How does Cardoen approach corporate social responsibility?

At Cardoen we have respect. Respect for our colleagues, our customers, our products, our equipment and our environment. For the environment in general. Indeed, at Cardoen we realise there is only 1 planet and that we must treat it with great care. We therefore put corporate social responsibility high on the agenda.

Based on this vision we organise a number of initiatives, in which we engage our colleagues and customers. After all, by working together we can help to protect our planet and ensure a better world.

This is our approach to sustainable business at Cardoen.

By 2026, we aim to drastically reduce the carbon emissions of the activities under own control. These activities involve our company cars, heating and electricity.

These are our specific activities:

• Our company cars will be fully electric.
• Installation of 8 electrical charging stations at our headquarters in Antwerp. Zaventem, Ghent and Namur will follow shortly after.
• Installation of solar panels on the roof of our headquarters in Antwerp.
• Switch from gas to heat grid heating in our Antwerp headquarters.

In 2022, Cardoen joined the initiative CEO’s 4 Climate. This network of climate-conscious businesses aims to bring about effective sustainable changes. This led to the launch of CEO’s 4 Climate action to drive at 110km/hr on the motorway, as a way to save CO2 and fuel. An activity we are happy to support.

In 2021, we took a first step towards circular economy.

We set up the TRC, The Reconditioning Center. This is where we set to work on second-hand cars, to give them a second life on the road. This is where we carefully check the technical condition of every used car we sell, including repair or maintenance if necessary. We also thoroughly clean every car.

Buying a certified used car from Cardoen has an important advantage. Did you know that 50% of all CO2 produced in the life cycle of a car is already created during the production process and transport? Before the car has even driven 1 km!

By reconditioning used cars, you can drive them for longer, as a result of which fewer new cars will be bought, produced and transported. Together, we can reduce CO2 emissions and the consumption of scarce raw materials.

The components we use in the TRC are second-hand parts which we receive from partners like Distrigo. This means we reduce waste from parts.

We also work sustainably when it comes to laptops and computers. Indeed, old laptops and computers do not end up in the bin at Cardoen. Instead, we donate them to the company Out of Use which recycles these devices and their components. In exchange for our old laptops and computers, Out of Use buys 2m² of land per device on which to plant trees. In this way we contribute to forest preservation in Belgium.

In our offices too we make efforts to minimise our waste. By digitising our processes and flow we aim for a printerless environment. Plus, our colleagues drink coffee from reusable cups and use stirrers made from wood. In doing so, we reduce our use of plastic.

At Cardoen our employees are very important. We want our employees to feel happy, which also means they can do their best at work. We have several tools to help us in boosting our colleagues’ mental and physical well-being. Happy employees, that’s our goal.

At specific moments we organise a survey among our employees about their experiences at Cardoen. Colleagues get the chance to express not only their positive experiences but also their concerns. We take these concerns very seriously and use feedback to take action. Based on this survey, we promise to provide our employees with the appropriate tools to work comfortably.

Belgian society is diverse and, as a Belgian company, Cardoen aims to reflect such diversity. This means that everyone is welcome here, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, origins, religion, … People with a mental or physical limitation are also welcome at Cardoen. We therefore work together with partners such as Onbeperkt Jobstudent and Reva.

At Cardoen we wish to give our employees the chance to develop their talents to the full. This means that our colleagues can attend both internal and external training and workshops to suit their job and/or talents.

Fit employees are often happier and less frequently ill. That’s why Cardoen is committed to sport under the Sportbedrijf label. We encourage our employees to do sport both during and after work. In our offices the table tennis table is very popular, and we regularly plan an hour of yoga during the lunch break.

A little party never killed nobody, so we organise an evening out with all colleagues across the country a few times a year. The annual staff party and the winter BBQ are fixed occasions in the diary, and other events, whether local or national, are added through the year.