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 drawn up. 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 its VCDO certificate – which recognises and externally validates its efforts – for the 21st time in a row.
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 Pioneers, or even further as SDG Champions, 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 its SDG Pioneer certificate.
Companies that subsequently focus on their core business and realise a pilot project on transition become SDG Champion.
Vandecasteele Houtimport has proposed as a transition project to “only trade in certified timber by 2025”.