Philippe Dehaspe: "When drawing up our sustainability strategy, it was obvious that we would use the comprehensive ESG definition. After all, in addition to ecological aspects, we bear an important social responsibility: our mission is to provide quality care for everyone who needs it. This principle determines the rest of our strategic choices."
Christophe Mouton: "As a hospital, sustainable social relationships are crucial, both with our patients, employees and local residents. We also have a charter corporate governance. It is extremely important that our vision around sustainability is supported by the executive committee and the board, so that we can put this policy into practice hospital-wide. A group of committed employees ensures that ideas from practice also have a place on the agenda."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"How do you improve the sustainability of your real estate assets?"},{"alignedImage":{"extension":"webp","original":"https://assets.ing.com/m/489b2112fcccb2d2/original/ing-philippe-dehaspe.webp","transformBaseUrl":"https://assets.ing.com/transform/acdf2ee4-fec8-4804-989d-a1326dd8370a/ing-philippe-dehaspe"},"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Christophe Mouton: "Our organization is based in five locations, which differ greatly in terms of both infrastructure and clinical content. This forces us to make choices in our investment policy. 10 years ago, we were able to implement the most recent techniques in the new construction of AZ Maria Middelares in Ghent. Our logistics center in De Prijkels is also very energy efficient thanks to the solar panels on the roof. With renovations, that sort of thing is always more difficult."
Philippe Dehaspe: "Some of our hospital's buildings are more than 50 years old and the campus in Woluwe no longer offers expansion possibilities. This is why we have a ten-year investment plan running until 2035, totaling 1 billion euros, where we tackle building by building. This long duration is necessary for the hospital to remain operational at all times. New, better-insulated and air-conditioned buildings will primarily increase patient comfort."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle","title":"Hospital wastewater requires specific attention, how do you ensure a clean discharge?"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Philippe Dehaspe: "There will be a completely separate sewage network on our site, for rainwater and wastewater. Due to the presence of chemicals in wastewater, we have to purify it much more intensively before it goes to the sewer system. We therefore want to build a new wastewater treatment plant that can treat our biologically contaminated effluent."
Christophe Mouton: "The sisters who ran AZ Maria Middelares at the time already invested in their own water treatment plant 35 years ago. The plant has since been further adapted with new technology. Partly as a result, we can drain treated water into a stream and not into the sewers. The next step is to reduce our consumption of city water by reusing treated water. A study is currently underway on how we can technically achieve that circular water in complete safety."
"}},{"componentType":"highlight","richBody":{"value":"ING has developed long-term relationships with many Belgian hospitals and residential care centers. It facilitates evolutions around sustainability in the sector. ESG Lead Caroline Mouton explains the three roles the bank plays in this process.
Inspiration
"A lot of actions are already being set up in the sector. We want to further inspire hospital directors. Recently, ING organized a study trip to Dutch hospitals that are pioneers in sustainable infrastructure, circular care processes, remote care, etc... This is how we want to keep bringing new ideas to Belgian hospitals."
Guidance
"Guiding means, among other things, that we provide specific know-how to roll out a sustainable strategy. Thanks to a partnership with Bopro and Stadim, specialized consultancies for energetic renovation and sustainable construction projects, we can assist healthcare institutions to make their patrimony more sustainable."
Finance
"Finally, as a bank, we want to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this, we need to reduce the carbon footprint of our loan portfolio. Customers who plan sustainable investments according to the rules of the EU Taxonomy can count on an approach with longer maturities and a differentiated rate. This is how we finance the sustainability transition of hospitals."
"},"title":"“ING inspires, guides and finances sustainable initiatives”"},{"componentType":"paragraph","richBody":{"value":"Find out how ING supports businesses in the sustainable transition.
These article was previously published in Trends/Tendances.
"},"title":"Wondering what ING can do for you?"}]},"hasMacro":false,"id":"7aa47719-644b-4287-bcec-d07c0ca09a21","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.
This article is for informative purposes only and the information set out herein may change with time. We therefore recommend that you always reference specific regulations and requirements with the competent authorities for the latest information. Additionally, we advise that you seek professional advice on a case-by-case basis before making any decisions. Please note that ING Belgium SA/NV cannot be held liable for any decision taken on the basis of the information provided.
"}}]},"localeString":"en-GB","mainHeaderZone":{"backLink":{"textLink":{"text":"Sustainability is everyone's business","url":"/en/business/sustainable-business"}},"componentType":"editorialHeader","coreHeader":{"body":"Belgian hospitals face many challenges: changing healthcare needs, an acute staff shortage, growing financial concerns and sustainability. A clear ESG strategy can help to solve these challenges. Christophe Mouton, CEO of Maria Middelares, and Philippe Dehaspe, administrative and financial director of Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels, explain.","subtitle":"ESG is a strategic priority for the hospital sector","title":"“Sustainability must benefit the patient”"},"date":"2025-06-25","readingTime":0},"publishDate":"2025-07-03T13:43:35.639+02:00"}}