Green Success Stories sat down with Stjepan (Steve) Luburic, ESG and Sustainability Senior Manager at SAPRO. We discussed his work with SAPRO helping clients navigate ESG reporting, implement ESG strategies, and find sustainability solutions for their businesses. We further touched on the evolution of his interest in sustainability, his approach to business and environment not being on opposite ends of the spectrum, his interest in reducing plastic waste and advancing alternative fuels, and his encouragement to go outside, appreciate one’s surroundings, and enjoy the beauty of the world.
Tell us a bit about your sustainability journey.
It’s tough to pinpoint exactly when my sustainability journey began, but it can be traced back to high school. Growing up, I watched Mythbusters, and one episode in particular left a lasting impression: they tested recycled cooking oil as fuel for a diesel car. This sparked my interest, and a few years later, I wrote an essay on algae biofuels and recycled cooking oil.
Initially, I enrolled in international business at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). While there, I took a class called Ecology of the Dalmatian Coast, which further ignited my passion for sustainability. However, my formal sustainability journey began when I transferred to Arizona State University (ASU). My mother saw an ad for ASU on TV, and when I discovered they offered an interdisciplinary degree combining business and sustainability, I jumped at the opportunity. I had always wondered why business and the environment seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum. The common belief was that business harms the environment and that being environmentally friendly was detrimental to the economy. We now know that’s not the case, but it was a widely held opinion not too long ago.
At ASU, I took exciting classes on energy, sustainable farming, product design, and more. Access to research papers from universities worldwide helped me deepen my understanding of sustainability. Interestingly, minoring in philosophy opened my eyes even further. Philosophy taught me that there are multiple solutions to problems and the importance of clear messaging. For me, sustainability means minimizing negative impacts while maximizing positive ones. I worked on projects related to recycling plastic and alternative fuels, which are my passions in the sustainability world. Although these projects didn’t materialize into businesses, I plan to pursue them later in my career.
After graduation, I joined SAPRO as an intern, where I was when I was asked to create ESG and Sustainability education programs to upskill accountants into ESG Assurance and Reporting consultants. I was quickly promoted, and with the support of the founders and CEOs, we successfully trained many professionals. Their vision and support made it easy to promote sustainability within SAPRO. The company had already implemented a Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIBs) initiative and worked with charities such as Ubuntu Pathways and Safe at Home. Now, as an ESG & Sustainability Senior Manager, I help clients navigate ESG reporting, implement ESG strategies, and find sustainability solutions for their businesses.
Tell us a bit about the product or solution you offer.
SAPRO offers a suite of innovative solutions designed to support CPA firms and corporations in their sustainability efforts.
- ESG & Sustainability On-Demand Variable Workforce Solutions
SAPRO is building sustainability centers for CPA firms and corporations to support them with specialized skills for both front-end and back-end work. The back-end services focus on assurance of ESG-related financial statements and reports. Our product provides on-demand variable resources that CPA firms, corporations, and public accounting firms can tap into for generating reports or providing assurance on them. These resources can be accessed for specific projects or during surge periods when additional support is needed.
- ESG & Sustainability Shared Service Support
We are developing products and solutions that create shared service centers to support firms engaged in ESG work. These centers handle back-office functions such as training, quality control, operations, finance, and HR, which can be offshored when local talent is scarce. By managing these essential tasks, we enable ESG consulting firms to concentrate on delivering their core services efficiently and effectively.
- ESG & Sustainability Centers of Expertise
SAPRO is also building centers of expertise around sustainability. These centers house a pool of talented individuals that firms can access to generate reports, verify information, and meet various other needs. We collaborate with clients to understand their requirements and build tailored solutions that they and their networks can leverage as necessary. For example, we are currently co-creating a sustainability center with an international CPA firm network. This center serves as a shared resource for their member firms, providing expertise and knowledge on demand.
Additionally, we offer ESG consulting services to help clients implement ESG practices within their firms and navigate the complex ESG landscape.
Share a green success story with us – how have you helped customers or other businesses in the fight against climate change?
