Sustainability immediately brings to mind climate change and reducing carbon emissions – but sustainability is just so much more. The United Nations (UN) have developed 17 sustainable development goals to be achieved by 2030. These goals include, for instance, “gender equality”, “good health and well-being”, along with “quality education”.
Haeger & Schmidt Logistics Belgium (HSLB) also takes its guidance from the UN goals. As an international freight forwarder, the company does not have any assets of its own, such as trucks, wagons , or ships. It therefore uses other levers to go down its own path of sustainability. With success! Last year, HSLB was awarded the “FORWARD Goals” prize conferred on it by FORWARD, Belgium’s association of forwarders.
Sustainability commitment at HSLB is the responsibility of 33-year old Anne De Beule. As chairperson of the Sustainability Commission at FORWARD Belgium, she has been the driving force behind the topic for one and a half years, also across sectors. She describes the association’s work as a “learning network” which enables members to give each other an insight into their internal sustainability initiatives. “One of the most difficult topics of our work in the commission is a representative calculation of the carbon footprint. Together we collate and analyse the basis for calculations from the various providers,” De Beule explains.
In the company, she focuses on sustainability measures such as the paperless office, digitalisation and participation in various campaigns, an example being “The Pink Walk”, an initiative aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer. This year HSL Belgium took part for the first time in the Port Cleanup campaign organised by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
HSLB’s next sustainability goal has already been set. Before the end of the year, the team is striving to achieve the highest level of the sustainability prize, which will earn the company the right to bear the “FORWARD Goals Gold Partner” insignia. To this end, the number of proven sustainability measures needs to be doubled to ten actions. The “Move for nature”, “Coffee beans instead of capsules” and regularly taking on trainees are some of these new projects.
Naturally, HSLB opts for ecological modes of transport on waterways and rail whenever possible in organising its transport chain. “As a member of the Haeger & Schmidt Logistics Group, green logistics has always been part of our corporate culture. With our own intermodal offerings, inland water transport routes and short sea capacities within the Group, we are flexible in developing sustainable transport solutions,” De Beule says.