Can Security and Sustainability Coexist?

What happens when sustainability meets one of Europe’s most strategically important and controversial industries? In this new episode of the Podržimo održivo podcast, host Nikola Noršić speaks with Eva Axelsson, former Chief Sustainability Officer at Saab, about her 25-year career in sustainability, ESG and responsible business, and the difficult questions European companies face at the intersection of sustainability, security and geopolitics. Eva takes us back to the beginning of her journey, from studying marine biology and environmental policy to working across finance, global industry and eventually the aerospace and defence sector.

How do you make the case for sustainability when colleagues or leaders remain sceptical? And what does it take to bring people along when sustainability is not yet seen as a priority?

We also discuss whether sustainability and security are really in conflict, how defence companies can pursue sustainability in practice, and where the genuine limits and trade-offs lie. Finally, Eva reflects on her career, what her younger self might think of where she ended up, and what advice she would give to the next generation looking to build a career in sustainability.