In the “WEffect” sustainability series, the BMW Group highlights the sustainable contribution made by a wide range of people in the company – and the motivation that inspires them. Today: Pankaj Arora.

Sustainability has many facets at the BMW Group because we are using this term to harmonise business, the environment and society. If we are to successfully put these high standards into practice, we need our employees’ commitment. Everyone can play their part in making the BMW Group sustainable.

So, who are all these colleagues who make sustainability part of their everyday work? What drives them to roll up their sleeves throughout the company? In its “WEffect” sustainability series, the BMW Group introduces employees who play their daily part in the broad and responsible further development of our company.

In this edition of our series, Pankaj Arora, Head of Parts Logistics After Sales at the BMW Group in Australia, talks about the importance of coordination, recycling and the big impact of small steps.

Pankaj Arora, you head up Parts Logistics After Sales for BMW Australia and are developing actions to reduce your department’s carbon footprint. What have you already put in place?

Pankaj Arora: Well, we have already implemented some of our projects. For example, our Sydney warehouse already gets a proportion of its energy needs from solar panels. We use packaging material that can be reused whenever possible. We ensure that disposable packaging is recycled. And we eke more use out of our product parts by having them recycled at headquarters. All these actions are part of the BMW Group’s global sustainability measures. The challenge is to integrate and replicate them within the existing supply chain framework. That is my task – and my goal. 

Solar panels and recycling disposable packaging – it all sounds quite simple really. Are there obstacles in the way? And if so, what helps you overcome the obstacles and reach your goal?

Arora: Sometimes, of course, it is not easy to design all these measures so that all the different groups concerned are completely happy with them right away. There are sometimes conflicts. If we coordinate well among ourselves, though, we always find workable alternative solutions that keep us on path to our goal. At the end of the day, everyone wants to do their bit to help us achieve our goals. Everyone involved in or connected to the value chain must also follow our lead if we are to succeed. This starts with the suppliers and goes through the dealers to the end customers. Most importantly, the way the BMW Group is approaching the topic is an enormous help to us in our quest to become truly sustainable.

What positive effects and successes do you see already?

Arora: Well, all in all, we are already making a massive reduction on our dependence on finite resources. Recycling recyclable material also has a ripple effect and significantly reduces our carbon footprint. More precisely: as an example, we shipped almost 16 containers in 2020 to support central reprocessing initiatives. 

Has this activity influenced how you go about other aspects of your life? What have been your experiences and do you do more recycling now yourself?

Arora: At the very least, I have become much more careful in my private life about using non-biodegradable materials such as plastics. On a professional level, sustainability and environmentally friendly alternatives now have a much greater emphasis in decision-making; for example, reuse of packaging materials is one of the more important criteria in tenders. For myself, I find that being sustainable has in a way become part of my daily routine. And it has also rubbed off on my family. We are now working hard together to try to minimise our plastic consumption by using more renewable materials and recycling things. There is still a long way to go though. So, if I sum it up, my most important insight so far is: we all have to do our part – and even a small individual effort can make a big difference.

Is there any one thing that you are particularly proud of?

Arora: I am generally proud of all initiatives that align with the goal of protecting our environment and climate. The BMW Group’s commitment stands out in particular though. It makes me particularly proud to be a part of an organisation that is actively working to improve its own sustainability footprint, while at the same time generating a higher level of awareness among people and in the industry. Premium and sustainability are inseparable qualities. Now we just have to earn the reputation of being the global benchmark when it comes to sustainability. 

In a single sentence: what keeps you motivated every day?

Arora: I am motivated by the sense of adding value every day. Not only for the company’s benefit, but also for the environment and future generations. 

And when is it good enough?

Arora: Never. It can always be more and better than we have achieved before – and the real fun is in exploring the unexplored. 

In the upcoming portraits from our “WEffect” sustainability series, committed colleagues will also describe their motivation and explain the contribution they are making to sustainability within the BMW Group.