3 questions for Nicole Krojer
Borders can protect, but they also limit our thoughts and actions
As head of the Zuke Green Community, Nicole Krojer brings together people from hospitals, care homes and other inpatient facilities - with an ambitious goal: all healthcare facilities should be climate-neutral by 2040 at the latest. A conversation about the power of networks and boundaries, that protect us - but also slow us down.
Interview: WeACT Con
1
Ms. Krojer, what obstacles stand in the way of sustainable healthcare?
Nicole Krojer: It's often not just the obvious challenges such as budget restrictions, a lack of resources or a lack of regulatory incentives, but also mental limitations that are deeply rooted in management in particular. Sustainability is still too often seen as a cost factor and not as an economic opportunity. Too many "buts" stand in the way: too expensive, too complex, not economically attractive enough. This way of thinking prevents courageous steps and innovative solutions. But this is precisely where the greatest potential lies: sustainable management pays off - in the long term and increasingly also in the short term.
2
What helps to break through these boundaries?
It's easier together. When you network, you learn from others and gain the confidence to break new ground. This is exactly what we do in the ZUKE Green Community. The network has been growing for five years and with it the wealth of experience and the number of good practices that others can use as a guide. Here, clinics and companies act and cooperate across sectors. They face up to the issues and are now known as pioneers in the industry. Companies that boldly develop new business models also find an exchange space with us. The movement is growing - because we are tackling it together and everyone benefits sustainably from this community and its successes.
3
How can we as a society break down these barriers?
We must dare to rethink. Be courageous. See innovation not as a risk, but as an opportunity. Successful sustainable solutions need more visibility so that they can serve as role models. Boundaries can protect us, but they limitalso our thoughts and actions. We set most of them ourselves - individually and as a society. But those who question them recognize new possibilities.
This is exactly where WeACT Con 2025 comes in: It creates the space to think beyond boundaries, grow networks and shape solutions together. This is the only way we can actively tackle the future - sustainably and boldly. Sustainability must not be a 'nice to have' - it must become a fundamental principle of our actions.