Sustainability > Climate neutral

As of 1 July 2010 Gispen is climate neutral. Gispen is aware of the impact of its activities on the environment and wants to ensure that the natural environment is preserved and remains accessible for future generations too.

Sustainability is rooted in Gispen’s core values and mission: “A Better Life at Work”. Gispen has been consciously investing in sustainability for years. In continuation of this theme, Gispen has decided to become climate neutral.

A climate neutral enterprise is one which constantly explores where energy savings can be made in the organisation. In addition, any remaining greenhouse gas emissions which cannot (yet) be reduced will be compensated through a climate project run by the Climate Neutral Group. This climate project concerns a sustainable wind energy project in Taiwan in accordance with the Gold Standard, supported by the WWF.

Gold Standard projects not only ensure a reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere, they also support local development in emerging economies and developing countries, for example with respect to employment, access to energy and improvement of living conditions.

Over the coming years, the part that is compensated will be reduced. Gispen aims to be fully climate neutral with no need to compensate greenhouse gas emissions in 2019.

In the mid 1990s, environmental concerns were already top of the list of limiting conditions in Gispen’s investment plan. With that investment plan, Gispen was way ahead of its time and the company was nominated for the Gelderland Environment Award. In 2008 Gispen was the second company in the sector to be awarded the EMAS certificate.

Sustainable enterprise is not just about the environment and climate (Planet), but also about People and Prosperity. For example, Gispen has one of the longest serving works councils in the Dutch sector, implements an age aware personnel policy and promotes social engagement wherever possible.

“We are convinced that aiming at sustainability, one of our core values, is a continuous process based on social engagement”, says Peter Veer, general manager of Gispen. “You have to be ambitious and keep raising the bar, in everything you do. That is what we understand by innovation. This is a challenge that reflects our company’s identity”.