Petra Wicklandt on How Merck Aims to Become Climate Neutral by 2040

Petra highlights the importance of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the need for companies to report non-financial data. She also discusses Merck's climate transition plan and their access programs in the healthcare sector.

She shares her journey to becoming a CSO and the challenges and achievements she has experienced along the way. The episode concludes with a discussion on the future of the CSO role and the integration of sustainability into innovation.

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Takeaways

• The role of a Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) is becoming increasingly important. Compliance is not enough, it’s necessary to think ahead and integrate sustainability into all functions of a company.
• Sustainability reporting, including non-financial data, is a key aspect of the CSO role, with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive driving the need for companies to report on their sustainability efforts.
• Merck Group is working on various projects to achieve their sustainability targets, including a climate transition plan, access programs in the healthcare sector, and offering ethical advice to colleagues in science and digital.
• The CSO role requires a combination of hard work, resilience, and the ability to overcome obstacles in order to drive sustainability initiatives and make progress towards ambitious targets.
• Sustainability and innovation go hand in hand, with the CSO playing a crucial role in ensuring that sustainability requirements are integrated into the development of new products and solutions.