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Wednesday, 23 November 2022 15:00

Vandecasteele Houtimport receives the “SDG Champion” certificate from UNITAR CIFAL.

From left to right : Louis Vandecasteele, Flemish Minister of Work, Economy, Innovation and Agriculture Jo Brouns, Isabelle Polfliet, and Hans Maertens Managing Director of VOKA. From left to right : Louis Vandecasteele, Flemish Minister of Work, Economy, Innovation and Agriculture Jo Brouns, Isabelle Polfliet, and Hans Maertens Managing Director of VOKA.

During the award ceremony on October 25 2022, in the Africa Museum, Vandecasteele Houtimport received their SDG Champion certificate, together with 6 other Flemish SDG Champions.

With the Voka Charter for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (VCDO), Voka offers Flemish companies a framework to translate their sustainability ambitions into practice. Within the charter, an annual action plan tailored to each company is elaborated. This action plan is always based on the five sustainability pillars (People, Prosperity, Peace, Partnership, Planet) and the 17 SDGs (sustainable development goals of the United Nations) By taking the SDGs as a guideline, all sustainability aspects are addressed and international recognition is created.

After a successful year, Vandecasteele Houtimport obtained their VCDO certificate for the 21st time in a row, which recognizes and externally validates their efforts.

"Companies who want to stand out, are continuing their VCDO trajectory and are aiming for international recognition, awarded by the United Nations.

These companies then emerge as SDG Pioneer, or even further as SDG Champion, two international recognitions by the United Nations.

A company that has been working successfully on the SDGs for three years can call itself SDG Pioneer. In October 2020, Vandecasteele Houtimport obtained their SDG Pioneer certificate.

Companies that subsequently focus on their core business and realize a pilot project on transition become SDG Champion.

Vandecasteele Houtimport has proposed as a transition project to 'only trade in certified timber by 2025'.