Sustainability

Annual report 2023

Sustainability

As an internationally operating family business with a history dating back 100 years, we aim to be an economically healthy company. At the same time, we assume our responsibility for the environment, people and society. Only by treating the world and one another with due care can we pass on the baton to new generations and keep the earth livable. This is why we are carrying out our business operations and implementing our growth plans increasingly more sustainably. By 2030, we aim to be a global leader in sustainable pipe distribution.

In 2022, we established our sustainable strategy and undertook a number of large-scale sustainability initiatives. In 2023, we expanded these activities, which produced visible results. We aim to be frontrunners when it comes to doing business within the value chain in sustainable ways. At the same time, we create a satisfying and sustainable workplace for our people. Van Leeuwen assumes its responsibility in limiting global warming. Our top priority for the coming years therefore is to work on developing CO₂-neutral business activities, with the aim of being the greenest pipe and tube distributor in the world by 2030.

Sustainability strategy
In 2022, we developed our sustainability strategy, which led to a number of new activities over the past two years. The main focus of this strategy is how to create permanent sustainable value. The strategy centers around four main themes: Climate Action, People, Growth, and Partners & Suppliers. We strive to make these sustainability goals measurable to the maximum possible extent, taking into account the entire value chain. From the UN Agenda 2030, we selected seven, of the seventeen, UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). We carefully selected these goals as we can make a difference with them in our main themes. We attach concrete and measurable actions to these goals.

Targets per Theme

Part of the global sustainability team met together in January 2023 to discuss the CO₂ reduction plans and targets for the Netherlands, Germany and Northern Europe.

Initiatives

The sustainability initiatives we are developing are highly diverse in type and scope. Initiatives are being implemented in various regions in the area of vehicle electrification, waste management, switching over to biofuels and energy optimization projects, such as installing LED lighting. There are smaller initiatives too. For example, Van Leeuwen Sweden, as well as head office in Zwijndrecht, each are keeping almost 50,000 honey bees, and several branches have installed insect hotels.