Sustainability as a deliberate strategy
With rising energy consumption and global warming as a result, a company needs to prepare their building for the future by meeting increasingly stringent climate targets on the one hand, but also by focusing on responsible energy consumption on the other. More than 84% of greenhouse gas emissions in Flanders are a direct result of energy consumption and energy production. Limiting harmful emissions has become a major challenge for companies from all industries.
Companies can achieve this by building sustainable new buildings as well as by investing sustainably in their existing buildings and facilities. This will enable them to contribute their share and make sustainable investments to not only reduce the high energy costs but also to prepare themselves for the long term.
Sustainably increasing safety and comfort to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption is a win-win situation for both the company and its employees, as well as for our planet.
Unilin fully understands that a company that uses up its own resources is doomed to fail. That is why sustainability is not a trend for Unilin but rather a deliberate strategy, with the aim to have a positive impact on the world of its consumers.
It makes them one of the few companies with an appointed dedicated CSO, chief sustainability officer, to manage all sustainability projects. Unilin is working hard to make its products more sustainable by applying new technologies and recycling techniques, but Unilin is also a major consumer of energy and has an important part to play in the current energy challenges. The conscious consumption of energy and the consequent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has become a key theme within CSR.
scale & crop:
For their own buildings, for instance, they have taken the necessary steps to drastically reduce their CO2 emissions. This was achieved in cooperation with Encon when it came to lighting. With their many years of experience, Encon has the right know-how to determine which installations achieve the best results in any given situation. Lighting, in its many colours and designs, not only has significant benefits in terms of energy efficiency but also employee comfort and safety. By harmonising everything, Encon created a configuration entirely tailored to Unilin's needs.
No less than 7 halls at 3 different sites were fitted with modular LED lighting with light sensors and human presence detection to minimise consumption when no one is present. This yielded savings of more than 704,066 kg CO2/year! The equivalent in trees is no less than 58 ha of forest, which amounts to the planting of 29,000 trees. Added to this is a cost-saving of around €96,600 a year in the current climate.
Unilin applied for an ESCO agreement for 2 sites to finance this project. This Energy Service Company (ESCO) arrangement is a financing opportunity set up by Encon, in which Encon bears the costs of the project with monthly payments from Unilin. During this rental period, however, the rental price and subsequent repayments are lower than the cost of savings achieved by relighting. In other words, the energy savings are invested directly in the project, allowing for investing one's own resources elsewhere. After repayment, Unilin becomes the full owner of the installation.
The result is a low-cost investment in sustainability that takes the strain off Unilin from start to finish, allows employees to work in a safe and comfortable environment and takes a big step towards carbon neutrality. Why hesitate?
'To really make a difference in the long term, you need to work ecologically.'
Bernard Thiers – CEO Unilin
