Introduction

Environment

Governance

Introduction

Take stock of your economic transition strategy and obtain lots of personalized advice by answering all the questions from the three pillars

Your email*

Answer the questions from the 3 pillars and enter your email address to benefit from advice tailored to your situation!

An advice: be honest and transparent in your answers, this will allow you to obtain the best advice.
Read the questions and answer options carefully! For the most part, only one answer is to be selected and attests to your gradual level of maturity on the subject.
Approximate duration: 15 min

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Introduction

Titre

Business Number

Company Name*

What is the number of employees*

0

1-10

11-50

51 and more

What is your sector of activity? *

I agree with Hub Brussels GDPR policy

Answer the questions from the 3 pillars and enter your email address to benefit from advice tailored to your situation!

An advice: be honest and transparent in your answers, this will allow you to obtain the best advice.
Read the questions and answer options carefully! For the most part, only one answer is to be selected and attests to your gradual level of maturity on the subject.
Approximate duration: 15 min

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Introduction

Take stock of your economic transition approach and obtain numerous advices by answering 25 questions organized in the form of multiple choice questions (only one answer possible per question)

At the end of the questionnaire, you will receive advice to improve your environmental and social impact but also your governance; as well as a series of tools, useful information and business examples to guide and inspire you. This analysis will allow you to evaluate the progress of your strategy according to 3 levels of maturity (One level only possible)

Economic transition approach

At stake ? Advice to improve your environmental and social impact and also your governance; as well as a series of tools, useful information and practical cases to guide and inspire you.

Attention ! It is important that you complete the questionnaire on the 3 pillars Environment, Social and Governance in order to receive a holistic assessment of your economic transition approach!

A word of advice: be honest and transparent in your answers, this will allow you to obtain the best advice adapted to YOUR situation. Going back is not possible but you can resume the questionnaire at any time using a link sent by email (be careful to look carefully at your spam if not received!)
Number of questions: 25
Approximate duration: 15 minutes

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

What are you doing to reduce your company's CO2 emissions?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Climate

Examples of measures to reduce CO2 emissions:

Calculate your carbon footprint and implement a plan to reduce CO2 emissions;
Encourage travelling on public transport or by bicycle;
Encourage car-sharing;
Monitor and reduce energy consumption;
Raise awareness and involve staff members in reducing energy consumption;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Does your company produce or have a supply of renewable and/or green energy?

A. No, we don't use renewable energy or we don't know the proportion of renewable energy in our energy supply.

B. Yes, we use up to 50% or less renewable energy.

C. Yes, we mainly use renewable or green energy, between 50 and 70%.

D. Yes, we rely exclusively on 100% renewable or green energy.

Energy supply

Examples of renewable and/or green energy supplies:

Supply contract agreeing to 100% green electricity;
Purchase of shares in a cooperative company producing green energy in Brussels;
Installation of a cogeneration system;
Installation of photovoltaic panels with storage or sharing of the electricity produced
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Does your company have measures in place to reduce/limit its energy consumption and promote energy sobriety?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Energy sobriety

The term “energy sobriety” refers to the voluntary and organised reduction in the amount of energy used in all company activities.

Carrying out an energy diagnosis and implement measures to reduce consumption;
Heat recovery systems;
Installation of solar or thermodynamic water heaters;
Limitation/optimisation of lighting;
Heating control;
Use of organically sourced materials for better insulation (clay, cork, etc.);
Ventilation;
Limitation/optimisation of cold rooms;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Has your company implemented sustainable mobility actions AND/OR incentives for its staff and/or customers?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

E. Not applicable.

Mobility

Mobility actions can fall into four categories: raising awareness (among all urban stakeholders), reducing (transport demand), shifting (to other forms such as trains and cargo bikes) and replacing (vehicle engines with zero-emission exhaust systems).

Examples of actions AND/OR incentives for sustainable practices and behaviour:

Provision of bicycles/bicycle parking/charging stations for electric vehicles or even a bicycle repair station;
Creation and distribution of a multimodal plan for accessing the site;
Mileage allowance for pedestrians/cyclists;
Diagnosis of modes of transport for commuting to and from work;
Replacing the company car with other modes of transport;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Has your company implemented actions AND/OR incentives to reduce the environmental impact of its logistics flows?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Logistics

Examples of actions AND/OR incentives to reduce the environmental impact of its logistics flows :

Partnership with a cyclo-logistics company;
Replacing at least one regular delivery method to customers with a more sustainable alternative;
Shared deliveries with another company;
Choosing a local/the nearest possible supplier;
Choosing the most environmentally friendly means of transport (rail instead of aeroplanes, etc.);
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Has your company been awarded any recognition/ certification/ label for its environmental management efforts?

