HITT ME with Nele Van Damme: why sustainability starts with a choice

Sustainability starts with a choice

Today, sustainability is often seen as something a company has to take into account. An obligation, a report or a checklist. For us, it starts differently: with a conscious choice.

That choice means sustainability isn't something you put alongside your business. It has to be part of it. Of how you develop projects, how you look at your surroundings and how you work with the people around your organisation. Three things are essential for us: making conscious choices, listening to the different stakeholders and anchoring sustainability in the business model. Because a one-off action changes little. What matters is that sustainability becomes part of the way you do business.

From a goal to a promise

There is an important difference between a goal and a promise. A goal gives direction, but it can still be shifted when circumstances change. A promise asks for more. It creates commitment and makes clear what you stand for as an organisation.

That's why we chose to frame our ambition not just as a goal, but as a concrete promise: to be net CO₂-neutral by 2035. That's a serious challenge. Especially because the ambition isn't limited to one aspect of our operations, but also looks at materials and the wider value chain, among other things. Yet that is exactly the point of a promise. Not waiting until everything is easy or obvious, but choosing today where you want to be tomorrow.

You can still shift a goal. A promise makes clear what you stand for as an organisation.

Ecological, social and economic sustainability

Sustainability is still often associated with higher costs. For us, it's important to look at the three dimensions together: ecological, social and economic sustainability. That's why we take these aspects into account from the moment we assess the feasibility of a project.

We don't just look at square metres, units or financial returns. We also look at the surroundings. What is needed to connect people? How do we make sure everyone has a view of greenery? Which elements make a place better and more liveable? For us, these aren't things that only come up once the rest of the project is finished. They are part of the foundation.

And that sometimes has consequences. If a project only turns out to be economically viable when we drop the ecological or social aspects, we don't start it. Even if that means we don't land the project. That isn't a compromise. It's a conscious choice.

If a project is only viable when we drop the ecological or social aspects, we don't start it.

Positive rebellion: always looking for what is possible

Sustainable business sometimes means pushing boundaries. When we hear a “no” somewhere, that doesn't have to be the end point for us. It can also be the start of another question: how can we make it work?

That is the idea behind our positive rebellion. Not being against something just for the sake of it, but continuing to look critically at what seems obvious today. That attitude is also reflected in how we look at our own operations. We want to be able to question things, even when that means we have to look for a new solution. Because progress doesn't always come from following the existing path better. Sometimes it comes from looking at things differently.

A “no” doesn't have to be the end point. It can also be the start of the question: how can we make it work?

Volhoudbaarheid: looking beyond today

Sustainability has become a familiar word. Perhaps so familiar that it sometimes loses its meaning. That's why, in the episode, Nele talks about “volhoudbaarheid”, a Dutch play on words that roughly means the ability to keep going.

The word puts the emphasis on what is needed in the long run. Not one action, one project or one sustainability report, but the willingness to stick to your choices when circumstances change. That calls for a different way of doing business. Not just looking at what is feasible today, but also at what will stand the test of time. Because the real test of a choice often only comes when things get harder.

Talent over pigeonholes

For us, sustainability isn't just about buildings. It's also about people. The world is changing fast. Technology evolves and jobs change with it. That makes it increasingly important to look not only at diplomas, but also at the talents people bring with them.

Agility, resilience and creativity are talents that will play an important role in the future. And when you give people room to contribute from their talents, you get teams in which different qualities complement each other.

Diversity is part of that too. We can't assume that everyone will naturally find their way to an organisation, community or place. People have different backgrounds, experiences and needs. Connection happens when people feel welcome, can be themselves and share something in common. That requires listening. And above all: not simply assuming you know what someone needs.

Sustainability isn't just about buildings. It's also about people.

A region that dares to move

We strongly recognise that mentality in Ghent and East Flanders: being headstrong, staying critical and every now and then deliberately going against the current. Not to be difficult, but because things can sometimes be done differently.

The Wintercircus is a great example. Entrepreneurs, government and knowledge institutions working together, taking risks and believing in a project together. That kind of collaboration can move a region forward. For us, it's not just about entrepreneurs or economic growth. It's also about how you create an environment where people get opportunities, talent can develop and different worlds can meet. A strong region isn't built on a single ingredient.

The whole makes the difference

No single element determines on its own whether a business or a region can flourish. Economic competitiveness, sustainability, talent, diversity and collaboration are all connected. That's also how we want to keep looking at doing business.

Not choosing between economic feasibility and social responsibility, but looking for ways in which they can strengthen each other. That takes choices. Sometimes difficult ones.

But perhaps that's exactly where sustainable business begins. Not with a checklist, but with a promise. And above all with the willingness to keep that promise in the long run.