I recently worked on a significant project that focused on mapping emissions across the agriculture, food, and beverage sectors. The primary objective was to develop a detailed questionnaire for companies to help them identify emissions from their facilities and upstream supply chains, all the way to the disposal of their products. By gathering this data, we aimed to provide a clear and actionable picture of their carbon footprint.
The project involved evaluating emissions at every stage, including the use of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, the processing and manufacturing of food products, the consumption phase, and finally, the waste and disposal processes. The data collected from these questionnaires was then used to populate a carbon emissions software tool, offering companies valuable insights into their emissions sources.
Through this initiative, businesses gained a deeper understanding of their carbon footprint, enabling them to implement targeted strategies to reduce their environmental impact.
What would you do with $1 billion dollars?
Honestly if I had $1 billion dollars, the first thing I would do is travel around the world to experience and learn from the all the different cultures on our planet. I believe that understanding different ways of life and perspectives is crucial. We often live in our own bubbles, and it’s important to step outside of them to gain a broader view of the world. If you take Star Wars for example, many of those planets are actually filmed on Earth. We imagine different planets and cultures, but they already exist here, and I think that’s beautiful. I would love to explore that.
After my travels, I would focus on plastic recycling. Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues we face today. The damage caused by plastics, particularly microplastics, to our environment and health is alarming. Despite the emphasis on reducing emissions, the pervasive problem of plastic waste often goes unnoticed. I would invest heavily in innovative solutions to tackle this issue, aiming to reduce the staggering 91% of plastics that have never been recycled or properly disposed of, as reported by National Geographic. My goal would be to find a solution that eliminates the chance of microplastics entering our environment or our food systems. I think people should start to manage plastic use responsibly, eliminate single-use plastics, and reserve plastic for essential purposes, such as in medicine. In my opinion there is no real need to have single-use water or soda bottles, it’s convenience and not a real need.
What do you envision your industry looking like in ten years?
It is challenging to predict the future with certainty, but current trends suggest that ESG and Sustainability will become mainstays in business. Specifically, in the industry of ESG Reporting and Assurance, I anticipate a surge in demand for trusted experts and advisors. Regardless of who you are or where you live, people desire clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. I believe and hope sustainability will be here to stay.
However, ten years is a long time to predict, and with AI and technology advancing rapidly, the world will likely become more sustainable. At the same time, I believe social issues will arise due to the advancement of software and AI. Many jobs will be automated, and it will be interesting to see how the labor market adapts. Historically, technological advancements have rendered old jobs obsolete while creating new ones. I am curious to see what the next decade holds in terms of employment and how we will navigate these changes.
What would you like readers to take away from this article?
I want readers to understand that sustainability isn’t too complicated. While significant investments are being made in large projects like carbon capture and green technology, real change begins with the individual. By being more conscious of our actions and taking small steps, we can collectively make a significant impact. Sustainability is essentially about becoming more efficient—maximizing positive effects while minimizing negative impacts.
I encourage everyone to go outside, appreciate their surroundings, and enjoy the beauty of the world. Interacting with people and nature is something that no technology can replace.
How should readers get in touch with you and/or your organization?
Readers can get in touch with me via email: Stjepan.luburic@sapro.com
Feel free to connect and reach out on my LinkedIn: Stjepan (Steve) Luburic | LinkedIn
Or get in touch with our co-CEO Greg Maslov at greg@sapro.com
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or inquiries.
Kudos
Many thanks to Steve Luburic and SAPRO. Green Success Stories is happy to support and highlight their efforts! We invite you the reader to do the same.
About Green Success Stories
Green Success Stories is a media platform that highlights leaders in sustainability and climate tech.
We offer professional writing (articles, blogposts, case studies, and more) combined with social media promotion. You get great content + exponential publicity. As a starting offer, we’d like to feature you and your organization in a FREE PROFILE ARTICLE. There’s no obligation, but we’d appreciate you considering our services. Let us know if you’re interested and we’ll share more information.
Support Green Success Stories
Like what we’re doing? Please pitch in and help us highlight leaders in the fight against climate change.
