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Corporate Digital Responsibility at OGE
Digitisation and sustainability are drivers of transformation for OGE in many ways
In 2022 we developed the Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) programme and set about implementing it. With this programme, we at OGE are taking responsibility for our employees, the region of our main locations, and society in times of change. Our goal is a sustainable digital transformation.
In an interdisciplinary team, we defined our vision of a responsible approach to digital transformation. Our CDR programme covers four areas: Tech for Good, Green IT, Digital Inclusion and Competence, and Privacy.
Tech for Good
Sustainability through digital innovations
For the successful transformation of our core business, we use the opportunities of digitisation in a targeted and responsible manner. To this end, we have firmly anchored innovation management with a focus on digitisation in our corporate structure and culture. This way, we aim to find answers to the challenges of industry change and future questions relating to the climate targets.
Example drone operation: We use drones as efficient and sustainable support, for example for pipeline route investigations, for surveying and construction site documentation, as well as testing for other applications
Green IT
Sustainability in IT
Digitisation has become the great hope in the field of sustainability. Unconnected with individual companies, digitisation can achieve almost a third of Germany’s GHG emissions savings target by 2030, according to a Bitkom study1. From the outset, we have considered Green IT to be an integral part of our CDR activities, not only to leverage the potential of digitisation, but also to reduce the associated emissions and resource consumption (rebound effect).
Example smartphones: The need to be reachable and for mobile working is constantly growing. By extending the useful life of our smartphones by one year, we are counteracting the increasing number of newly acquired devices and rising resource consumption.
1 See bitkom study “Climate effects and digitisation" (only in German)
Digital Inclusion and Competence
acting responsibly
Our digitisation strategy is entitled “Responsible digitisation – enthusiastically creating added value together”. This company-wide transformation programme includes not only our employees, but also the region and society. Key components of the programme are building digital skills, competencies and mindsets, developing sustainable innovation for existing and new business models, and establishing and cultivating new networks and digital ecosystems.
Example Digital Expert: Together with the RWTH Aachen Business School, the Digital Campus Zollverein and the Schmiede Zollverein, we have developed an advanced Digital Expert training programme on methods and technologies of digitisation. In its fourth year in 2022, we trained different subject experts from various regional companies to become impulse generators for the digital transformation.
Privacy
data protection and IT security
Information security and data privacy are firmly anchored in our value system and are key elements of our management systems. With our Information Security Management System (ISMS) we, as an operator of a critical infrastructure, fulfil the requirements of the IT security catalogue. In this context, information security includes both traditional IT and the technical infrastructure (operational technology).
Beispiel Security Operations Center (SOC): Using our newly established Security Operations Centre (SOC), we will further increase IT security. Together with our partners, we will in future monitor our IT infrastructure daily and around the clock with the support of experienced experts.
With a vision
Our CDR programme is designed for the long term. To make it a firm part of our organisational setup, we have defined employees responsible for each dimension, who lead interdisciplinary teams. The CDR core team is made up of these dimension owners, with the Head of IT Management as chair. In this way, our digitisation activities also have a positive impact on our corporate responsibility.