How to make your business operations sustainable
If you run a company in the Netherlands, you will have encountered the phrase ‘sustainable business operations’ before now. With sustainable operations, you can save money. For example, by using renewable energy instead of gas or oil. You will thus help reduce CO2 emissions. A sustainable image can also contribute to the success of your business.
What is sustainable entrepreneurship?
Sustainable entrepreneurship is about the balance between the three P’s: people, planet, profit. This means that you take into account the effects on your employees, the environment and society of the way you run your business. It is part of your responsible business conduct (RBC).
Determine how you want and need to apply sustainable measures
Think about which sustainable issues are important to you:
Sustainable transport helps you reduce your CO2 emissions. Think electric driving, a company bicycle or travelling by public transport. Or reduce your employees' commuting and business travel by encouraging working from home.
Your are required to separate your company waste. Use the Company waste separation tool to find out to what waste this applies. Then decide whether you want to separate additional waste. For example, to save costs or because you want to contribute to a better environment.
When you practice sustainable purchasing, you pay attention to social and environmental aspects in addition to price and quality. You know where products you buy come from, under what circumstances they were produced, and what the environmental impact of the production process is.
For production, you need to comply with environmental regulations. In addition, you could find a smarter way to use raw materials through circular entrepreneurship. In a circular economy, waste does not exist and we use products and raw materials again and again. Waste is the new raw material. For example, do you have ideas for reducing or reusing waste? Then you can get help from Versnellingshuis Nederland circulair! (Acceleration House Netherlands circular!, in Dutch).
Many employees find it important to work for a business that contributes to the environment and society. Make sure your employees know what your company’s sustainability goals are. They help with compliance and can point it out if something goes wrong. For example, child labour in the production chain.
A sustainable personnel policy includes good working conditions and the prevention of absenteeism. Or a healthy workplace. For example, offer sports opportunities and fruit. Or you have ‘green’ working conditions and help your workmates by contributing to make their homes more sustainable.
You can make your premises more sustainable by using environmentally conscious building materials and saving energy. Does your business use more than 50,000 kWh of electricity or 25,000 m³ of natural gas per year? Then you are obliged to take energy-saving measures. You must also report on this this to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
Choose sustainable energy
With sustainable (renewable) energy, you are less dependent on oil, natural gas and coal. That can make a big difference in your energy costs. Renewable energy is the collective name for energy from natural sources:
- Soil energy and geothermal heat (in Dutch)
These sources provide electricity, biogas and heat. Or a combination of one of these.The Netherlands also wants to further develop the production and use of sustainable hydrogen.
Grid congestion
Does your business suffer from grid congestion? For example, because your new business premises cannot be connected to the electricity grid, or because you cannot supply generated energy to the network? See thisoverview with 7 possible solutions. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) also has a guide available that tells you exactly what you can do.
Climate Agreement and medium-sized enterprises
There is a Climate Agreement between companies, civil society organisations and governments. The goal is to jointly halve CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands by 2030 compared to 1990. Learn more about the climate agreement and about its impact on medium-sized enterprises (both in Dutch). You can find advice about the company building, Energie & CO2, innovation and mobility. There are also legal obligations that may apply to your company. For agricultural enterprises there is information available about circular agriculture (in Dutch).
Make use of financial arrangements
The government stimulates sustainable entrepreneurship. There are various financial and tax schemes for environmental investments:
- MIA and Vamil (Environmental Investment Allowance and Random Depreciation of Environmental Investments). These schemes also apply to investing in electric cars.
- ISDE (Sustainable energy investment subsidy scheme): If you want to produce your own sustainable energy in your business premises using a solar boiler or heat pump.
Check the Subsidies and schemes guide for more subsidies and schemes.
Use the Green Projects Scheme
You can save or invest sustainably with the Green Projects Scheme (Regeling Groenprojecten). For example, you can borrow money at a low interest rate for projects relating to sustainable building, energy saving, and sustainable mobility.
Join networks
- Take a look at Social Enterprise NL. This network brings social entrepreneurs together, helps with knowledge, support programmes and finding the right form of financing.
- Be inspired on Klimaatplein (Climate Square, in Dutch) to do business in a climate neutral way. There are various online tools and useful tips.