Greener direction through concrete goals
3 pillars, 1 central mission
The first pillar of IMPACT stems from our central mission: the belief in independent journalism and strong news brands that contribute positively to society. In a world where facts and fiction are increasingly intertwined and information is available everywhere, people seek sources they can trust. For us, that trust is essential. It defines who we are and what we do and determines whether readers are willing to pay for our journalism and engage with our stories. That’s why, in April 2024, our editors-in-chief launched the Trust Hub in Amsterdam, featuring initiatives such as participation in The Trust Project. The fact that multiple titles are now close to certification underscores our commitment to transparency and reliability.
The second foundation of IMPACT is a workplace where employees can be themselves, collaborate, learn and grow. Only when our journalists and employees feel heard, valued and supported can they do their jobs with conviction and focus. An open and stimulating work environment is essential for this.
The third pillar of our sustainability programme is our green transition, the collective efforts we make to minimise our negative impact on the world. Our readers expect that from us, alongside trustworthy journalism. In recent years, Mediahuis group has set measurable goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, these goals were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This is something we can take pride in, as it proves we are steadily and methodically working towards our goals.
“Internally, we increasingly refer to our green transition as a basic hygiene factor”
Responsible business practices
Internally, we increasingly refer to our green transition as our “daily hygiene factor”. We all need to be conscious of our carbon footprint every day and consider how we can reduce it.
We are already taking many steps: electrifying our vehicle fleet, exploring ways to make our printing and distribution processes more sustainable, scrutinising the origin of our paper and striving for climate-neutral offices. While commendable, these actions are not reasons to pat ourselves on the back. We simply see them as responsible business practices and a foundation for considering our next steps. For instance, we can analyse the impact of AI usage on our footprint. How much electricity does it consume? And how much does energy consumption rise when everyone streams video content?
With the science-based targets guiding our environmental objectives, we will increase our measurement efforts, allowing us to calculate our actual emissions more precisely year by year. The graphs on the next page illustrate how our footprint has evolved. With concrete data, we can direct our sustainability efforts more effectively and make better informed decisions across all our businesses and activities, from newsroom operations to system development and supplier selection. By aligning our sustainability efforts with our financial goals, we can continue to ensure the success of our organisation in a responsible and sustainable way.
Mediahuis’ sustainability goals have been officially validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. This milestone confirms our group’s commitment and ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to global efforts to combat climate change.
Our targets
By 2030
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 49.8% compared to the 2019 baseline.
- Reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions by 27.5% compared to the 2019 baseline.
- Ensure that 66% of suppliers (based on upstream transport and distribution emissions) set science-based targets by 2028.
By 2050
- Reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% compared to the 2019 baseline.
- Reduce Scope 3 emissions by 90% compared to the 2019 baseline.
- Achieve net-zero GHG emissions across the entire value chain by 2050.
