Sustainability as a strategic building block

Climate change affects us all. The companies within VT-Invest Construction Group are actively working to reduce emissions, since CO2 is a gas that has a significant impact on the climate. We operate in accordance with the CO2 Performance Ladder, a recognised system that helps companies measure and improve their climate impact. By achieving Level 3, we have carefully mapped our main sources of emissions and are taking targeted action to reduce them further:

• We use green power generated in Belgium.
• We invest in the electrification of our vehicle and machinery fleet.
• We focus on efficiency improvements and are exploring HVO fuel as a more sustainable alternative to diesel.

We invite our suppliers, partners and clients to help achieve this sustainable transition with us. By sharing data, making materials more sustainable and developing new ways of working together, we can strengthen one another and reduce our collective carbon footprint.

We are committed to the smart use of materials, including through BIM (Building Information Modeling). We work alongside our private and public sector customers to help them make sustainable choices within their means. This way we maximise the value of each project and ensure that optimisations are both practical and feasible.

We closely monitor the application and development of sustainable materials through an internally developed information guide and advise our clients on innovative solutions. Within the group, we are exploring concrete with a lower CO2 footprint and work closely with partners throughout our value chain to support this effort. 

Finally, we promote proper waste sorting through the use of unambiguous signs, through awareness-raising initiatives and site walk-throughs aimed at reducing waste streams, and by reusing materials and enabling recycling.

At VT-Invest Construction Group, safety is an absolute priority. We continuously raise the bar and apply the same high standards to our subcontractors. As a result, several companies within the group are now VCA certified. 

Together we strive for a safe working environment on every project. We continuously invest in the wellbeing of our employees through initiatives that strengthen physical and mental health, motivation and team spirit. We are open to the needs of our employees, ensure short lines of communication, encourage involvement through working groups and give them the space to show initiative and entrepreneurship. This way we promote both personal and professional growth and foster an environment in which every employee feels at ease. It is therefore no coincidence that Algemene Ondernemingen Van Tornhaut, one of the companies within the group, has twice been named Best Workplace, an initiative of Vlerick Business School.

We are committed to sustainable cities and liveable communities. This is achieved by, amongst other things, paying close attention to preserving cultural and historical heritage, and by allowing cities and neighbourhoods to retain their identity while modernising. 

We work closely with customers, public authorities, suppliers and value chain partners to deliver projects that add value to the local community. This means choosing more sustainable materials with lower CO2 emissions, integrating green and blue infrastructure, facilitating sustainable mobility, improving spatial efficiency, and more. Some concrete examples include building structures to cover car parks with solar panels, collaborating with public authorities on road construction projects, using CO2 negative quick-build bricks and facing bricks, reducing the CO2 footprint of concrete, exploring the use of reused steel, focusing on renovation projects, and helping to further develop CLT technology.

In 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Their aim is to make the world a better and more sustainable place by 2030, addressing themes such as health, poverty, education, reduced inequality, improved working conditions, sustainable cities and responsible production.

Through impact analysis VT-Invest Construction Group has identified the SDGs on which it has the greatest impact. These are the SDGs 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17.

By participating in the Voka Charter for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (VCDO) we aim to further highlight our commitment to sustainability and to embed the SDGs more firmly in our policy. To this end, we exchange experiences and best practices both within and outside the group.