Staying the course: Q&A with GEA's Chief Sustainability Officer
June 2, 2025
Dr. Nadine Sterley, Chief Sustainability Officer, GEA (Image: GEA)
In a shifting political and economic landscape, GEA stays the course. We spoke with Dr. Nadine Sterley, GEA’s Chief Sustainability Officer, about why sustainability remains central to the company’s business strategy, how GEA is progressing on its ambitious goals and what it takes to turn words into action.
Is sustainability still a viable business strategy in the current political climate?
Nadine Sterley: My emphatic answer is yes. Recent political shifts have intensified the debate around corporate sustainability commitments, but they haven’t changed the fundamentals. Sustainability remains a viable and crucial business strategy for several key reasons. First, it represents a significant business opportunity. At its core, sustainability means resource efficiency. Our solutions are designed to save energy, water and other vital resources facing increasing cost pressures and global scarcity. When customers implement our solutions, they achieve measurable cost savings and operational advantages that directly impact their bottom line.
Second, we remain committed to our global sustainability strategy despite regulatory developments which may require us to adapt in some local markets. Adhering to any specific rule in one region doesn't alter our fundamental strategic focus on driving resource efficiency across all markets.
Third, regardless of the overarching political environment, as leaders of a global business, GEA has the responsibility, and thankfully also the vision required, to drive meaningful change. This spirit is necessary to foster more resilient communities, which is a key pillar in our Mission 30 strategy.
Ultimately, sustainability is a key driver of our business precisely because it creates value – for our customers, our business and the planet.
Regardless of the overarching political environment, as leaders of a global business, GEA has the responsibility, and thankfully also the vision required, to drive meaningful change.
Dr. Nadine Sterley
Chief Sustainability Officer, GEA
Global greenhouse gas emissions and their impact remain a serious threat to the planet. How is GEA progressing in reducing its direct and indirect emissions?
We take a comprehensive approach to tackle emissions across our full value chain. Reducing our own direct operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) is now the "new normal" – it's simply expected from any responsible global company. We have already cut these emissions by 58 percent compared to our 2019 baseline.
The more complex area, where stakeholder interest is particularly high, lies in Scope 3 – the indirect greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain. We are also making progress here, reducing our product-related Scope 3 emissions by 33 percent since 2019. This involves working with our suppliers to decarbonize upstream processes and, critically, reducing the environmental footprint of our solutions during their use at customer sites.
This kind of progress doesn’t happen overnight. It requires deep transformational work. This means intense communication and transparency with suppliers and customers, which includes sharing our process knowledge. And it also involves launching pioneering projects with forward-thinking partners which can serve as lighthouses and help demonstrate what’s possible.
GEA's sustainable solutions currently make up 41 percent of sales. How will you reach 60 percent by 2030?
Reaching our 60 percent target involves several interconnected approaches.
First, we are clearly communicating the long-term value of resource efficiency. Solutions like those in our Add Better portfolio help customers address, for example, rising energy costs, resource scarcity and operational risks. We are making that value proposition even more tangible.
Second, we are aligning with our customers’ own climate ambitions. Many are under pressure from regulators, investors and their end-customers and looking for partners who can support their decarbonization journeys. That’s where we come in. For example, through our GEA NEXUS Holistic Engineering Solutions, we help customers integrate process solutions and cooling and heating requirements to lower their energy consumption, minimize operating costs and reduce their carbon footprint.
Third, service is playing a much larger role. We are actively merging our digital, service and innovation activities to extend the operational life of our solutions. These integrated offerings, including the ability to make easy upgrades, deliver substantial long-term value and measurable sustainability benefits.
GEA’s goal is for all new solutions launched on the market to be circular ready by 2030 onwards. What does that mean concretely, and can you provide 1-2 examples?
Being "circular ready" means shifting from a traditional linear approach to a circular one – designing products with their full lifecycle in mind, right from the start. We are embedding circular principles into our innovation process which means integrating our digital capabilities and service offering with efficient product design.
What does that look like in practice? First, we’re designing machines for longevity and offering digitally enabled predictive maintenance to maximize their operational lifespan. Second, we’re improving end-of-life management – for example, by taking back equipment like separators for refurbishment or recovering valuable materials in a responsible way. These are some tangible steps toward circularity.
How does the new GEA Foundation fit within GEA’s broader sustainability strategy?
It’s crucial to remember that sustainability isn't solely about the environment – social aspects are just as essential. The two must always go hand-in-hand.
The GEA Foundation strengthens our community engagement by making it more systematic, which allows us to achieve our goals more effectively. It builds upon our commitment to donate one percent of net profit annually, taking our engagement to the next level. The foundation focuses our efforts on four strategic pillars: strengthening education especially STEM-topics (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fighting child poverty, improving access to basic infrastructure like clean water and healthcare, and administering acute disaster relief. By working closely with respected and experienced organizations, we ensure our contributions are impact-oriented and make a real difference for the people who need them most.
GEA donates 1 percent of its net profit annually. The GEA Foundation supports partners in projects that help build resilient communities around the globe. (Image: GEA)
What is GEA doing to ensure high employee engagement? How do you define success in this area?
Employee engagement is a top priority – and we track it closely. In our latest global employee survey, conducted in March 2025, 82 percent of our employees said they would recommend GEA as a great place to work. That’s a strong endorsement. Also, sustainability was once again the best-ranked dimension globally, with 83 percent approval. This is a key indicator of success.
To me, true engagement starts with purpose. GEA’s purpose, "Engineering for a better world," provides a vital anchor, allowing employees across all functions to connect their work to a larger mission. Maintaining this high engagement means continuously communicating our goals, our progress and how each individual contributes to the bigger picture.
We foster a culture where people feel they can grow and make a difference – not just in their roles, but beyond. For example, all employees are encouraged to take a paid day off each year to volunteer their skills in the community – a tangible way to live our purpose together.
GEA’s purpose, "Engineering for a better world," provides a vital anchor, allowing employees across all functions to connect their work to a larger mission.
Dr. Nadine Sterley
Chief Sustainability Officer, GEA
How would you characterize GEA’s sustainability journey so far? How has it transformed the company and its culture?
I would describe it quite simply: "we walk the talk." That is very much in line with GEA's pragmatic culture. Our focus is not just on strategy but on implementation – setting clear goals, assigning responsibility and being transparent about progress – such as our share of sales generated by sustainable solutions.
Our journey is a real transformation. While GEA has long-standing roots in responsible business, reaching ambitious long-term goals like net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 is a profound undertaking. We are on a journey that demands continuous adaptation and deep change – across technologies, mindsets and ways of working.
We are working to embed sustainability into the heart of our business – connecting it to core metrics, upskilling our workforce and changing priorities. The aim is for sustainability to shape everyday decision-making and define how we create long-term value.
