ICT Group takes important steps in sustainability

The ISO 14001 certificate has been a goal for some time. "Many European customers ask for it and it fits our European profile," says Lamers. "It is a widely recognized international standard. This allows us to increase our visibility abroad." With the ISO 14001 certification, ICT Group demonstrates that it meets the legal environmental requirements, continuously improves environmental performance and manages environmental risks. " There is extensive testing to verify this, and you must clearly explain and substantiate the actions you are taking. We are not a production company, but supply software and have offices and employees. Our ecological impact is therefore small. Nevertheless, ISO 14001 forces us to look much more consciously at all environmental aspects that are relevant to us."

CO2 Performance Ladder

Reducing CO2 emissions, for example, is one such theme. Last year, ICT Group was certified for the highest level 5 of the CO2 Performance Ladder. This year we also succeeded in doing so for ICT TriOpSys, which was acquired last year. "That was already at level 3, but is now running at our high level 5. That is also beneficial for customers. For example, we try to fit all the certificates of companies that ICT Group acquires into the existing certification systems. Conversely, TriOpSys already had ISO 14001. We gratefully used that knowledge to clarify what we needed to arrange for this. That has certainly accelerated this process."

Both ISO 14001 and level 5 of the CO2 Performance Ladder prescribe that ICT Group shows that it takes responsibility for the entire chain. "In chain analyses, we have mapped out where emissions are greatest. Together with our customers, we are working on solutions to reduce CO2 emissions," says Peter. Sustainability is also part of ICT Group's 'Supplier Code of Conduct', which was drawn up last year. 

The same applies to the employees of ICT Group. "Sustainability is discussed during onboarding and we explain, among other things, what ICT Group is doing about sustainability. We would like to take our employees through what we stand for in this area. We are not only involved in IT, but we are also a sustainable company. Employees must also realize that it is important to propagate this," says Peter.

CSRD

The cooperation of other companies in the chain to contribute to sustainability is voluntary, which sometimes makes it challenging to achieve something. "That's why it's good that there are also legal obligations," says Peter. All major European companies must start working on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This European directive requires companies to publish an annual report on their sustainability performance, such as reducing their CO2 emissions. ICT Group must do this from 2027. "We are busy with the preparations. The guideline includes many KPIs. With these measurable values, you can evaluate and report on your sustainability performance as a company. We are collecting the data for that."

It is important for ICT Group that the CSRD offers a European framework to report to the outside world in an insightful and unambiguous way about what the company has done in terms of sustainability. "The guideline fits in nicely with the working method we have already introduced and the analyses we are doing to map out our emissions, also in the chain with customers and suppliers," says Peter.

The CSRD also helps ICT Group to give more structure to the ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) policy. "This allows us to be transparent and verifiable about what we do about sustainability. We are increasingly showing that we are in control. This is important for our stakeholders. Moreover, we can fit our policy at a European level, which, like ISO 14001, contributes to our European profile."