Sustainability

ESG

In addition to quick wins such as the installation of solar panels, the greening of the vehicle fleet, promoting cycling to work, and the reduction of energy guzzlers, Gosselin is rallying behind a thorough and integrated strategy with a strong initial focus on emissions. All of the separate initiatives are being consolidated in a new ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) plan that has resulted in four major mainstays.

1 Aspirations

Gosselin is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, and a net-positive figure by 2050 when ecologically responsible services will be the norm. It’s a daunting, but that’s okay! What’s important here is that all of the divisions (logistics, moving, military) are on the same page. Gosselin’s diversity as a company therefore poses an additional challenge.

2 Empowerment

Gosselin wants to create a motivated work floor with people who all do their best to achieve a limited number of goals with measurable impact. These activities include the bicycle project, the River Clean-Up, but also new projects that can be put forward by our own people via an idea platform.

3 Governance

A transparent management system that incorporates the new strategy, both internally and externally, is the ultimate way to convince stakeholders to contribute to positive change. The less crisis management necessary and the sooner people follow our processes, the more efficiently Gosselin can do its work.

4 Profit

It goes without saying that Gosselin tries to generate more profit. After all, it takes investments to make the transition possible. The transition to business cases with sustainability as the growth and profit engine has however only just begun for Gosselin. These cases will lead to more added value for all of the stakeholders. We are confident this will happen!

All of this will be achieved through a three-step plan:

1 The basics

The imminent European sustainability reporting requirement means that data must be gathered very accurately and systematically. The CO₂ emissions must be calculated for each industry, and individual ambitions and objectives must be recorded. The ITS department is already working hard to standardize the data systems. After all, if we want to grow, our back offices must also perform at a very high level. Sustainable services demand data management that is even more efficient. The digital transformation that Gosselin is currently undergoing goes hand-in-hand with the sustainability transformation.

The next goal is to create a materiality matrix in which the ESG objectives most important for Gosselin are determined based on their significance and impact for our partners, employees and end customers.  In order to guarantee compliance with ESG legislation, Noël is working closely with HSE & Quality.

3 Inspiring building blocks

Finally, innovation equals collaboration. You can’t keep the gains all to yourself. If the business cases work and you share the pain and gain as a company, more people will be less afraid to work towards achieving the same goal. The idea is to inspire other companies, large and small, and enable them to jump on the bandwagon. This can only be done by communicating frequently and systematically, on all fronts, internal or external. It does however have to be done with data that is gathered correctly and systematically, and this remains a challenge for our logistics and mobility services.

This culture shift must also be accompanied internally by workshops, cases, and ambassadors who also support this change to ensure that it reaches young talent as well as senior management. Fortunately, this sustainability awareness is also gaining rapid momentum among companies. We need to ride this wave to a better world for everyone.

Where do we want to be?

• Low-emissions urban logistics
• Energy reduction in offices and warehouses
• CO₂- neutral road transport
• Alternatives for packing materials in the moving sector
• Ecological alternative for fumigation