Our sustainability approach
At D’Ieteren Group, we uphold sustainability at two levels: at holding level, demonstrating corporate responsibility; and at Group level, operating as a responsible investor.
Holding/corporate level: demonstrating corporate responsibility
As a family-controlled listed company, D’Ieteren Group is committed to integrating environmental, ethical and social values into its business practices and fostering a fair, inclusive, and sustainable workplace, in line with the principles the Group promotes across its businesses.
Social and ethical responsibilities
D’Ieteren Group considers it essential to provide it employees with a safe and fulfilling work environment that empowers them to perform at their best and reach their full potential. It fosters a workplace where all operations and interactions are guided by respect, dignity, and fairness. These principles are formalized in the Group’s Code of Conduct which guides the behavior of the Group’s corporate team.
The Group applies the same values to its relationships with suppliers, a commitment formalized in its Supplier Code of Conduct.
Environmental responsibilities
While most of D’Ieteren Group’s environmental impact comes from its businesses, the Group’s Corporate entity has committed to reducing its own footprint under the Group-wide SBT (Science Based Target) established in 2024. In line with this commitment, the holding entity targets a 30% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2027, using 2021 as the base year.
D'Ieteren Group's broader environmental approach and the values that govern it are formalized in the Group's Environmental Policy.
Group level : Operating as a responsible investor
Investing in a responsible way not only reflects D’Ieteren Group’s core values, it also highlights our conviction that embracing sustainability leads to better investment decisions and strengthens the long-term resilience of our businesses. In line with this conviction, the Group has been signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2020.
As outlined in its Responsible Investment Charter, the Group’s Responsible investment approach covers the whole investment cycle, from screening investment opportunities and formulating investment theses to the phases of due diligence, deal completion and potential exit.
Given the Group’s long term investment approach, particular attention is devoted to the ownership phase. Accordingly, as a long-term investor with large stakes in a limited amount of companies, we are uniquely positioned to support our businesses in designing and implementing sustainability strategies that address their externalities and strengthen their resilience over time.
To date, the Group has actively accompanied each of its six businesses on their sustainability journey, helping them reach several key milestones: Governance: Establishment of an ESG governance framework with Board-level oversight. Strategy: Development of a tailored sustainability roadmap, based on the outcomes of a Double Materiality Analyses (DMA). Performance Monitoring: Implementation of robust ESG reporting practices and tracking of non-financial KPIs, including customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and CO₂ emissions.
In 2024, D’Ieteren Group obtained validation of its GHG emission reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). As part of these targets, the Group commits to have 100% of its businesses covered by a validated SBT by 2027.