A. No, we have not yet begun the certification process.

B. We are currently in the process of obtaining certification; we have applied to at least one label and are awaiting a response.

C. Yes, we have one of the labels mentioned in the exemplarity decree.

Environmental labels and certification

One of the ways of being recognised as a “company in transition” is to be awarded one of the labels listed in the exemplarity decree.

Here are a few examples of environmental exemplarity labels:

Recognition as a ‘Circular Company’;
Ecodynamic Organisation label;
Member of the circlemade or ecobuild cluster;
Company hosted by Greenbizz;
Entreprise hébergée chez Greenbizz;
ISO 14001;
ISO 50001;

For more information and a full list of the recognitions covered by the decree, see appendices 3 and 4 on: Download

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Has your company implemented actions AND/OR incentives to reduce its environmental impact on the air, water and/or soil?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Pollution

Examples of actions AND/OR incentives to reduce the environmental impact (air/water/soil):

Water purification/waste water treatment system;
Reduction/limit on the use of pesticides/fertilisers/pollutants;
Reduction/elimination of the use of hazardous substances;
Use of public transport;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Does your company promote the circular economy through procurement, optimal use of resources and reduction of waste?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Circular economy

The circular economy is an economic system of exchange and production that, at every stage of the product life cycle (goods and services), aims to increase the efficiency of resource use and reduce the environmental impact while improving the well-being of individuals.

Examples of actions to promote the circular economy:

Using locally sourced/recycled/reused/repaired/remanufactured materials/supplies;
Limiting packaging or using returnable/reusable packaging;
Using sustainable products/services;
Sharing: orders/tools/spaces/parking/offices etc. with another company;
Upcycling (transforming other companies’ waste into new resources);
Transforming the business model: shifting from selling a product to selling a service (functionality economy);
Recycling/repairing/reconditioning products;
Sharing parking spaces with the public;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Does your company promote eco-design when designing its products/services?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Eco-design

Eco-design aims to consider the environmental impact of a product or service right from the design stage.

The eco-design of products, for example, aims to: improve technical characteristics, facilitate predictive maintenance and repair, etc. which ultimately extends a product’s lifespan.

The eco-design of services (e.g. a cleaning service) aims to put in place good environmental practices for each aspect of the service (choosing environmentally friendly products, using bicycles for travel, etc.).

Examples of actions to promote eco-design:

Modular design;
Ability to be dismantled;
Selection of interchangeable parts to fit standard tools;
Easy maintenance and repair;
Disassembly;
Multi-functionality;
Digital sobriety;
Environmentally responsible services;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Do you consider the environmental impact of your digital tools?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Responsible digitalisation

Examples of digitalisation/automation of internal processes:

Purchase or rental of sustainable IT equipment: eco-designed (easily disassembled, repaired and recycled) and/or reconditioned;
Promotion of end-of-life management of obsolete IT equipment;
Actions to raise employee awareness of the responsible use of IT equipment;
Integration of a sustainable digitalisation strategy in governance and dedicating specific funds to the strategy.

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Does your company have measures in place to limit/optimise its water consumption and that of its customers/suppliers?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. Un plan d'actions avec des objectifs chiffrés et des ressources allouées a été établi

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

E. Not applicable.

Water

Examples of measures to limit/optimise water consumption:

Raising awareness among staff/customers;
Optimisation of the cleaning of premises/equipment/products;
Automatic flow shut-off/limiting systems;
Rainwater collection;
Installation of a rainwater tank;
Dry toilets;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Environment

Climate

Energy supply

Energy sobriety

Mobility

Logistics

Environmental labels and certification

Pollution

Circular economy

Eco-design

Responsible digitalisation

Water

Biodiversity

Has your company implemented ecological site management to promote biodiversity?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

E. Not applicable.

Biodiversity

Examples of measures to promote biodiversity:

Permeabilisation of parking spaces;
Wildlife-friendly spaces;
Greening of the building/premises;
Nesting forecast;
Soil permeabilisation;
Landscaping of flowerbeds with local flower species;
Creation of vegetable gardens and/or new green spaces;
Management and/or elimination of invasive non-native plants;
Use of ecological and/or natural products;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Participatory governance

Decision-making bodies

Social labels and certification

Sustainable Development Goals

Fair trade

Impact on local communities

Does your company have measures in place measures to promote participatory governance?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

E. Not applicable.

Participatory governance

Examples of measures to promote participative governance:

Diversification of the composition of its members (including people other than founders and shareholders);
Processes to anticipate/manage internal conflicts (appointing an internal prevention advisor/trusted support person, anonymous feedback from employees to managers, etc.);
Transparent publication of official documents (list of members of the Board of Directors, organisation chart, etc.);
Creation of specific consultation appointments relating to development strategy, validation of annual accounts and activity report, staff management policy, etc.;
Involvement of staff in the environmental approach initiated and/or taken;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Participatory governance

Decision-making bodies

Social labels and certification

Sustainable Development Goals

Fair trade

Impact on local communities

Does your company have measures in place to promote equal representation of employees in decision-making bodies?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

E. Not applicable

Decision-making bodies

Examples of measures to encourage staff involvement in decision-making:

One member of the General Assembly is equal to one vote;
Limited weighting of votes;
Ability for employees to become members, partners or shareholders;
Limited gap between the highest and lowest salaries;
Opportunities for employees to acquire stock options;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Participatory governance

Decision-making bodies

Social labels and certification

Sustainable Development Goals

Fair trade

Impact on local communities

Has your company been awarded "social and democratic entrepreneurship" accreditation or any other label of social exemplarity?

A. No, we have not yet begun the certification process.

B. We are currently in the process of obtaining certification; we have applied to at least one label and are awaiting a response.

C. Yes, we have one of the labels mentioned in the exemplarity decree.

Social labels and certification

Did you know that one of the ways of being recognised as a “company in transition” is to be awarded one of the labels listed in the exemplarity decree?

Here are a few examples of social exemplarity labels:

Social enterprise accreditation (regional and federal);
Diversity label;
Recognition of craftsmanship;
National Council of Cooperatives (CNC) accreditation;
Another label included in the exemplarity decree;

For more information and a full list of the recognitions covered by the decree, see appendices 3 and 4: Download

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Participatory governance

Decision-making bodies

Social labels and certification

Sustainable Development Goals

Fair trade

Impact on local communities

Does your business activity contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals?

A. No, our activities do not align with any of the 17 SDGs

Yes, our activities align with at least one of the 17 SDGs

Yes, our activities align with at least one of the 17 SDGs and this is recorded in our articles of association

Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a call to action from the United Nations to all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.

A company generates a social and/or environmental impact when it is aligned with one or more of the SDGs (meeting basic human needs, ensuring environmental protection while combating climate change). Discover the 17 SDGs

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Participatory governance

Decision-making bodies

Social labels and certification

Sustainable Development Goals

Fair trade

Impact on local communities

Does your company include fair remuneration for its suppliers in its purchasing policy?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Fair trade

Example of measures to promote fair remuneration for suppliers:

Establish clear payment processes;
Transparent communication about supplies;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Participatory governance

Decision-making bodies

Social labels and certification

Sustainable Development Goals

Fair trade

Impact on local communities

Does your company pay particular attention to the local impact of its activities?

A. No action has been taken on this topic yet.

B. At least one action on this topic is planned for the coming year.

C. An action plan with quantified targets and allocated resources has been drawn up.

D. Some actions have been carried out (with quantified results) and there are more to follow.

Impact on local communities

The term “local impact of the activity” are to be understood in the sense of:

Creating jobs;
Employing active staff in Brussels;
Paying taxes in Brussels/Belgium;
Furthering intellectual property;
…

Introduction

Environment

Governance

Well done!

You have reached the end of your self-diagnosis! You can now consult your score as well as personalized advice and practical tools via the documents sent to the email address provided at the start of this test! Do not hesitate to consult regular events and articles on the subject of economic transition on our 1819 website and on shiftingeconomy.brussels!