Sustainability around the globe

How long have you been working at TÜV NORD and what exactly is your job?

I have been working at TÜV HELLAS for 15 years, currently as Corporate Responsibility (CR) Manager and in the HR department as HR Specialist. I believe that these tasks are closely linked. Global research shows that organisations that implement CR practices strategically and consistently increase employee motivation, productivity and engagement, as long as the CR measures are aligned with the company values. One of the most important pillars of TÜV NORD GROUP's corporate responsibility strategy is people, so these two tasks can be performed together.

Why did you choose this job, in which sustainability plays a central role?

Since I joined TÜV HELLAS, I have worked in various departments, which has given me a good understanding of business operations. Thanks to my degree in Human Resources and my MBA in Total Quality Management, the management entrusted me with this challenging task. It is important to me personally to have a positive impact on the environment and society. In my current position, I can support TÜV HELLAS in achieving its sustainability goals - which incidentally also coincide with my personal goals and interests.

What measures is TÜV HELLAS taking to become more sustainable? What has already been implemented?

TÜV HELLAS' sustainability measures have been included in the Group's Corporate Responsibility Report since 2021. We have implemented a lot in this context, which contributes to the three important pillars: company, people and environment. We work every day to reduce our ecological footprint, make processes more sustainable, strengthen our social responsibility and establish ourselves as a sustainable employer. We achieve this with many different measures:

TÜV HELLAS creates sustainable services that are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our CR policy serves as our guideline. Our Code of Conduct helps to ensure that all employees are committed. We also emphasise this in our annual joint exchange of experiences. We evaluate our suppliers from a sustainability perspective and require them to adhere to our Code of Compliance. To ensure sustainable and responsible business practices, we participate in the Hellenic CSR Network, the Hellenic Confederation of Enterprises (SEV) and other associations with which we can network and exchange ideas.

However, people are the main driving force behind the success of our company. Equal opportunities and equal pay regardless of gender are essential for us. We actively promote diversity within the company through our job advertisements.

The health and well-being of our employees is very important to us. We provide our experts with the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and organise specialists on topics such as ‘Ergonomics in the workplace’ and ‘First aid’ as part of a health week. I believe that success is based on knowledge. That is why it is important to me and to us as a company to familiarise employees well and provide them with further training. We promote internal and external training and support postgraduate programmes in areas that are relevant to us.

It is important to us to support the compatibility of work and family life, for example with flexible working time arrangements. But also with team-building measures, family and sporting events and joint environmental projects such as planting trees, cleaning beaches or the opportunity to donate blood.

We support environmental organisations, donate medical equipment to hospitals and sponsor cultural events on sustainable topics. In this way, we show that we are not just a company, but also part of society. We work together with universities, organise workshops there and pass on our knowledge. We have just invited a group of high school students from the Youth Entrepreneurship Summer School to visit us and show them what we stand for at TÜV HELLAS.

Our strategy is to use state-of-the-art technologies to improve the quality of our services and make them more efficient. This allows us to save financial, human and environmental resources. By using drones for on-site inspections, for example, we are reducing our environmental impact, providing our services more efficiently and creating flexible working conditions for our employees.
We are working specifically on reducing CO2 emissions. My colleagues travel as environmentally friendly as possible, we try to replace fossil fuels with electricity wherever possible and incentivise our employees to switch to electric or hybrid vehicles. To support this change, we are expanding the charging infrastructure in our offices. TÜV HELLAS has equipped all offices with highly efficient heat pumps with air cooling or an open geothermal circuit to cover heating and cooling requirements. This enables us to cover our heating and cooling requirements with electricity all year round. At our branch in Thessaloniki, we use a highly efficient VRV (variable refrigerant volume) system, which is supplemented by geothermal energy to further increase efficiency.
In addition to reducing emissions, we are also committed to efficient resource management. We are constantly looking for ways to improve. We evaluate energy-saving methods, install LED lights with presence sensors instead of fluorescent tubes, use recycled paper, have a recycling programme for portable batteries, digitise processes and examine the potential of alternative energy sources for our facilities. In addition, we are mindful of our electricity consumption and are endeavouring to increase our use of renewable energy sources. Currently, our electricity provider supplies us with 48 per cent renewable energy. We are now looking for ways to source 100 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources in the future.

What does sustainability mean to you personally? What are you doing in your private life to live more sustainably?

For me, sustainability means living in a way that meets our current needs while preserving resources and opportunities for future generations. It's about making decisions that protect the environment, promote social justice and ensure economic viability. I lead by example. I reduce my waste by recycling paper, donating old clothes and choosing products with minimal packaging. I also buy mostly local, organic and sustainable products to promote responsible consumption and I avoid food waste.

I use energy-efficient appliances and lighting. And I make sure to save energy by switching off lights and unplugging appliances when they are not in use. I also use low-flow taps to save water.

When I travel to work, I use public transport where possible, cycle or walk to minimise my ecological footprint.

I am also passing on this sustainable mindset to my young son and making sure that these values continue. I am convinced that even small, everyday decisions taken together can have a big impact.