Vandersanden Aims for Carbon Neutrality by 2050
Vandersanden has published its 2025 Sustainability Report in May 2026. The report outlines where Europe’s largest family-owned brick manufacturer stands today in terms of sustainability and the steps it will take in the coming years to achieve its goal: climate-neutral production by 2050. According to a June 2026 press release, the report focuses on four pillars: sustainability for the environment, in the workplace, within the industry, and in the community. “For us, sustainable business practices are the way we’ve been conducting business for generations,” says CEO Johan Deburchgrave. “It’s not a strategy, but a lasting responsibility.”
Less CO2, More Green Energy
The 23 percent reduction in CO2 (Scope 1 and 2) is the result of targeted investments, technological innovations, and various efficiency improvements across our operations. In Tolkamer, the Netherlands, a new tunnel kiln is replacing three older kilns. This new kiln consumes 25 percent less energy. In Beek, also in the Netherlands, an innovative steam-drying technology—a European first—is delivering an additional 35 percent reduction in CO2 emissions at the plant. Thanks to 41,010 solar panels and our own wind turbine, renewable energy production in Lanklaar, Belgium, increased by 246 percent compared to 2020.
Investments in the Work Environment, Safety, and Community
For Vandersanden, sustainability doesn’t end at the factory gate. In 2025, each of our more than 850 employees completed an average of 50 hours of professional development. The majority of all employees completed the VDS-M leadership program, which embeds leadership and personal responsibility in the workplace.
In the area of safety, Vandersanden is working with its external partner, Samurai@Work, on a structured program to change behavior throughout the company in order to strengthen the safety culture. The number of reports of hazardous situations rose by 23 percent—a positive sign of growing vigilance.
Outside the factory walls, Vandersanden annually donates 500,000 euro to various charitable organizations, all of which have a personal connection to Vandersanden employees or their family members, and is actively committed to socially responsible entrepreneurship.
