From individual initiatives to a single strategic sustainability approach at Group De Cloedt

Sustainability in a decentralised organisation

Group De Cloedt is an established player in dredging, soil remediation and aggregates, with around thirty autonomous entities spread across Europe. This decentralised structure offers flexibility, but made it particularly difficult to firmly embed sustainability within the organisation.

Although many subsidiaries already had their own initiatives, there was a lack of overview, coordination and a clear group-wide direction. In practice, the organisation functioned as an investment group, meaning it was unclear which sustainability actions were taking place where or how they contributed to a common strategy.

Group De Cloedt wanted to meet the requirements of the CO₂ Performance Ladder and develop a future-proof sustainability approach. To achieve this, three obstacles had to be addressed:

• A highly decentralised structure,
• Limited visibility of data and emissions,
• And the lack of clear priorities.

From isolated initiatives to integrated sustainability

Encon guided the group through a process that brought structure and created buy-in across all entities. We started with workshops to define organisational boundaries, data requirements and responsibilities. This provided the basis for an overarching framework within which sustainable actions could be bundled and aligned.

We then carried out a comprehensive carbon footprint analysis, which revealed where the main emission streams originated and where the greatest opportunities for reduction lay. These insights formed the basis for measures that were both practically feasible and strategically sound.

All data and potential actions were consolidated into a user-friendly tool. During interactive sessions with senior management, the options were evaluated and translated into concrete choices. This resulted in a widely supported plan that balanced ambition with feasibility.

The process resulted in a clear action plan, a sustainability committee for structural monitoring and strengthened internal communication. As a result, sustainability was no longer a collection of isolated initiatives, but an integral part of business operations.

Group De Cloedt makes sustainability strategic and data-driven

Thanks to this collaboration, Group De Cloedt now has a clear, data-driven and strategic sustainability framework. The CO₂ performance ladder serves not as an obligation, but as a guiding tool.

What began as a reporting obligation evolved during the process into a broader strategic awareness. As sustainability became more embedded within the group, employees themselves contributed insights into new customer expectations — insights that directly helped shape the direction of the strategy.

Sustainability is now actively incorporated into investment dossiers and forms an integral part of management discussions. The organisation operates with clear priorities, a single central framework and a structure that enables long-term monitoring.