Support to social and training initiatives
ArcelorMittal Belgium is not blind to social challenges and we support all sorts of social projects to combat poverty and to create training options for people who ended up in the margins of society. Furthermore, we also support numerous initiatives relating to safety and health in the community.
We are a founding member of ‘Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs’. The organisation is a Belgian collaboration between companies and a number of non-governmental organisations. Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs wants to support profitable business projects in the South, in order to give the job opportunities and the economic activity in those countries a positive boost.
De Kromme Boom is a care project focused on people who are no longer able to function in society and who have often already had dealings with other support organisations. In De Kromme Boom, the residents are offered a total care package that includes accommodation, work and relaxation, enabling them to adopt a normal pace of living and to regain their place in society.
Each year, ArcelorMittal Belgium organises a solidarity campaign, calling its employees to collect clothing and toys for the benefit of Spullenhulp or of the Public Social Welfare Centre of Flémalle.
Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk (CAW or Centre for General Welfare Services) is a non-profit association actively supporting the underprivileged in the Ghent region. The service delivery is very diverse, from relationship and divorce counselling to help with applications for benefits and completing asylum forms. Each year, the support workers of CAW receive approximately 12,000 requests for help, most of which are for relationship counselling and housing problems.
Kras is a joint venture of 13 anti-poverty charities in Ghent and the surrounding districts. Each year, the Kras charities support 4,000 to 5,000 families living in poverty. The services that Kras vzw provides to people living in poverty range from distributing food parcels and clothing, material help and budgeting support to education and cultural activities.
In addition, we support numerous social organisations in the Ghent and Liège regions, in which employees of ArcelorMittal Belgium play an active role.
On 7 December 2018, we took part in the international Volunteer Day that wants to promote voluntary work. Ambassadors of Doctors Without Borders were present in the administrative building of ArcelorMittal Gent. They immersed the ArcelorMittal colleagues in the reality experienced by their workers and patients, with the help of a 360° video that took our employees to a hospital in Bangassou in the Central African Republic. In addition, 24 ArcelorMittal volunteers from Ghent lent a hand in a number of social organisations: vzw Stappen, a support home for young people with special needs, service centre De Triangel, the bird rescue centre (VOC) in Merelbeke, and residential care centre Zilverbos.
“Aside from projects combating poverty, we also support health and safety initiatives.”
On 25 March 2018, the run Urban Trail was held in Ghent. We took part in collaboration with the charity “Onafhankelijk Leven” (Independent Living). Nine colleagues of ArcelorMittal Gent accompanied wheelchair user Sam to the finish line.
During the Midsummer Night Run on 22 June 2018, our colleagues managed to achieve great sports results. No less than 82 employees ran in support of Sportaround, an organisation that strives to create sports opportunities for everyone.
On 8 April 2018, the Ghent harbour area opened its doors for the fifth time to several thousand runners, including 67 employees of ArcelorMittal Gent. The participants in the North Sea Port run supported UNICEF.
On 8 December 2018, a new edition was held of the Midwinter Night Run. An enthusiastic team of 71 ArcelorMittal runners appeared at the starting line. Not only did they demonstrate their fitness, but they also ran to collect money for ‘Light for the World’, a charity that wants to make eye care accessible to the poorest people in Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania, in collaboration with local partners.
Aside from the structural sponsoring, we also support specific projects of Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs, such as their participation in the ’20 kilometres through Brussels’. On 27 May 2018, a team of 51 employees took part, thereby collecting money for the 7 non-governmental organisations that form part of Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs.
Each year, the non-profit organisation Special Olympics Belgium organises a national championship for athletes with a mental disability, with the financial support of our company. Over 3,400 athletes and 3,000 volunteers from across the country come together at this huge four-day sports event. The 2018 event was held in Tournai and Mouscron.
By taking part in the solidarity actions Music for Life and Viva for Life at the end of 2018, our colleagues proved that not only are they very sporty, but also and primarily that they have a big heart.
Music for Life
Our colleagues in Genk, Geel and Ghent massively supported the ‘Warmest Week’ initiative of radio station Studio Brussels. Together, they managed to run, cycle and walk no less than 2,187 kilometres. The entire amount was donated to the organisation “Bas, brave fighter”. This non-profit organisation was formed after a young boy named Bas died following a failed heart transplant. The organisation distributes information and raises awareness on the subject of organ transplants and organ donation. In addition, it supports families facing financial problems due to a child’s ill health. They also support innovative scientific research with regard to organ transplants and organ donations.
Viva for Life
Our colleagues in Liège took part in Viva for Life for the first time. The solidarity action ‘Tous en selle pour les 48 Heures vélo de Liège’ (All in the saddle for the 48 hours of Liège) was an enormous success. Over a period of two days, our colleagues of Liège managed to cycle a total distance of 4,491.60 km. The money raised will be used to support the social projects of radio station Vivacité, to help underprivileged children in the French-speaking part of Belgium.
In addition, we support numerous sports clubs in the region of Ghent and Liège, in which employees of ArcelorMittal Belgium play an active role.
“We get public recognition for our performance with regard to our sustainable operations.”
On 20 June 2018, we received the Environmental Charter certificate for the 15th time in a row for our site in Ghent. The Environmental Charter of East-Flanders is an initiative of Voka, the Chamber of Commerce of East-Flanders. Its purpose is to encourage businesses in East-Flanders to adopt an active environmental policy, leading to an improvement of the environment and the living environment in the region. Businesses take part on a voluntary basis. The 17 sustainable development goals (or SDGs) of the United Nations form the universal framework for it.
Visit evaluation team
Vying for the Environmental Charter requires defining environment-related goals for at least four of these SDGs, accompanied by associated actions, and the ability to achieve them in the short term (one year). After the end of the action year, an evaluation team visits to check up on the performance of the actions, and to verify whether you continue to meet the statutory obligations. Our site in Ghent has been taken part in the initiative since 2003. It provides an added incentive to achieve continuous improvements in environmental terms. Which is after all also the general objective of the ISO 14001 standard.
On 19 October, Governor Jan Briers awarded Ronald Mortier (Head of the Environmental Department) the ‘Gouden Peter’ (Golden sponsor) certificate from the Landscape fund of the Ghent Canal zone. ArcelorMittal sponsors the ECO2 project, which is a collaboration between farmers, residents and businesses to expand green buffer zones through the targeted planting of trees and shrubs.
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