Innovation Drives Sustainable Business
Erik Cornelissen, Chief Executive Officer, and Roland Kampe, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer, talk about the priorities of the ROSEN Group's sustainability strategy.
ROSEN is presenting its first Sustainability Report in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standard (ESRS). What benefits does the company derive from this publication?
Erik Cornelissen: The publication of our first ROSEN Group Sustainability Report marks a special milestone in our ESG journey. Sustainability has been the cornerstone of our core business since the company was founded, ensuring the integrity of industrial assets and thus fostering a sustainable future for people and nature. For more than four decades, we have been using applied research and development and the latest inspection technologies to prevent environmental pollution while ensuring the performance of industrial assets for global economic prosperity.
I am very proud that we were able to capture our sustainability efforts, including those outside of our core business, in our first ESG report. We will continue to push ahead with our ESG journey and work to gradually implement our goals.
Roland Kampe: Developing the Sustainability Report has helped us clarify our ESG priorities and align our understanding of key impact areas and business-critical risks. In doing so, we critically question ourselves in order to identify the areas in which we still want to develop further.
Can you give us some examples of how sustainability and economic success go hand in hand at ROSEN?
Erik Cornelissen: ROSEN plays an active role in enabling the energy transition by ensuring the safe transport of future energy carriers like hydrogen and CO2 and providing practical roadmaps and innovative solutions tailored to the industry's evolving needs.
Through early detection and mitigation of pipeline risks, our services contribute to environmental protection and the safe operation of vital infrastructure.
Roland Kampe: On the other hand, our ESG strategy enhances our employer value proposition – offering fair compensation, meaningful development opportunities, and a purpose-driven work environment. ROSEN cultivates a team of skilled professionals and attracts talent from highly competitive job markets such as software development and data science.
ROSEN plays an active role in enabling the energy transition.
To what extent is sustainability anchored in the corporate culture of ROSEN?
Erik Cornelissen: In line with our purpose, “Securing a sustainable future – empowered by technology,” protecting people and the environment has always been part of our corporate culture. We believe in the power of innovation and technology to serve people and we are up for every challenge: Many of our experienced colleagues exemplify ROSEN’s deep-rooted safety culture – a foundation on which we continue to build our future. Retaining them ensures that essential knowledge about the industry and technology is not lost. Sustainability also means preserving and protecting existing knowledge which will be required in a future of accelerating energy transition.
The increased use of AI will expand the benefits for our customers and give ROSEN a competitive edge. By combining human expertise and AI, especially in the field of data evaluation, we further optimize quality and our service offering.
How did ROSEN lay the groundwork for this report that meets global standards?
Roland Kampe: In a changing world, sustainability is a relevant growth factor for the future success of the company. We’ve made ESG a strategic priority, supported by a dedicated team that drives implementation across the organization and reports regularly to the Board on the progress of ESG measures and key initiatives.
We have also identified metrics to help us achieve our goals on the path to a sustainable future. Transparent reporting motivates and validates us on this journey, while also helping to highlight its relevance to everyone at ROSEN and our partners.
In terms of sustainability management, what has the company set out to do?
Erik Cornelissen: We have set ourselves ambitious goals that underline our position as an international industry leader. Our Integrated Management System Policy at ROSEN clearly states our commitment to excellent services, compliant behavior, open communication and teamwork, and to continuously improving ourselves with measurable actions to mitigate risks. The road to more sustainable infrastructure in our core industry obviously is, and most likely will remain, a challenging one for quite some time. We, as a leading company, want to contribute to a more sustainable future protecting people, communities, and the environment.
You have set a target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 and to achieve net-zero Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions by 2050. What are the key actions?
Roland Kampe: We are not starting from scratch. Based on regular energy audits, ROSEN Europe has already, for instance, launched an action program in 2021 with more than 40 measures to reduce energy consumption and emissions. We have also initiated various measures in Lingen and other locations. These include modern and energy-saving buildings, partial electrification of the car fleet, and the extension of an e-charging program, as well as reduced commuting and travel through a policy for remote work, a tightened travel policy, and awareness campaigns to promote environmentally friendly behavior. These programs are being continued and expanded throughout the Group, including the installation of more solar panels and other decarbonization measures. Scope 3 remains a challenge for us, so our efforts are only in the initial phases. Nevertheless, we are committed to achieving net-zero by 2050.
You have identified cyber-attacks as a significant risk. Why is cybersecurity so crucial to ROSEN?
Erik Cornelissen: Our core business relies on data. Data is the key to excellent integrity management and our solutions for reliable and accurate pipeline inspection. Every time a pipeline is inspected, an enormous amount of data is generated. By cleaning, interpreting, and analyzing this raw data, we turn data into knowledge. Knowledge enables smarter decisions for our customers, who are operating the world’s industrial energy infrastructure. According to our information, ROSEN is the company owning the largest amount of industrial asset inspection data in the world. Thus, it is our obligation and responsibility to take whatever necessary step avoiding any risk for our customer data.
In a changing world, sustainability is a relevant growth factor for the future success of the company.
ROSEN's business is a mostly male domain. What is being done to increase the proportion of women?
Roland Kampe: Many of the professional fields that are strongly represented at ROSEN were rather male-dominated in the past. This is also reflected in the structure of our team, but we are striving to balance that out. ROSEN already conducts regular training for employees involved in recruitment and employment decisions to ensure compliance with non-discrimination standards. Job criteria are regularly reviewed to ensure fairness and inclusiveness.
At the Lingen site, the largest site in Germany, we support children and teens, including many girls and young women, in the subjects of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology through a variety of initiatives and programs, like our initiative for youth ROYOUTH, which supports young people in discovering their talents. Our bilingual daycare center, ROKIDS, and our bilingual grade school, ROBIGS, are also a great added value. By offering all-day care, we enable parents to return to work early after the birth of their child, offering great practical support in further pursuing an interesting career and balancing their private lives at the same time.
What will be the next steps in sustainability reporting in the near future?
Roland Kampe: We are planning a full risk analysis in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) for 2025. We also align our goals with the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
To achieve the sustainability goals, ROSEN plans to involve suppliers more closely. In 2024, we introduced a Code of Conduct for our suppliers. We will also implement data collection systems to measure the targets and we expect full implementation by 2026.
Thank you both very much for this interview. Erik, may I ask you for the final words?
Erik Cornelissen: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all colleagues who have worked hard on this sustainability report and for supporting our strategy. I hope that this publication is well received by readers and I look forward to receiving feedback and having inspired discussions.