EcoVadis: we’ve won our silver medal (with a golden edge)

Our participation in EcoVadis has now become a great tradition. This year – just like last year – we won a silver medal. But with a golden edge, believes Environmental Coordinator & Prevention Advisor Kyani Van den Eede.

👉What is EcoVadis again?

• An international organisation that investigates how sustainable you are as a company. This ranges from measures to reduce waste to actions to promote well-being at work and switching to renewable energy to heat your buildings.
• As a participating company, you complete the EcoVadis questionnaire, supporting each answer with evidence.
• The top-scoring organisations based on this rating receive a platinum, gold, silver or bronze medal.
• Having the EcoVadis label allows a company to show the outside world that it takes corporate social responsibility very seriously.

Circet achieved bronze in 2022, silver in 2023 and now silver again. Is gold out of our reach?

Kyani: “Last year we also won silver in Belgium – just like in the Netherlands, by the way. However, the score for 2024 is not a status quo. We improved our ranking significantly compared to our previous participation.

In 2023 we were among the 13% best participants, this year we moved to 8% – a great achievement. The top 5% companies are rewarded with a Gold medal, so we’re very close to that. This silver medal actually already has a golden edge.”

8%

Circet is among the top 8% of companies that registered for EcoVadis this year. By comparison, in 2023 we were among the top 13%.

How do you explain this increase in our score compared to a year ago?

Kyani: “First and foremost, we optimised our environmental management with the ISO 14001 standard. We also remain committed to reducing our carbon footprint. We are electrifying the vehicle fleet, there are projects to recycle reels and other construction waste...

We are also taking an increasingly structured approach to all these sustainable initiatives. We do this with ESG teams, at local and group level. And last but not least: we continue to refine our processes to minimise unsafe working conditions.”

Why does Circet consider the EcoVadis label to be so important?

Kyani: “It is primarily a quality check of very diverse aspects of sustainability: environment and climate, working conditions, ethics, regulatory compliance, etc. In which areas are we performing well, and where should we focus our efforts to do better? This is what EcoVadis brings to light.

Furthermore, with such a hallmark of quality you prove to the outside world that you take corporate social responsibility seriously. And that is only logical: as a large company, it is our duty and responsibility to do our bit for the environment and society.”