Any company embarking on a certification process knows it is a long, very long journey, often fraught with pitfalls, but ultimately so rewarding!
At PlantC, our mission is to adapt our territories to climate change while strengthening biodiversity.
The environment is therefore at the heart of our commitment and our daily operations, but that does not absolve us of all social and environmental responsibility! Like any other company, we consume, we travel, we have an impact. And it is precisely by becoming aware of this that we decided to go further.
Aware of this, we decided to initiate a certification process to make our company as virtuous as possible by following the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the UN and adhering to the UNITAR certification. This certification spans three years with an annual jury review.
A long process that must be approached step by step
To calmly approach this long progression, we called upon the certification unit of the CCI Liège Verviers Namur, led by Valérie Géron, to jointly define an initial action plan for Year 1.
The idea is to create a real roadmap comprising ten annual actions linked to the SDGs. Among the key actions for our first year are:
The drafting of a Welcome Pack for new arrivals at PlantC, whether they are interns or employees, ensuring that the company’s inclusion criteria are met. It is a small booklet that serves to explain, among other things, our values, our missions, our operations, so that the person arriving is not disoriented.
The assessment of our carbon footprint within the company (concerning our business travel, our water and electricity consumption in our co-working space, and even our home-to-work commutes, which usually fall under personal carbon footprint!).
The drafting of a sustainable and environmentally friendly purchasing policy (before any purchase, team members must refer to a decision tree to ensure the purchase is useful and sustainable).
Following an awareness training with Live in Color to address inclusion within the team in order to best welcome diversity within the team.
IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE CERTIFICATION THAT MATTERS, BUT THE JOURNEY
We are not yet certified, and have not yet faced our jury for the first year, yet we feel we have changed quite a few things in our daily business operations.
Here are the testimonials from our two UNITAR coordination officers:
The time it takes. With daily work, it’s sometimes complicated to immerse oneself in the certification process, to be imaginative, and to implement concrete solutions without any fluff.
Harold – Project Manager at PlantC
Team cohesion. Frankly, this is not really an issue at PlantC, as everyone on the team is quite convinced of the importance of acting virtuously for the environment.
We tended to have disproportionate ambitions for a company of our size. Hence the importance of seeking support to help us set the right priorities.
Aricia – Co-founder at PlantC
Fortunately, we progress, SUPPORTED & together
Some companies sometimes find themselves helpless and demotivated, balancing the challenges this certification presents and the indifference some team members show (especially if it comes from management!).
Fortunately, every quarter, the CCI organizes SDGs Clubs, providing opportunities for exchange between companies undergoing certification. There, one finds inspiration, concrete ideas, support… and real motivation to continue.
We dream of achieving the final certification… but what we are experiencing today is already a success in itself.
Because in this type of process, the journey matters as much as the destination: it is what allows the entire team to get on board and profoundly transform the company.
Meanwhile, there is a lot of work to be done, and one thing is certain, we will not stop there!
