Our stakeholders determine whether DHV is effectively performing well in the field of sustainability. Therefore, we entered into a dialogue with them as of 2005. First, we asked our employees what they considered to be most important. In 2008, we began a proactive and structured dialogue with our external stakeholders. DHV welcomes any party that wants to enter into a dialogue with us. In turn, we obtained valuable insights from these meetings.
During our first external CR stakeholder dialogue with clients and other external parties, we discovered that a consensus was garnered on important matters such as mobility, energy, and emissions/climate.
Climate-neutral operations
Based on the results from this dialogue, DHV was the first in the industry to announce a climate strategy in the beginning of 2010. The most important objective of this climate strategy is to reduce our carbon emissions with 25% by 2015. In the meantime, we are compensating our carbon emissions, resulting in DHV's operations being climate-neutral. This strengthens our profile in positions of expertise on climate-related services such as adaptation and mitigation measures.
CR policy
The parties with whom we are sitting at the table emphasize that it is important to maintain corporate responsibility (CR) even in difficult times. We certainly do so. In 2010, we have even made our objectives more stringent, for instance in the field of climate. We have also been challenged to clearly formulate our vision of CR. We have done so in our CR policy.
Transparency
Transparency is another important element of corporate responsibility. Transparency is also requested from us by our stakeholders. DHV tries to be transparent, for instance by publishing a CR report, reviewed by our auditor since 2007. By following the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), we meet the international reporting standard. In addition, we also report our “Communications on Progress” to the UN Global Compact.
Dialogue
We try to be transparent about our successes and our failures. In our CR report, you can for instance read about a few examples that we have encountered on the job. Examples thereof are situations in which there is a conflict between the interests of various customers of DHV. In that case, we always try to assume an independent position of integrity. A dialogue with the parties involved is one of the most important means to achieve this position.
Yet, even in dialogue, we remain faithful to our core values: integrity, respect, and freedom. We welcome any party that wants to enter into a dialogue with us, in our projects as well as our company. We consider it highly important to hear the opinion of our stakeholders and to actively apply (their input.