May we introduce?...

…The effects of world politics are currently being felt by everyone. Not only increased energy prices, but also the procurement of material has become a challenging task for industrial productions. For our employee Kai Bornschein, this challenge is part of his everyday working routine: in the Service Logistics department, he fights for a timely delivery to our customers, procures materials and ensures that our customers have the optimal solution on site as quickly as possible. How he masters this challenge and what his hobby has to do with his work, he tells us now in the interview.

How do you imagine a perfect day?

For me, many days can be called “perfect”; be it relaxing on the beach, riding a motorbike or diving in the sea for example. In the end, it all depends on the company. Then even an evening around the campfire can be a perfect day.

Society is very worried at the moment - energy prices are rising for every household, but also industry has been struggling with supply shortages for months now. What impact does global politics have on your work in the Service Logistic team?

The biggest effects are currently the bottlenecks in supply of spare parts and operating materials, as well as the uncertainty in transport routes. This means we must plan even more foresightedly and, if necessary, find alternative solutions that maintain both our delivery capability and quality.

And how do you deal with this problem so that customers get their solution as quickly as possible?

In close coordination with our materials management, our suppliers as well as individual consultation with our customers, we have so far always been able to find an adequate solution together. Our common goal is to ensure the operational capability of the plants - despite the current challenges - with forward planning and procurement.

You find your private balance under water: you are a passionate diver. What was the most exciting experience while diving?

I made friends with a big Brazilian grouper on Cabrera/Spain this year. He followed me around the whole dive and kept trying to steal snorkels or pull my hair. That's why the guide lovingly christened him "Cabron" (Spanish).

Here at H2O, the topic water has a special significance. Our vision is a wastewater-free industry, so that pollution does not end up in public waters. As a diver, you have a good insight into the health of our water: In your opinion, has the sea, rivers and lakes changed in recent years?

Unfortunately, you can clearly see that the heat is affecting the rivers and lakes. The freshwater ecosystem is severely threatened by this. Depending on the country, this ecosystem is additionally burdened by polluted water, for example from industry, which makes sustainable treatment of freshwater just as important.

Fortunately, water protection is becoming more and more important worldwide; however, this positive development is sometimes much too slow.

In the sea, one can observe that seagrass meadows are declining. This is very critical, as they are the largest CO2 reservoirs on earth. There are many organizations here that are committed to rebuilding and reviving the seagrass meadows.

You are also actively participating in the local council, building and environment committee. How can you personally have a positive impact on the environment in these activities?

There are many opportunities here at the local level. In general, we check in the municipal council and in the committee before every single decision that the environment is not negatively affected. And on the contrary - environmentally beneficial measures are prioritized in order not to only stop climate change, but also to counteract it.

Can you tell us how for example?

We discuss new development project and then get them off the ground with decisions in made in the committee, for example for local heating networks. We also take into account springs, water courses and expert opinions on flora and fauna when making decisions on building areas and building projects. At the moment, we are consulting on traffic routes to relieve roads and make cycling more attractive.

If you had three wishes: What would they be?

That is a difficult question. Everyone ends up wishing for "health, peace and happiness". I am well and I would wish the same for everyone else in view of the current world situation.