Asklepios Kliniken: Group-wide ESG strategy

As a large healthcare group, Asklepios has particular responsibility for environmental, social and governance issues. For the past five years, Asklepios has therefore been preparing a voluntary Corporate Responsibility Report that meets the requirements under the German Corporate Code (CSR RUG) and is based on the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI standards). The necessary structures to integrate the topic of corporate responsibility in the Group have been established and continuously optimised. Following successful groundwork in the area of ESG and sustainability, the results were summarised in a Group-wide ESG strategy and adopted by the Management Board in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The ESG strategy comprises seven key topics: Asklepios is aiming to cut CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by up to 45,000 tons by 2030 and plans to operate on a climate-neutral basis by 2040. A reduction in both waste volumes and water consumption in relation to the number of patients is targeted by 2030. With regard to social issues, there will be a particular focus on employee health, patient safety and patient satisfaction. The governance aspect focuses on strengthening and complying with Asklepios’s rules of conduct.

For strategic reasons, it has been decided to expand and reallocate the tasks of the Group ESG & Sustainability department – particularly in view of the upcoming reporting regulations as well as the EU Taxonomy and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). To this end, ESG reporting will be bundled with financial reporting in the Group Reporting staff unit as an interdisciplinary task for which Mirjam Constantin will be responsible. The Group ESG & Sustainability department, which focuses on the further development and operational implementation of the sustainability strategy, is to be expanded and will be headed by Aline Mittag.

Overall responsibility for the ESG strategy lies with the Management Board, while strategic sustainability management is the task of the ESG Board, which acts as the decision-making body and is responsible for designing and organising the corporate responsibility roadmap. The CR roadmap addresses the seven key topics for Asklepios. Responsibility for the operational implementation of the CR roadmap lies with the healthcare facilities. The Group ESG department manages the key objectives and is responsible for implementing the necessary measures.