Sustainability requires more than operational efficiency and emissions reduction, encompassing long-term investment, community engagement and responsible leadership, Andreea Crisan, Production Area Manager at Continental Anvelope Romania, said during the Sustainability in Business Forum, organised by Sustainability Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest.
“Sustainability is not just about what we do and how we operate. It is also about how we educate the people around us and build a community in which we can make a meaningful impact,” Crisan said.
Continental has been present in Romania for 25 years, manufacturing tyres and employing approximately 3,000 people. Over this period, the company has invested 700 million euros in its Romanian operations and contributes around 50 million euros annually to the state budget through taxes and other contributions, according to Crisan.
She stressed that a company’s sustainability performance cannot be assessed solely through its operational indicators, but also through its relationship with the surrounding community and the environmental impact of its activities.
“The operational side is not the only thing that shows you how sustainable you are. It is also about how you position yourself in relation to your neighbours,” she said, highlighting the investments made by the tyre manufacturer to address the environmental impact of its operations.
For Continental Anvelope Romania, sustainability translates into a concrete investment plan designed to support measurable environmental objectives. One of the key initiatives is the installation of photovoltaic panels, which currently cover 20% of the company’s electricity needs, Crisan said.
The company has also invested in technologies aimed at reducing odours and emissions, including Regenerative Thermal Oxidisers (RTO) and Cold Plasma systems. These investments began approximately a decade ago and continue to be developed, she added.
“What is impressive about us is that sustainability translates into a concrete investment plan, a roadmap showing how we can achieve our objectives,” Crisan said.
She explained that the company’s sustainability roadmap is regularly reviewed to ensure that its targets remain relevant and are supported by the necessary budgets.
The approach reflects the importance of integrating sustainability objectives into business planning and capital allocation, rather than treating them as standalone environmental initiatives.
Material traceability is another component of the company’s sustainability strategy. Crisan pointed to the ISCC PLUS certification, which supports the verification of the sustainability characteristics and traceability of materials sourced through certified supply chains.
According to Crisan, the certification helps demonstrate that the materials used by the company meet applicable sustainability requirements and relevant market standards.
Crisan also underlined the role of leadership in embedding sustainability into corporate decision-making, arguing that companies must look beyond immediate results and anticipate the investments and technologies they will need in the future.
“Sustainability also depends on how leadership looks at it. You must not only consider what you can do in the short term but also look at the long term and identify the investments and technologies you will need to be prepared for what comes next,” she said.
For industrial companies, she added, this long-term perspective is essential to ensuring that sustainability commitments are supported by the right technologies, resources and investment decisions.
