Sustainability Talks #78 in summary: Sustainability Beyond Compliance
A summary from the podcast Sustainability talks and episode 78 with Catarina Paulson, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Getinge.
Sustainability Beyond Compliance: How Catarina Paulson Leads Change at Getinge
When Catarina Paulson speaks about sustainability, she speaks with the authority of lived experience, the sharpness of an analyst, and the heart of a changemaker. As Head of Corporate Sustainability at Getinge, her journey is not just a professional story. It is a deeply personal mission.
From Mexico City’s Smog to a Global Sustainability Mission
Born and raised in Mexico City, Catarina grew up inhaling one of the world’s most polluted atmospheres. “Living in Mexico in the 70s and 80s was like smoking a pack of cigarettes a day,” she recalls. Environmental degradation wasn’t an abstract concept; it was a daily reality. Pollution, social inequality, and rampant corruption were the constants that shaped her early view of the world — and lit the fire for her future career.
”If you have widespread corruption, you will never succeed with sustainability efforts,” Catarina asserts. This realization became a cornerstone of her philosophy: systemic integrity is non-negotiable if real change is to happen.
A Nonlinear Path: From Policy Dreams to Corporate Change-Making
With dreams of working for the United Nations, Catarina studied political science in the United States. But life redirected her. Jobs at the UN were scarce, and her insight crystallized: “It is not only policies that change the world — it is also the everyday choices of consumers and companies.”
She transitioned into consultancy, working with alternative fuels, pioneering one of the first lifecycle assessments in that space. A stint in academia followed, researching electric vehicles at a time when fossil fuel dominance seemed unshakable. Gradually, she moved into corporate roles, building sustainability programs across industries, from automotive giants like Volvo to global manufacturing leaders like Tetra Pak and Alfa Laval.
Getinge: Marrying Healthcare and Sustainability
Today, Catarina leads sustainability at Getinge, a Swedish medtech company that operates globally with over 12,000 employees. The organization’s mission is clear: to save lives. But Catarina’s charge is to ensure it does so sustainably.
Getinge’s sustainability approach rests on three environmental pillars: climate action, water stewardship, and resource efficiency. Each pillar reflects the realities of the healthcare sector, which is responsible for approximately 5% of global CO2 emissions.
Yet Catarina’s view extends beyond environmental impacts to the social core: quality. ”In our world, quality is sustainability,” she states. ”If our products fail, they can directly endanger lives and waste massive resources.”
Integrating Sustainability into the Business Fabric
One of Catarina’s strongest convictions is that sustainability must not be an isolated parallel track — it must be integral to the business model itself.
”If you treat sustainability as a side project, you’re missing the point,” she says. At Getinge, product development is driven by questions like: how can a sterilizer reduce energy and water usage at hospitals? How can surgical tools minimize patient stay time and thereby cut resource consumption?
One vivid example is Getinge’s EVH (Endoscopic Vessel Harvesting) technology. Traditionally, bypass surgeries required large incisions in the patient’s leg, resulting in long hospital stays, high infection risks, and enormous resource use per day. EVH uses small incisions, dramatically reducing patient recovery time.
The environmental dividends are enormous: each hospital bed day saved reduces up to 1,000 liters of water usage and prevents the generation of multiple kilos of hazardous waste.
The Silent Power of Systems Thinking
Throughout her career, Catarina has advocated for viewing sustainability not as a checkbox exercise but as a dynamic systems challenge.
Her approach emphasizes the interconnectedness between economic health, environmental stewardship, and social equity. It’s not about trade-offs — it’s about crafting solutions where these dimensions amplify each other.
For instance, reducing patient hospital time is not just good for the environment; it is good for public health economics and individual wellbeing. “We need to think much more holistically,” Catarina stresses.
Facing Structural Barriers: The Slow Grind of Change
Despite her optimism, Catarina acknowledges the challenges. Regulatory inconsistencies across markets, the inertia of traditional procurement systems, and short-term business mindsets often complicate sustainability efforts.
”Sometimes, you need to build alliances internally, just like you would in a political environment,” she reflects. Success often depends not just on the best solution but on the ability to influence, negotiate, and stay patient.
Lessons from the Frontlines
Asked what advice she would give to fellow sustainability leaders, Catarina doesn’t hesitate:
▶ Stay Authentic: ”Don’t bend your principles to make things easier. Integrity earns respect over time.”
▶ Think Systems: ”Always connect the dots between environment, business, and society.”
▶ Be Pragmatic but Persistent: ”Understand the business realities but don’t lose sight of long-term goals.”
▶ Communicate Value: ”Speak the language of your audience — whether it’s CO2 savings or cost reductions.”
▶ Celebrate Small Wins: ”Every change matters, even if it’s incremental.”
Looking Ahead: A New Era for Healthcare Sustainability
With technologies advancing and awareness growing, Catarina sees medtech at a tipping point. She believes that sustainability will soon be as critical a competitive edge as innovation or cost efficiency.
”Hospitals are increasingly looking for solutions that help them meet their environmental and financial goals simultaneously. If we design right, we can make those goals inseparable.”
For Getinge, and for Catarina, the future lies in radical integration: making sustainability indistinguishable from quality, business excellence, and patient care.
Key Takeaways for Sustainability Leaders
▶ Embed sustainability into core business strategies, not as an add-on.
▶ Prioritize systemic thinking: connect environmental, social, and economic impacts.
▶ Quantify benefits in business terms: speak both sustainability and finance fluently.
▶ Invest in technologies that deliver both human and environmental health gains.
▶ Stay resilient — progress is often slow but cumulative.
▶ Celebrate every improvement, no matter how small.
Catarina Paulson’s journey is a reminder that true sustainability leadership demands more than ambition; it demands courage, strategic insight, and the stamina to drive change — one step, one innovation, one life saved at a time.