Driving Asklepios’ Decarbonization Journey in Scope 3 Action Group

We all know that so-called ‘Scope 3 emissions’ form a large part of an organization’s carbon footprint. And within Scope 3, upstream emissions can often account for 80% of emissions (and more). Reducing those supply chain emissions requires effectively tracking data of suppliers and engaging them along the supply chain. This comes not without work and effort. Reaching Scope 3 decarbonization targets, requires companies to act across a potentially very large supplier base, to develop scalable engagement strategies and co-create actionable roadmaps that suit various types of suppliers. Not less are we doing together in the Scope 3 Action Group, in which Annika Ossenkopf, Senior Expert ESG & Sustainability at Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA, is part of.

Why does Scope 3 matter for Asklepios?

Asklepios is one of the leading private hospital operators in Germany. Recognizing the significant interplay between climate and healthcare, the company’s vision is clear: achieving long-term sustainability by 2024, and aligning climate action with health protection. While Asklepios already established a dedicated sustainability department and is proactively working to reduce Scope 1 and 2 direct and indirect emissions, the pathway to tackling Scope 3 was yet unclear. Therefore, Annika Ossenkopf joined the Scope 3 Action Group in March 2024.

Initial Challenges and Overcoming Them 

Like many companies, Asklepios initially faced significant challenges in tracking supply chain emissions due to the vast number of suppliers, lack of granular data and very diverse economic interaction volumes in spend and quantities. 

“Joining the group’s diverse composition of sustainability and procurement professionals, provided an open exchange and learning environment which helped me to

1. Better understand the crucial role of primary data and benchmarking as basis for successful engagement 

2. Develop practical strategies for selecting and scoring suppliers to focus on those with the highest impact 

3. Set up a first pathway towards targeted engagement of our global supplier network based on their climate performance”

says Annika Ossenkopf, Senior Expert ESG & Sustainability at Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA. 

Key Learnings and Strategic Application 

“While the initial scope 1 and 2 emission calculation reaffirmed our current practices and motivated further action, the structured setup, clear timelines and peer work helped me a lot to streamline our efforts and finally get a hand on our supplier management. With a 57% response rate from a targeted group of 86 suppliers we could make an important first step to better understand and benchmark suppliers – yielding actionable insights for external supplier incentivisation but also for internal cross-functional collaboration”, Annika Ossenkopf.

1. Sustainability is a company wide topic. Especially in a high cost-pressure environment, strong cross-functional collaboration is key to ensure that sustainability goals are aligned with executive directives and get fully embedded in core procurement processes. 

2. Scope 3 emission reduction is no one time shot. It is the iterative nature of data collection, evaluation and continuous supplier dialogue that makes up the challenge and at the same time opportunity for long-term co-development towards net-zero. 

“As a very next step we need to set up for a solid collaboration between Management, Sustainability and Procurement. Because only then can we create an effective strategy and strong voice as ONE company”, Annika Ossenkopf. 

To this end, Annika finalized a strategic roadmap for supplier engagement, the concluding milestone of the 3-month Scope 3 Action Group program. Based on this outcome, she organized a dedicated workshop with procurement to collaboratively review and align on Scope 3 action steps – underscoring the critical role of Scope 3 initiatives in achieving Asklepios’ vision of integrating climate action with health protection.

Thank you Annika, we are proud to support your journey and excited to see the new developments accelerating your climate actions in Scope 3!

Want to learn more about the next Scope 3 Action Group starting in October 2024? Find the insights about the whole program and application form here.