Encon: "We help companies to grow sustainably"

The consultancy firm Encon supports companies with innovative solutions in their transition to greater sustainability. The company combines expertise with its own extensive experience: from the construction of a sustainable company building and its own wind turbine, to the development of their business model: "We can convince other companies more easily by setting a good example."

Helping companies become more sustainable is Encon's core business. The focus is not only on well-being and ecology, but also on the economic benefits for the companies. Robin Bruninx, CEO of Encon: "We have been looking for the best ways to guide companies in their sustainability transition for twenty years. This ranges from drawing up a sustainability strategy to making company buildings more energy efficient or innovating a product in a sustainable way. Solar panels, healthy food or sports facilities for employees: a wide range of initiatives is covered. We also help companies to communicate about their efforts." 

"Investing in sustainability costs money, of course. Yet we see time and again that sustainability actions not only have a positive impact on the climate and the employees, but also on the economic reality of companies. Energy costs can thereby drop significantly and sustainable companies attract good employees more easily. Sustainability leads to sustainable growth in terms of people, planet and profit.”

"Investing in sustainability costs money, of course. Yet we see time and again that sustainability actions not only have a positive impact on the climate and the employees, but also on the economic reality of companies.”
Robin Bruninx, CEO of Encon

Setting a good example

As a sustainability expert, Encon also invests in making its own activities more sustainable. Bruninx: "We don't just adopt best practices.  We really look at how we can have the greatest impact as a company. Our office building, Infinity, is one of the most sustainable buildings in Europe. It is extremely energy efficient and generates more green energy than we use ourselves. From every office you can look out onto the surrounding nature, our car fleet is electric and the company canteen - with reused and recycled furniture - serves mainly food from local suppliers."

"As a service company, however, we create much more impact through our customers than through our buildings. Every new company that we can convince to grow in a more sustainable way will in turn influence the value chain. Of course we reduce our own CO₂ emissions and use green energy, but if we can convince other companies to do the same, the impact will be much greater. For example, we help multinationals such as Aldi and H. Essers to make their logistics centres more sustainable. In recent years, our customers have together saved 1,713,700 tonnes of CO₂. And when Aldi recently had to relocate more than 500 people to a new building, no one gave up: the new centre was simply much more attractive than the old one, with more attention to welfare."

Future vision 

Bruninx predicts that interest in making buildings more sustainable will increase significantly in the coming years. This is partly due to the growing European regulations: companies must now comply with sustainability requirements. "In addition, companies are opting for more sustainability to protect themselves against business risks. A sustainable operation helps, for example, to attract motivated employees and to create a competitive advantage. Today, sustainability is no longer considered a source of expenditure, but of revenue: you can capitalize rapidly on every effort you make.”