{"id":9330,"date":"2025-11-27T15:56:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T14:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/?p=9330"},"modified":"2025-11-27T17:58:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T16:58:28","slug":"sustainability-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/actualiteit\/duurzaamheidsrapport\/","title":{"rendered":"Iris Group Sustainability Report 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iris Sustainability Report 2024: <\/strong>Change is only valuable if it is sustainable, and sustainability is only valuable if it brings about real change.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Iris, the year 2024 was more than just a chapter full of change\u2014it was a turning point. A moment when transformation and sustainability came together and the foundations were laid for a future-oriented, efficient, and positive organization.
As CEO Patrick Janssens van der Maelen puts it on page 5 of the report: \u201cChange is only valuable if it is sustainable, and sustainability is only truly sustainable if it brings about real change.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

sustainability report 2024_N_low\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two powerful companies, one clear vision<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2024 marked the final rollout of the new structure of Iris Group:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Iris Industry Solutions<\/strong>, market leader in industrial coatings and surface treatment in the Benelux and France.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Iris Facility Solutions<\/strong>, specialist in facility and technical services for businesses, offices, healthcare institutions, and industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    That division (pp. 9\u201310) does not create distance, but rather focus, autonomy, and expertise<\/strong>. Both entities can respond more quickly, collaborate more closely with customers, and further establish themselves as reliable partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The new strategic path is shaped by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • ELITE<\/strong> for Industry (Expertise, Leadership, Improvement, Transparency, Excellence)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • GREAT<\/strong> for Facility (Great company, Reliable partner, Expert in facility, Always efficient, Top quality)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Both programs provide direction, structure, and culture to the organization (pp. 18\u201320).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      People First: employees as the driving force behind Betterness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      What makes Iris unique is evident throughout the report: people come first<\/strong>. Not as a slogan, but as daily practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Diverse and inclusive workforce<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      With 3,592 employees<\/strong> from 51 nationalities<\/strong> (p. 8 & 30) Iris is one of the most diverse facility employers in Belgium. Diversity is an asset, not a challenge \u2014 and this is reflected in the open culture and high retention rate of 69,6%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A positive work experience, from onboarding to exit<\/strong>file<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The \u201cCollaborator Lifecycle\u201d (p. 31) shows how Iris invests in every phase of a career: training, leadership, talent development, and well-being. Language courses are provided for employees who speak other languages, team leaders receive targeted coaching, and the digital divide is addressed through tools such as the Iris Sitebook<\/em> (p. 34).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Concrete measures that make a difference<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      A striking example is the new collective labor agreement on night work<\/strong>, with workers already starting from 45 years<\/strong> can voluntarily stop working night shifts (p. 37) \u2014 five years earlier than required by law. That is genuine care for people and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      Quality and transparency for the customer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The essence of Iris's services remains the same: providing customers with complete peace of mind. But in 2024, this was greatly reinforced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Digitization as a lever for trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      With the mandatory CIAO legislation on clocking in and out (p. 36), the cleaning sector became more transparent than ever. Iris had been ahead of the curve for years thanks to WeWork<\/strong>, a fully integrated HR system that records data in real time and makes fraud impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Innovative services<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Industry implemented a new ERP system, fully tailored to complex construction projects (p. 17).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Facility focused strongly on customer-oriented expansion of HVAC and handyman services (pp. 20\u201321).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Both business units improved reporting, quality control, and efficiency through new digital tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \n\n\n\n

        Social and environmental impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Sustainability is no longer an appendix \u2014 it is a recurring theme throughout the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        1. Climate & Energy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Iris Industry has already achieved since 2017, the highest level (5)<\/strong> on the CO\u2082 performance ladder (p. 25). This means that both our own CO\u2082 emissions and those throughout the entire value chain are being addressed.
        In addition, efforts will be made to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • electric and hybrid vehicles<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • purchase of green electricity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • optimization of energy efficiency<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          2. Sustainable products and practices<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Facility reduces water consumption, works with biodegradable products, microfiber systems, and A+++ machines (p. 33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          3. Waste, circular economy, and biodiversity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Iris is committed to strict waste separation, ecological weed control, and circular solutions (pp. 23 & 107).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          4. Engagement in the sector<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Since 2016, Iris has endorsed the UN Global Compact<\/strong> (p. 26), and from 2024 onwards, both Industry and Facility will be evaluated separately by Ecovadis<\/strong>. Facility achieved another bronze medal<\/strong> (p. 27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n\n\n\n

          Sustainable governance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          A strong organization requires strong foundations. Iris invests in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • A clear governance and risk management structure<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Strict internal and external audits<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Transparent reporting according to GRI standards<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Early preparation for the new CSRD obligations<\/strong> which will only take effect in 2027 (p. 28).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \n\n\n\n

            Conclusion: Betterness as a compass<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            The 2024 sustainability report shows an organization that not only moves with the future, but actively shapes it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • by investing in people<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • by strengthening customer partnerships<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • by taking ecological responsibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • and by focusing on governance, transparency, and innovation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              \n

              \u201cBringing Betterness to people's premises<\/strong>\u201dSo, \"is much more than a vision. It is a daily choice to do better \u2014 for people, customers, society, and the planet.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

              <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Iris Duurzaamheidsrapport 2024: Verandering is slechts waardevol als ze duurzaam is en duurzaamheid is slechts waardevol als ze echte verandering met zich brengt. Het jaar 2024 was voor Iris meer dan een hoofdstuk vol verandering \u2014 het was een kantelpunt. Een moment waarop transformatie en duurzaamheid samenkwamen en de fundamenten werden gelegd voor een toekomstgerichte, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9337,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","iawp_total_views":227,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9],"tags":[],"locatie":[],"class_list":["post-9330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-actualiteit","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9330"},{"taxonomy":"locatie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iris.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/locatie?post=9330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}