Sustainability

In the business world, there is an evolution from ‘sustainability’, in the past often associated with environmental objectives, to the broader concept of ‘ESG’. ESG stands for ‘Environmental, Social and Governance’, and includes items such as energy efficiency, carbon footprint, availability of raw materials in the production cycle, health & safety on the work floor, board remuneration, corporate governance, etc.

The mandatory sustainability reporting for large companies in Europe will also involve SMEs. Look at it as a ‘call for action’ for every company.

Thanks to the growing awareness around ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), the decision-making process of companies is increasingly influenced by matters like energy consumption, climate, health, safety and good corporate governance. ESG seeks for an equilibrium between financial economic results, transparency, social interests and the environment without losing the balance between them. It should therefore be no surprise that also the tax authorities are stimulating tax payers (more specifically companies) to greening their company car fleet by allowing a higher tax deduction for so-called ‘green cars’ and disallowing the deduction of ‘fuel cars’ going further. Next to the tax impact, the greenification of the company car fleet offers opportunities to create added value for companies, climate and their people from an innovation perspective.