a very good feeling.

GREEN BRANDS is an international organization based in Germany, with branches in seven European countries. The company is mainly known for its quality seal, which recognizes ecological brands – companies, products, or services with exceptional results in sustainability. The GREEN BRANDS – Personality of the Year award is intended for people who contribute to the protection of the planet and the promotion of sustainability through their professional activities and daily lives. Previous awardees have included climate researchers, activists, artists, entrepreneurs, and managers. The goal of GREEN BRANDS Slovakia is to recognize those who support sustainability in Slovakia through their personal example, professional work, and dedication, and to motivate others to do the same.

My journey towards sustainability began more than ten years ago while preparing a loan program focused on the energy efficiency of buildings and industry. We implemented the program in cooperation with a community of energy experts and environmental enthusiasts whose passion and sense of social responsibility inspired me to take a deeper interest in the concept of sustainability. As sustainability legislation began to be adopted and needed to be implemented in our bank, I naturally built on previous experiences and contacts and accepted the offer to fully engage with the topic of ESG in corporate lending. The topic represents one of the most significant business trends of today, although I believe it is not yet sufficiently established here. Therefore, I try to communicate it to the widest possible audience, to companies of various sizes, regardless of whether they are our clients or not. What fulfills me the most is when my efforts help a specific person or company, opening new horizons or providing the necessary information to comply with legislation or identify new business opportunities.

I believe in the ESG topic and am convinced of its benefits for companies and society as a whole. My contribution includes not only my working hours but also my free time, which I dedicate to promoting this topic. I participate in many events and conferences, conduct trainings for our clients' employees, and in my free time, I also engage with students, helping them navigate sustainability topics and providing feedback on their work. I also try to bring the topic closer to a wide audience on the professional social network LinkedIn. I am very happy when I manage to deliver information in a way that helps the recipient. It pleases me when I receive feedback that thanks to my information, a company has started to engage more deeply with sustainability.

Artificial intelligence (AI), like the sustainability trend, is changing the way we live and do business. I currently use it as a regular user for processing extensive texts, preparing presentations, or creating images. AI is particularly suitable for processing large amounts of non-financial reporting data and can help companies with various tasks related to sustainability. However, I realize this is just the beginning, and AI will become increasingly present in our lives, just like sustainability. It will teach us, heal us, and become our confidant. AI and sustainability represent the evolution of society, and I believe AI will help people tackle the challenges posed by climate change and the scarcity of natural resources and raw materials.

The biggest global challenge will certainly be adapting to climate change. People will increasingly feel the physical and economic consequences of weather extremes. Although much is said about the costs of decarbonization and climate change mitigation, adaptation may cost even more. In the area of mitigation, the challenge will be to maintain common environmental goals. It is important to realize that adaptation costs will also rise in connection with potential reductions in mitigation costs. Sustainability goals are based on three pillars: environmental, social, and governance. Therefore, the current emphasis on the social aspect of sustainability may not necessarily be negative, but it should not significantly jeopardize the achievement of environmental goals. For companies, the challenge will be to cope with the rapidly changing environment related not only to climate change but also to technological progress and the advent of artificial intelligence. We face many changes, and the ability to adapt to them is, in my opinion, a key skill for the future.

The year 2025 will be the year when most of our major clients start collecting the data needed for ESG reporting and gradually preparing it. From our side, significant support will certainly be needed, so I expect a really busy year 😊. We already have several educational activities planned for clients, conferences, and meetings. At the same time, my colleagues and I will try to bring our innovative idea for ESG reporting to life and present it to clients. I am very much looking forward to that. I do not think about awards in advance; I always try to do my job as best as I can, and my reward is the fact that my work fulfills and entertains me 😊.

I focus my ESG activities on companies, trying to inform them and highlight the benefits that implementing sustainability can bring. At home, I talk a lot about sustainability with my daughter, and I must say that her level of environmental awareness sometimes pleasantly surprises me. In daily life, I behave like most conscious consumers today. I separate waste, buy only what I really need, and pay attention to the origin of goods. I pass on things I no longer need, have reduced my meat consumption compared to the past, and as a family, we only travel to places we really want to see, resisting cheap flights to travel out of boredom. During the pandemic, my husband and I transformed my mother's unused vegetable garden into an orchard, and we are already enjoying its fruits. Sustainability has brought me much more than this award; it has given me a sense that my work and activities have meaning.