Eco-Honest Practices: How Lubomila Jordanova's Berlin-Based Firm 'Plan A' is Helping Businesses Centre Sustainability With Purpose "The question isn't whether sustainability matters– it's whether you're moving on it while competitors hesitate."

Lubomila Jordanova had already gathered a wealth of corporate experience across investment banking, venture capital, and fintech when, in 2017, she co-founded Plan A, a Berlin-based climate-tech company helping enterprises measure, manage, and reduce their carbon footprint with science-based precision. In fact, it was her ability to look beyond her scope of work across these industries that first made her see sustainability as more than just a box to check off in the corporate world. "Finance taught me that sustainability isn't philanthropy; it's a balance sheet issue," Jordanova says. "I use my finance and economics background to translate complex concepts that often get dismissed. The reality is that the data holds clear evidence of superior financial returns aligned with climate goals. And today, ignoring climate risk means underestimating real long-term exposure, whether regulatory, operational, or reputational. The luxury of treating climate change as distant is gone. The cost of inaction, extreme weather and regulatory penalties, is rising fast. This is especially acute in the UAE, where the economy depends on energy-intensive cooling, imported food, and coastal stability. The lesson? The most secure path to long-term value is embedding environmental and social impact at the centre of your business, not around it. That's why Plan A's products are scientific and data-driven. We prove that decarbonisation enhances revenues, mitigates risk, and improves margins."

That decision by Jordanova has certainly snowballed into a much larger movement. Today, Plan A partners with over a thousand organizations, including global names like BMW, Chloé, the European Commission, APAX, and BNP Paribas. In 2020, to further her sustainability-oriented vision, Jordanova also co-founded Greentech Alliance– a network of 3,500 climate-focused companies supported by more than 500 advisors across venture capital, media, and industry. "The biggest barrier is moving from bold commitments to actual action, and it comes down to data," she says. "Most companies don't have the information they need to prioritise initiatives that deliver real financial and environmental returns. They make ambitious pledges without clarity on where their emissions are highest, especially in Scope 3, or which actions will give them the strongest ROI. The result? Sustainability becomes a side project or public relations (PR) exercise instead of a business driver."

The key to ensuring sustainability is truly data-driven lies in leveraging technology –particularly artificial intelligence (AI)– wisely, says Jordanova. "At Plan A, we've built AI-powered tools that collect and benchmark emissions data, then model different pathways with clear cost-benefit analysis," she explains. "Our new anomaly detection feature automatically flags inconsistencies in emissions data, making it easier for businesses to track performance, ensure quality, and connect environmental wins to financial returns."

"In the UAE, this matters more than ever!" Jordanova adds. "The new Climate Change Law makes sustainability reporting mandatory. Pledges now carry legal, financial, and reputational consequences. Companies that build the right tech infrastructure early turn compliance into competitive advantage. They avoid penalties up to AED4 million, reduce operational risk, and build stakeholder confidence. With AI, businesses can meet requirements while turning commitments into measurable, profitable outcomes."

Such efforts and attention to detail from Jordanova have earned her multiple accolades along the way, including being recognised as Obama Leader Europe 2022, MIT Innovator Under 35 Europe 2022, Marshall Fund Fellow 2022, and Top 50 Women in Tech in Germany 2021 (Handelsblatt), among others. But for the co-founder herself, such awards have only strengthened her resolve to make sustainability-driven operations the plan A (pun intended!) for businesses worldwide. "I see recognition as responsibility, a lever to drive the systemic shift we need," she says. "Since co-founding Plan A and the Greentech Alliance, my focus has been closing a critical gap: moving sustainability from aspiration to data-driven investment. At Plan A, we use this visibility to sit with business leaders and replace inspiration with proof. We show the quantifiable ROI of climate action with precise metrics and financial models that secure rapid buy-in. We demonstrate that sustainability is the smart, profitable decision, then scale these models across the ecosystem to turn commitments into bankable results. We use recognition not for acclaim, but to amplify actionable data that helps decision-makers build more resilient, profitable businesses."

As such, Jordanova's insights can certainly prove to be important to up and coming startup founders and entrepreneurs who want to be more eco-aligned in their business models. "My advice for founders is straightforward: start with assessment, then integrate, then lead," Jordanova says. "First, understand your environmental impact. Measure three things: your emissions, your supply chain vulnerabilities, and your climate risks. You can't manage what you don't measure, and investors will increasingly ask for this data when evaluating whether your business can withstand future shocks. Second, make sustainability part of your core strategy, not a separate project. Focus on initiatives that improve both your environmental footprint and your financials. Real examples include locking in renewable energy contracts at lower rates, cutting waste to boost margins, creating circular models that open new revenue, or designing sustainable products that justify premium pricing. These aren't costs. They're investments that improve your unit economics. Third, treat compliance as the baseline. Meeting the UAE's Climate Change Law requirements gets you in the game, but it won't differentiate you. The real opportunity is using sustainability to innovate ahead of competitors, attract institutional capital, hire better talent, and build a brand that resonates with today's customers."

"The question isn't whether sustainability matters– it's whether you're moving on it while competitors hesitate," Jordanova declares. "Founders who act early are building leaner operations, raising capital more easily, and taking market share from slower incumbents. It's worth the effort."

THE SHARP TAKE: Lubomila Jordanova, co-founder and CEO of Plan A, shares the traits exhibited by companies that have successfully incorporated sustainability into their operations

"The most successful companies treat sustainability as a profit driver, not a cost or compliance burden. They integrate it into product design, procurement, and operations, not just year-end reports.

Second, they commit to data and scientific rigour. Companies that accurately measure Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, set science-based targets, and track progress outperform their peers both environmentally and financially. This precision lets them capture real value: cost savings through efficiency, reduced exposure to carbon pricing and regulation, stronger brand reputation, and better access to talent and capital.

We consistently see that early movers enjoy better margins and lower financing costs. They also embrace collaboration, partnering with greentech startups, supply chains, and policymakers to accelerate innovation, share costs, and mitigate risk. In the UAE, the Climate Change Law has accelerated this. Companies aren't asking if they need to act. They're asking how fast they can build systems to track emissions and embed decarbonisation at the core of their business model."