Route 2030: supporting local charities close to the hearts of our worldwide B.I.G. community

B.I.G. is on course to achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2030. That is right, zero. To make this journey more tangible, we would like to offer you a passenger’s seat from which you will be able to really get up close and immerse yourself in our various sustainability projects. In this edition: creating shared value with communities to have a net positive impact.

The importance of charities should not and cannot be underestimated. They are like the glue that holds society together, as they are attentive to those who can use help the most. At B.I.G., we believe it is important to take our social responsibility and not forget the local communities around our sites. We want to offer help where it is needed and to those who are not always seen or heard. Given our global presence in often remote areas, we believe this is the least we can do.

Among other things, this triggered the idea to launch our first ONE Magazine, last year. It is a magazine created by and for the people of B.I.G. that serves to connect, thank and engage. It contains a mix of fun, inspiring, and must-know stories that take place both inside and outside of B.I.G. But there is more. At every site, we hided one Golden Ticket among the magazines, after Roald Dahl's idea in his world-famous book ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.’ The lucky recipients of the Golden Tickets were given the opportunity to donate 500 euro to a charity of their choice. A total of 21 Golden Tickets were found and the only requirement was that the donation needed to be made to a recognized charity.

"We were not only able to make 21 colleagues happy with a Golden Ticket. We were also able to support a variety of charities which in turn made many more people happy. Although it is part of our daily job to ensure our colleagues' engagement and happiness, it is energizing to know that we pleasantly surprised many people in and outside B.I.G.", says Emma Van Praet, Project Communications Specialist. “To me this initiative actually highlights the beauty of our business structure and operations. B.I.G. has diverse activities around the world driven by an even more diverse community. And it is precisely this diversity that we are trying to play off with these Golden Tickets. The ultimate goal is to help various people inside and outside B.I.G., in various countries, through various charities that address various topics.”

"It was particularly fun to be able to set up and facilitate this campaign," continues Emma. "It took some effort to organize, but it's very satisfying to see the charity choices gradually come to fruition. We also asked colleagues for their motivations, and you can tell that everyone was very thoughtful about how they used their Golden Ticket. One colleague decided to support an organization that conducts research on early-onset dementia because his mother was diagnosed with dementia at an early age. Another colleague chose to support research on multiple sclerosis because some family members were affected by the disease. Besides the medical causes, also charities focusing on children and animals were popular. We can certainly say that we supported a good variety of charities!"

When people hear the term ‘sustainability’, they automatically think of environmental impact and the surroundings. However, for B.I.G., sustainability means more than that. Creating shared value is a particularly important part of the Route 2030 journey that B.I.G. is undertaking, and the distribution of these Golden Tickets is one of the many ways to contribute to it. "With this project, we are working in two directions. We are supporting communities worldwide beyond our daily activities, while at the same time also colleagues benefit from it. Getting the chance to donate 500 euros is not something they get every week.”

"With this first edition we have planted the seed. We consider this the start of a tradition that will last for years. Too impactful and beautiful not to do, right?”, Emma concludes.