Accompanying the transformation
Daniel Ostner, Head of Corporate Sustainability at DRÄXLMAIER, spoke to the IHK magazine "Niederbayerische Wirtschaft" about his role as Sustainability Officer.
Sustainability officers: drivers of corporate change
Sustainability cannot be viewed in isolation in companies, but must be an integral part of the strategic orientation. But who takes care of this strategy? This is where sustainability officers come into play.
Daniel Ostner finds it particularly exciting to play a key role in supporting a globally active company in its transformation towards greater sustainability and to actively accompany it along the way. As Head of Corporate Sustainability, he has been responsible for the central sustainability unit at the DRÄXLMAIER Group, based in Vilsbiburg, for four years. Back in 2012, DRÄXLMAIER, an international automotive supplier with around 65 locations in over 20 countries and more than 74,000 employees, implemented its own sustainability officer. At the time, the focus was on the question: What contribution can an industrial company make to sustainability?
A lot has happened since then. “Sustainability has undergone an extreme change. In the past, it was difficult to imagine exactly what sustainability meant in a corporate context - building a PV system or ensuring human rights? That has changed massively,” says Ostner. The DRÄXLMAIER Group focuses on four key areas of action: sustainable products, climate and environmental protection, social responsibility and governance.
Cross-departmental cooperation
Daniel Ostner is active both strategically and operationally. Together with a team, he analyzes and evaluates the various requirements. The central unit also works out how the implementation of (new) standards can succeed and creates “work packages”. The sustainability department therefore carries out the necessary preparatory work. The actual implementation is then the responsibility of the respective specialist departments such as Sales, Purchasing or Controlling. In this context, Ostner comes back to what is probably his most important message: “Sustainability can only be practised in the company if everyone does their bit. Every employee must take care of sustainability in their own microcosm. Only then can a transformation take place.”
The biggest challenge in Daniel Ostner's job: “Getting people on board!” He has to raise awareness almost every day. “First of all, sustainability involves a lot of work. Direct benefits are not always immediately apparent. Our colleagues have to understand why we do something and why we deliberately don't do other things. Only then can we bring the topic forward.” In Ostner's view, the right balance is also crucial. “All measures must be feasible.”
Source: IHK magazine “Niederbayerische Wirtschaft”, 1.12.2023