Protecting our Planet: "Sustainability Gold Award" for a. hartrodt in Belgium

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations (UN) aims to protect the world. As a sustainable logistics service provider that proactively supports these UN goals, a. hartrodt (Belgium) was awarded the "Sustainability Gold Award" in mid-September 2023 by the forwarding association Forward Belgium. "We decided to take the lead and act rather than react," says Kathy Kint, Management Assistant Administration at a. hartrodt (Belgium) in Antwerp. As part of the team, she compiled the report on activities that a. hartrodt in Belgium has already implemented for 13 of 17 different UN goals.

ISO certifications in Vietnam and Poland

Kathy Kint emphasizes the added value for the customers' own sustainability strategy: "With us, they have a partner who goes beyond legal requirements." In more and more countries, a. hartrodt is committing to climate targets. For example, the Vietnamese offices have had ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certifications for their environmental and quality management systems since this year. In Poland, a. hartrodt has met the ISO 14001 standard since 2019.

Ultra-modern trucks on efficiently planned routes

"More and more companies in Western Europe value eco-conscious suppliers," notes Robert Marszałek, Managing Director at a. hartrodt Polska. For this reason, the Polish company has invested in staff training, new processes and procedures, and internal audits. For climate protection, a. hartrodt Polska also operates ultra-modern trucks on efficiently planned delivery routes to reduce CO₂ emissions. In Vietnam, electric trucks or alternative energy sources are "still in its infancy," says Thorne Laudy, Managing Director at a. hartrodt logistics (Vietnam). But the young team is "very mindful of the environment" and "enthusiastic" about the certification.

Currently, the Vietnamese company is preparing for ISO 45001 certification for occupational health and safety management. "This, along with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, distinguishes us as compliant with the future European Critical Raw Materials Act," explains Laudy.