Sarens goes above and beyond in quest for global recognition from EcoVadis.
Sarens is thrilled to announce that it has earned an EcoVadis rating after a rigorous and complex assessment process. EcoVadis is one of the major global ESG (environmental, social, and (corporate) governance) organisations and has so far rated over 75,000 trading partners worldwide. As of 2022, approximately 750 multinational enterprises have selected EcoVadis to assess and monitor their global supplier base and selected business partners.
Sarens took the first steps towards achieving an EcoVadis rating while building a commercial relationship with Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies, and services for industry and health. Air Liquide had requested that Sarens Belgium (BE) undergo a Sustainability Management Audit (ESG) with EcoVadis.
However, Sarens’ quest for excellence led it to dream even bigger and reach even higher. Although the initial request applied only to Sarens Belgium, due to the detailed and comprehensive nature of the assessment, the leadership team chose to take it to the entire Sarens Group. This would mean that all Sarens business units worldwide could use the EcoVadis assessment ranking as a positive step forward in their ESG initiatives.
The EcoVadis ranking is an opportunity for ongoing self-improvement–and Sarens is excited to be undertaking that journey. Following the initial assessment, Sarens NV received an overall score of 50%, a very good result at such an early stage. Our current score shows that we are making good progress in both Labour & Human Rights as well as Environment categories. These ratings are a concrete recognition of our commitment to environmental sustainability, for example, as demonstrated through our use of the first electric pack for the Demag crane, various electric cranes, a giant electric crane, and solar panels at our head office, among other initiatives.
As Sarens began the assessment process, we were fortunate that key individuals at Air Liquide and EcoVadis could provide insights into how the assessment worked and what it would take to complete it. Following these meetings, Sarens expected to take three months to complete the initial assessment, and was informed to expect an initial overall rating of about 25%. We are proud to have achieved a much higher score than expected and will be using it as a catalyst for further improvements.
With this EcoVadis ranking, Sarens is walking the talk. Our commitment to accelerating the energy transition with our clients is clear. For example, we are deeply involved in offshore wind projects and are boldly transitioning to more electric cranes, which contribute to lower our emissions and subsequently those of client projects. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating this important first step–and be with us for the journey as we boldly go further and higher than ever before.
