"Because every company, small or large and whether legally required or not, will have to report on its sustainability efforts, we are committed to sustainability with Cordeel Group," says Laurence Gacoin, CEO of C-Energy and C-Innovation. "For example, we help make existing buildings more sustainable by looking at energy consumption, gas usage and the lifespan of all kinds of installations. So we look at how we can help companies transition to renewables or electrification instead of gas."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Durability and speed go hand in hand"},{"alignedImage":{"position":"bottom","extension":"webp","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/75f54a0dc49ceb09/original/Laurence-Gacoin_Cordeel.webp"},"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"With around 1,800 employees, offices in 6 countries and an annual turnover of 940 million euros, Cordeel Group is among the largest construction companies in Belgium. Innovation, sustainability and acceleration are central to the independent family-owned company's vision of the future. This strategy ensures that customers can respond quickly to changes in regulations and market requirements, without delaying their own sustainability goals. This has been even more so since Filip Cordeel, CEO of Cordeel Group, recalibrated the family business's compass five years ago with the question: what direction should we take to remain successful in a world that is constantly changing?
By focusing on energy transition on the one hand and circularity and sustainability on the other, we are making Cordeel future-proof.
The answer lies largely in the activities for which Laurence Gacoin, CEO of C-Energy and C-Innovation, is responsible: "The future of Cordeel is clear: a company that not only builds physical projects, but also a future where sustainability and speed go hand in hand. By focusing on energy transition on the one hand and circularity and sustainability on the other, we are making Cordeel future-proof - something that will benefit both the entire next generation and today's customers. For many years we have been developing innovations in materials and technologies. Now that these are market-ready or already on the market, it is also time to tell our story."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"From mushroom to insulation"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Cordeel began to innovate within its own company, with initiatives that are complementary to the construction industry or can be vertically integrated. Says Gacoin, "The constant question within the company remains: how can we build faster, smarter and more sustainable? It is essential to offer customers a complete solution, where they have a single point of contact. Those solutions range from 'green concrete' over renewable energy to replacing chemicals with local, organic alternatives developed in-house."
A surprising example of the latter is the insulation material that Cordeel produces by growing mycelium (fungal threads, the roots of mushrooms) on hemp and baking it off into pressed precast sheets. The 100% organic insulation scores better for keeping heat and cold in or out, and is also a top performer in terms of fire safety and acoustics. A sustainable alternative to PUR foam, among others, which is made from petroleum. The material is ready to scale up from the high-tech lab to industrial application.
Planting hemp can help purify the soil, capture CO2 as well as provide the raw material for our bio-insulation material.
Other sustainable innovations with a Cordeel stamp: construction batteries as an alternative to often oversized generators, the very first fluorine-, PFAS- and PFOS-free fire extinguishers with biodegradable liquids, thermal cleaning of contaminated soils with microwave technology instead of processing in incinerators running on natural gas, energy mounds or water batteries, ...
"We also look at the broader impact we can have on our clients' sustainability," says Gacoin. "For example, if a client has residual land, we might suggest planting trees there to improve their carbon footprint. Or we suggest planting hemp there, which can help purify the soil, capture CO2 as well as provide the raw material for our bio-insulation material."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Haalbaar en schaalbaar"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"An important aspect for Cordeel is the scalability of innovation. "We see many projects that are innovative and technically feasible, but need to quickly mature for practical and large-scale application. To get those innovations to market quickly, we work closely with research institutions and partners."
The construction industry is often associated with low margins and high risks. "That's why it's important for Cordeel to choose the smartest construction projects, with sustainability and innovation at the core," says Gacoin. "We want to be the most efficient, with the best LCA (the life cycle analysis that maps the environmental impact of a building from raw material through realization and use to waste disposal)."
This one-stop solution offers the certainty that we ensure that the installations pay off and run.
"Through the subscription models we offer such as energy as a service or heat as a service, we ensure that the investment is spread out. Moreover, this one-stop solution offers the certainty that, for an agreed period, we ensure that the installations (heat production, batteries, solar panels, charging stations...) pay off and run. Result: unburdening, certainty about energy costs, less unexpected risks and less capital expenditure (capex) for the customer."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Banks as a force for innovation"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Gacoin points to the role of banks in general and ING in particular in making companies aware of the importance of sustainability efforts. "They are an intermediary for us to show their clients which solutions are available. Among other things, the partnership with ING has made it possible to finance a large number of construction batteries, which will replace diesel generators in the future.
This makes them the driving force that gives our renewed approach and technological innovations sufficient clout. Of course, they also benefit, because banks can only make their own sustainability report better by supporting the companies they hold in their portfolios in their journey towards greater sustainability. That requires not only banking expertise, but also deep knowledge of the market and the intrinsic value of innovations."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Making a virtue out of necessity"},{"alignedImage":{"position":"right","extension":"jpg","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/56ec92f456249676/original/Marc-Callier_ING_Cordeel.jpg","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/7c8a6317-3d2f-4b93-8932-9d18f79d3b26/Marc-Callier_ING_Cordeel"},"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":""Cordeel's strategy is a great example of how a company can make a virtue out of a need," said Marc Callier, Head of Sustainability at ING Business Banking. "They see new opportunities in the challenges posed by the transition for the real estate sector and are providing innovative solutions."
ING supports companies in future-proofing their buildings. "Especially in the service sector, the share of office emissions is substantial in a company's footprint," Marc Callier continues. "This is even more true for patrimonial companies where leasing is the main activity. We create awareness during client meetings and events. In addition, with our Sustainable Buildings Guide, we offer entrepreneurs a better view of the impact of investments on the emissions and energy consumption of their buildings."
Clients who commit to going a step further when renovating, we offer additional support by financing 100% of the energy investments.
Real estate companies with large portfolios or complex needs are connected to consulting firms Bopro and Stadim. They subject the portfolio to a thorough audit and, together with the client, draw up a transition plan that ensures that the buildings also remain attuned to future market expectations and retain their value. "Clients who commit to going a step further than current regulations when renovating, we offer additional support by financing 100% of the energy investments at an attractive interest rate," Marc Callier concludes.
"}},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"These article was previously published in Trends/Tendances.
"},"title":"Clever Together"}]},"hasMacro":false,"id":"514add5b-da1d-490b-8008-4ce6019847f7","legalZone":{"flexComponents":[{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Society is transitioning to a low-carbon economy. So are our clients, and so is ING. We finance a lot of sustainable activities, but we still finance more that’s not. See how we’re progressing on ing.com/climate.
"}}]},"localeString":"en-GB","mainHeaderZone":{"backLink":{"textLink":{"text":"Sustainability is everyone's business","url":"/en/business/sustainable-business"}},"componentType":"editorialHeader","coreHeader":{"body":"The realization, management, maintenance and end-of-life treatment of buildings are an important part of companies' environmental impact. Construction company Cordeel is resolutely and rapidly going for the most sustainable and innovative techniques.","title":"\"Insulating with mushrooms, why not?\""},"date":"2024-11-08","readingTime":0},"publishDate":"2024-11-20T15:46:27.653+01:00"}}