Reducing our environmental footprint
Every day, DPG Media reports on what’s going on in society and how it’s changing. The way in which we create our media also impacts society and the environment.
Initiatives
Sustainability champions
DPG Media is a broad media company with many brands and business units. Sustainability, therefore, requires commitment from all departments. Our Sustainability Champions are the colleagues who actively lead the company toward a greener future. This network of media professionals includes representatives from every business unit.
“It’s up to them, together with the ESG team, to set the course, ensure practical implementation and make future-proof and sustainable agreements with suppliers,” says Paul Vereijken, ESG manager at DPG Media.
More than 90% of emissions are generated by our suppliers. Vereijken: “Taking green steps is therefore something we do in close cooperation with our partners.”
Making the property portfolio greener
Stijn Van Den Acker, Facility Manager for Belgium & the Netherlands, has a clear mission: within five years, all offices must be energy efficient. With dozens of properties spread across two countries, this is an ambitious but necessary goal. “We want to be as sustainable as possible in all ways; as a large media company, we feel that we need to lead by example in this area.”
Mediavaert
DPG Media will occupy the sustainable office building, Mediavaert, in Amsterdam in 2024. The building has been designed with a focus on sustainability, biodiversity, and energy consumption, and has received the prestigious 'Excellent' BREEAM label. Mediavaert will be the largest timber-hybrid building in Europe, with the majority of its construction made from carbon-neutral Cross-Laminated Timber.
Green spaces surrounding the building will contribute to biodiversity, while water storage systems and water-saving features will be implemented. The building will be equipped with solar panels and will be completely free from fossil fuels.
More sustainabile energy consumption
In early 2024, the gas tap was permanently shut off and the Amsterdam Amstel print shop fully transitioned to a heat pump. After a second boiler had failed, it became time to switch to a renewable energy solution. “We went from 450,000 m3 to an annual gas consumption of zero,” says Marcel Bestevaar, technician at the print shop.
“We had been thinking about such a sustainable solution for some time, but for many fitters it was still unknown territory.” Installing the heat pump, including piping and programming, took several months. “And that’s not all,” he continues. “There are also two new compressors, devices that produce compressed air to run machines. They generate a lot of heat, which we capture and then use for tap water within the company. As a result, we no longer use gas at all.”
What’s more, excess heat is produced. “We’re currently looking into efficiently reusing this heat.”
