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Sustainability

Time for a change

In recent years, there has been a clear (r)evolution underway among consumers when it comes to the environment and how we live our lives. Criticism for the compensation of CO2 emissions is growing, and we’re more alert to greenwashing than ever before. And the companies? They simply have to get on board!

Gosselin acknowledges that given its logistics and national and international moving activities, it belongs to one of the sectors that make it hard to take targeted action. In spite of the challenges, we too want to make the move to sustainable and innovative mobility and logistics services. We are already taking the first step to achieve this.

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.

Sustainability pillars
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:

Sustainability stappenplan
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, we are working closely with HSE & Quality.

 

2 Better together

During the second step, Gosselin will communicate the sustainability status, progression and solutions to end customers and external parties. Transparency in communication is a powerful tool for attracting new partners. Together with them, we will have to examine the best way to change our methods.

We are seeing a monthly rise in the number of questions from customers about our CO2-footprint certifications and the status of our sustainability strategy and goals. This requires a balancing act on a very weak tightrope, because our data and systems are far from perfect; simultaneously exciting and intriguing. The message is however to stay positive. This is a transition we will have to make happen, together.

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.

What have we done so far?

Sport label

Gosselin receives the ‘Sportbedrijf’ label

In 2023 Gosselin aimed to receive the label ‘Sportbedrijf’ and started emphasizing more exercise and sport for all colleagues. Two years later, Sport Vlaanderen has awarded Gosselin the ‘Sportbedrijf 24-25’ label. A nice reward for all the sporty efforts that were made.
Sport overview 2024

Sport overview 2024

In recent years, Gosselin, spurred on by a sports and exercise project team, has been strongly committed to sport and exercise. We proudly received the ‘Sportbedrijf’ label from Sport Vlaanderen. An extra boost to do even more sport and exercise!
Olympic marathon Evert

‘Once you start, it's addictive’ - Evert runs Olympic marathon for amateurs

Two years ago, at a running competition in Paris, Evert qualified to run the Olympic course for amateurs in 2024. A dream for any sports fanatic.

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

Download our QHSE policy

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