Sustainability is often framed around technology, materials, and energy. Corinne van den Bos highlights the human side, people and culture: within the Sustainable Employment pillar, we attract, develop, and retain talent while fostering a positive workplace that drives growth, engagement, and productivity, aligned with business goals and values.
What she enjoys most about her work in HR is being able to make impact through actionable initiatives and policy: turning ambitions into concrete practices that support employees and, ultimately, the organization. That is also why sustainability resonates with her. To Corinne, it is a broad concept, almost a “container term”, but it becomes tangible by focusing on the concrete actions within your own sphere of influence.
“Ensure a safe, healthy, inclusive, and inspiring workplace for our employees.”
At home, this translates into conscious consumption: mindful purchasing, responsible returns thinking and using greener energy sources. Corinne mentions they have solar panels and are working on a heat pump. But she is realistic too: real change takes time. Awareness and activation do not happen in a single campaign, and people often need a clear incentive to change behavior. “That balance is always there,” she explains, “between ideals and what actually moves people.”
At VMI, Corinne contributes by helping embed sustainability in employment-related themes such as mobility, vitality, and social safety. On mobility, she sees opportunities in promoting active commuting alternatives where feasible, encouraging energy-conscious behavior in the office, and integrating benefits and employee well-being with environmental responsibility.
One concrete achievement she highlights is progress on social safety: the development of a clear reporting procedure that guides employees in how to raise concerns in a safe way, including the option to involve an additional external confidential advisor.
Looking ahead, Corinne hopes VMI will become largely self-sufficient in energy over the next decade and, which includes practical measures to transition all office locations to 100% renewable energy sources.
