Florentin Morick (on the right) recently took up the position of Sustainability Manager in the Corporate Development department. The initial focus is on compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which also involves compliance with the EU taxonomy (classification system for sustainable financial indicators), the development of a sustainability strategy and the further development of the business model towards more sustainability. In future, he will work closely with Hendrik Bauer (on the left), who is responsible for certification and sustainability.
We look forward to finding out more about his approach, plans and future steps towards a more sustainable future for the Brüning Group in an interview.
What is it about sustainability that interests you and what motivated you to apply for the position of Sustainability Manager? How would you like to shape it?
Sustainability gives me a sense of purpose in my work. It gives me the good feeling of doing something positive for both current and future generations. It is a generalist topic that covers environmental, social, governance and economic aspects.
My motivation for applying for this position is multifaceted. First of all, the Brüning Group is a great employer. I am also attracted by the opportunity to establish sustainability from scratch and to concentrate fully on it. I see myself as an internal consultant. My job is to manage the extensive requirements and integrate them into ongoing reporting. I want to get others ‘on board’ and thus achieve greater acceptance and added value.
What experience and qualifications do you have?
I have two years of experience from my apprenticeship here. I also have five years of experience in the renewable energy sector (as a working student). For the last three years, I have worked in management consulting, specialising in sustainability consulting. My focus was on sustainability reporting in accordance with the CSRD. I am also a certified project manager according to the standards of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) and the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
How is sustainability defined and why is it important for companies?
Sustainability can be understood as a holistic concept that combines the principles of ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’ (ESG) and the triple bottom line (ecology, economy and society). For me, sustainability essentially means behaviour that does not have a negative impact on people and the environment today and in the future, but in the best-case scenario has a positive impact.
Sustainability is important for companies because it secures the existence of future business opportunities, reduces costs and increases profits. It is important for various stakeholder groups, including customers, investors and employees, and to some extent is legally binding, e. g. through the CSRD in the EU.
Are there any initial measures to drive forward the company’s sustainability strategy? How would you like to integrate sustainability into the existing business processes?
The first and most important measure I plan to take is compliance with the CSRD. This is also stipulated by the European Sustainability Reporting Standard (ESRS) and the associated EU taxonomy. The ESRS requires a materiality analysis to be carried out in order to identify relevant topics. For these topics, strategies, measures, targets and key figures must be published in the ESG areas, which can be summarised as a sustainability strategy. This promotes the integration of more sustainability into business processes.
What short, medium and long-term goals do you have with regard to sustainability in the Brüning Group? How do you measure the success of sustainability strategies and initiatives?
In the short term, the implementation of the CSRD in accordance with the ESRS is important. In the medium term, I would like to further develop the business model and examine and realise potential. In the long term, the integration of sustainability should increase competitiveness and strengthen our market position. I will measure success on the basis of progress against the targets set, KPIs on ESG issues and stakeholder feedback.
Which innovative approaches and technologies in the field of sustainability do you find particularly exciting and would you like to introduce?
I think the ESRS best practices, which will serve as a guide, are particularly exciting. The first published ESRS sustainability reports also provide a good reference. I also rely on proven methods of strategy development.
One particularly interesting innovative approach is the use of artificial intelligence (AI). We are currently in the process of launching a pilot project to investigate how AI can support us with the sustainability report. This model could later also be helpful in the implementation of the entire strategy.
What are the implementation challenges and how can these be overcome?
I see challenges in the transformation, which requires the continuous involvement of important stakeholders. Here I rely on the 8-Step Process for Leading Change according to Kotter. There is also a risk of overloading the project and employees due to the extensive requirements of the ESRS and too many sub-projects running in parallel. To prevent this risk, I concentrate on the key requirements first and start sub-projects at different times to avoid overloading and excessive fragmentation of resources.
What form will cooperation with other departments and teams take in order to promote a sustainable corporate culture?
I have already spoken to (almost) all the relevant departments and explained the background to my work. During the further preparation of the CSRD initial report, I will be continuously dependent on the support of other departments, for example in workshops on materiality analyses or data collection. I will also involve the relevant specialist departments in the development and implementation of the sustainability strategy and the further development of the business model in order to incorporate their perspectives and expertise.
How do you plan to sensitise and motivate Brüning Group employees to sustainability issues? How do you deal with resistance and scepticism towards sustainability measures within the company, for example?
The most important thing is to explain the background to sustainability issues, point out opportunities and benefits and respond empathetically to questions and scepticism. In order to sensitise and motivate employees in the long term, I rely on the principle of ‘making each person involved an active participant’.
How do you plan to prepare the Brüning Group for future environmental and sustainability risks?
The materiality analysis in accordance with ESRS is reviewed annually in order to identify risks. We are also planning a climate risk analysis to identify environmental and sustainability risks in the context of various climate scenarios.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your vision for a more sustainable future for the Brüning Group?
My vision is for the Brüning Group to become a pioneer in sustainability and to help others, including business partners, to become more sustainable too. We achieve this by continuously questioning and improving, which is already part of our corporate culture.
Thank you very much for the interview and good luck!