Sustainability and scientific innovation share a common goal: generate solutions that transform and improve our present and our future. Glòria Pladellorens plays a fundamental role, integrating sustainability into all the PCB’s activities, ensuring responsible management of resources, promoting energy efficiency and fostering the well-being of the community with whom she works.

The PCB follows the roadmap set out in the Sustainability Plan 2022-2025. What are the main challenges you are facing on the road to sustainability?

The first Sustainability Plan will end in 2025, and two important goals have been reached: one, there is a real awareness of the people who work at the PCB, so they apply criteria of saving resources and social responsibility to their activity; as a second important point, the institution has identified its strengths in its field of activity and where it can work on reducing its environmental footprint and bringing benefits to society. In 2026, we will have adopted a second Sustainability Plan, and work will be done to better measure and communicate the results of the different actions. We also want to harness the power of the community to move the health sector forward in sustainability.

What have been the most significant developments in sustainability in recent years, and which initiatives have had the greatest impact within the scientific and business community?

The most important goal that has been achieved, which is particularly complex in our buildings, is the reduction of energy consumption. For three consecutive years, we have reduced our consumption of electricity, water and gas. The PCB’s population grows every year, yet we have still managed to improve efficiency to reduce consumption by the facilities. In addition, we have succeeded in establishing a culture of respect for the environment and saving resources, which everyone has fully internalised. Concepts such as the circular economy, responsible purchasing or reuse are fully implemented in the way the PCB and its community work. As an outstanding example, as part of the circular economy initiatives, we have implemented the return of cold storage blocks to the frozen sample transport circuit, avoiding their unnecessary destruction. Another initiative in this field, now that the PCB is more than twenty-five years old and assets are deteriorating or ageing and need to be renewed, has involved setting up a solid network to donate materials in good condition and prevent their destruction.

You have seen the birth of the concept of sustainability and how institutions have been taking small steps forward in this area. What would you highlight of this journey, from your start in the quality area until now?

There are two key factors that help us to move forward. First of all, the ability to have an impact on suppliers is starting to take effect: when purchasing or contracting, the PCB can set conditions that require suppliers to also act in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. The other aspect is that researchers who want to apply for a competitive project, such as a European project, must meet certain sustainability indicators in order to obtain funding and must therefore have this label. Whether out of interest or conviction in the cause, it seems that the instruments are beginning to align.

For many years now, you have been doing a section in the T’interessa newsletter on sustainability that has a large following among the PCB community. How would you rate this work?

I always like to say that “fine rain makes good seasoning”, because it is the rain that really wets the earth and gives life. I think a weekly article is like this fine rain and the PCB newsletter serves as a reminder and keeps you involved, in a good way. I have been writing for T’interessa for seven years, with almost 300 articles published on sustainability. I want to believe that everyone has felt challenged at least once! I always try to comment or reflect on a daily situation in our own environment and involving our habits.