Last year, Vanguard AG welcomed a new addition to its sustainability team. While Marie Schönig focuses on production and products, Joshua Okojie is dedicated to corporate sustainability. Despite their different areas of focus, they share a common goal: shaping the future in a sustainable manner.
At Vanguard AG, they are well-positioned to achieve this goal. “Vanguard’s business model is inherently sustainable. Previous studies have already highlighted significant figures validating this claim. Now, the emphasis is on continuous improvement, identifying additional reduction potential, and presenting enhanced figures.,” explains Marie Schönig. She underscores that sustainability is an ongoing journey with continuous room for enhancement.
Particularly in the healthcare sector, there is significant room for improvement. This sector is recognized as one of the largest emitters in the country.
The facets of sustainability
However, Vanguard AG’s mission extends beyond assisting hospitals in becoming more environmentally friendly; it also strives to meet high sustainability standards itself. Marie Schönig and Joshua Okojie approach this objective in distinct ways.
Marie Schönig focuses on products and associated processes, with her current priority being the development of a comprehensive greenhouse gas balance sheet as the foundation for all future sustainability endeavors. This task is challenging due to the nascent state of sustainability practices in the medical sector.
One significant emission source for Vanguard AG is the materials and chemicals it procures (Scope 3). Unfortunately, data quality in this area is often lacking, as suppliers in the healthcare industry have not been held to the same transparency standards as those in the food industry. Consequently, medical technology companies like Vanguard AG face substantial hurdles in reporting emissions within their supply chains. “Obtaining the necessary data is arduous and requires detective work, but it’s achievable,” summarizes Marie Schönig. “The results serve as the foundation for subsequent process analyses, making the effort worthwhile,” she adds.
Marie Schönig aims to optimize internal processes to minimize avoidable emissions. “We’re at the starting line and ready to sprint,” she says optimistically, aware of the challenges ahead.
Joshua Okojie’s role involves to further advance the integration of sustainability as well as ethical and social responsibility into the company’s core business.His responsibilities include implementing and monitoring CSR initiatives, promoting corporate values aligned with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, developing effective and sustainable waste management strategies, and overseeing sustainability reporting.
“It’s about navigating the company through complex regulations, utilizing financial and time resources efficiently, promoting responsible corporate governance, prioritizing employee well-being, and achieving a balance among all these factors,” describes Joshua Okojie, outlining the multifaceted nature of his profession.
Challenge births potential
Recognizing the multitude of challenges as well as the vast potential within the industry, both Marie Schönig and Joshua Okojie acknowledge the need for significant progress. It’s not solely about establishing a circular economy for products, prolonging life cycles, and conserving materials. It also involves organizing financing and investments in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, promoting biodiversity, and safeguarding ecosystems. For them, the objective is nothing short of achieving net zero emissions while meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising opportunities for future generations.
To realize these goals, companies must enhance transparency and collaborate more closely. By identifying existing barriers, stakeholders and policymakers can collaboratively develop effective solutions to sustainability challenges. Joshua Okojie is hopeful that sensible practices will spread globally more rapidly, enabling continuous improvement and better progress monitoring.
Despite their ambitious outlook, they remain grounded in reality. “You simply have to begin. Set a goal and work toward it one step at a time,” emphasizes Marie Schönig. “Sustainability can be truly fulfilling! It involves shaping and evolving together, discovering new innovations and opportunities, and creating a healthier and more livable environment—both within the company and beyond,” she shares her enthusiasm.
We are thrilled to welcome Marie Schönig and Joshua Okojie to our team—not only for their professional contributions but also for their personal qualities.
