CSR Report 2018

CSR 2018 – BOSKALIS 5

This CSR report is a special one as it marks our ten year anniversary. Ten years ago we published our first CSR report. At the time we were the first in our industry to do so and we have built on this position as proud front-runners. Over the years, we have made considerable steps forward in sharpening our CSR strategy and structuring our reporting as stakeholder expectations evolve. Whilst this landscape continues to develop, it is also my ambition that we continue to lead our industry in sustainability and meet the expectations of our stakeholders.

Reflecting on the past 10 years, it has been a period of significant change. The growth of the company with numerous acquisitions was successfully incorporated in our CSR reporting. The development of our value based safety program NINA was done during this period, and was recently complemented by our Way of Working quality management system. The introduction of a company-wide reporting tool for all our CSR key performance indicators, including emissions, has contributed to the annual third party verification. And through a periodic materiality assessment we stay informed on the importance of key topics and expectations of our stakeholders. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Beside the internal developments over the past decade, the role of business in society has changed. Our stakeholders question purpose and expect impact, looking at how our role can contribute positively to society. In this context we have taken a closer look at which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals most closely relate to our business. Not surprisingly the areas where we can contribute most are tied to our business and our activities in the areas of flood protection, climate change resilience, infrastructure services for trade and energy and the energy transition to renewable fuels – and of course employment. We have an entrepreneurial culture and invest in innovative and sustainable technologies to help us stay ahead in the market and contribute to our own and our clients’ sustainability ambitions. MAKING CSR BUSINESS AS USUAL Naturally we cannot only focus on the positive impacts we can make as a business. We also need to make sure we manage our work in an environmentally and socially responsible way. This isn’t only about a sense of duty, as I strongly believe our ability to deliver complex projects in line with international standards is a great asset for the future of our business. This year we made several steps forward in this regard, including strengthening our social impact program and continuing to improve and enhance our environmental and safety management systems by integrating them into our quality management system. This is important for us, but it’s also essential for our clients to see that we have robust systems in place to manage the safe and sustainable execution of our projects. Looking back over the past ten years, the improvement in our safety culture is something I am particularly proud of which is also reflected in our 2018 safety performance. Last year we once again saw a decline in the frequency in lost time incidents to a record low of 0.05.

In 2018 we also continued our environmental work and further invested in Building with Nature, both financially and through knowhow. Once again a large number of projects were executed using this sustainable design approach ranging from our work on the Houtrib Dike in the Netherlands to stimulating natural mangrove restoration in Indonesia. Over the last year, we also continued to raise awareness about plastic pollution in the oceans. Our senior Boskalis engineers provided their expertise to The Ocean Cleanup in their effort to design and produce a floating barrier that can capture and extract plastics from the ocean. And hundreds of our employees and their supporters carried out Boskalis Beach Cleanups, in the Netherlands and around the world. SUSTAINABLE HORIZONS Our employees are the true cornerstone of this business. Over the past year we continued to focus on talent management programs as well as looking at how we can support our employees’ career aspirations and improve their working environment. This included stimulating internal career moves through a new online platform and creating specific programs to facilitate the exchange of talent throughout the company. One of the highlights of 2018 is undoubtedly the internal drive and energy our colleagues shared at internal events on sustainability. Together with Young Boskalis we brought together more than 300 colleagues from across the business in two Sustainable Horizons events – to inform and collaborate on the subject. The enthusiasm and creativity were inspiring and I look forward to seeing where this energy takes us in 2019 – to make a positive contribution together with our stakeholders. On behalf of the Board of Management, I want to thank all colleagues for their contribution during the past year, as well as thank our clients, partners and shareholders for the trust and confidence they place in us.

Peter Berdowski