Sustainability

As a group, we contribute to the goals of the Paris Agreement by setting a science-based target aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In 2022, we committed to a near-term target to help limit global warming to well below 2°C.

Specifically, we aim to reduce our absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 23% by 2030, compared to our 2021 baseline. In addition, we are actively working to measure and reduce our Scope 3 emissions across the value chain.

At the same time, we remain committed to not just reducing our absolute footprint but also to improving our carbon efficiency. To reflect this, we have further refined our approach by introducing a new metric: carbon intensity, calculated as total Scope 1 and 2 emissions relative to gross profit. This offers a more meaningful picture of the environmental impact of our operations, especially in a context of organisational change.

In line with this approach, our goal is to decrease the carbon intensity of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 5% annually, using 2021 as our base year.

Furthermore, we aim to achieve net zero emissions by 2040, by reducing at least 90% of absolute emissions across Scope 1, 2 and upstream Scope 3 categories from a 2021 base year. This will be achieved through significant reductions in our energy consumption, a complete transition to renewable energy, and other decarbonisation measures. Any remaining emissions will be neutralised through high-quality carbon removal solutions, such as reforestation and carbon capture, in line with the SBTi Net-Zero Standard.

Within our sustainability strategy, climate change, adaptation, and energy are our most material topics — reflecting the urgency and impact of our environmental commitments.

Environmental: climate change and adaptation and Energy

At HeadFirst Group, we are committed to reducing our environmental impact. As a service provider, a significant portion of our emissions stems from mobility, both by our employees and our suppliers. We focus on:​

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO₂

• Using energy efficiently and saving energy

• Utilising sustainable and renewable energy

• Reducing the use of fossil fuels

Focus areas and actions

Sustainable mobility

External

Given the large number of approximately 25,000 professionals working daily through our organisation, their collective mobility significantly impacts our Scope 3 emissions. To address this, we have initiated an innovative survey through our Professionals Services Hub, allowing professionals to calculate their CO₂ footprint for specific assignments, enabling these professionals and our partners to calculate and better understand their individual CO₂ footprints. This initiative not only supports HeadFirst Group in measuring and managing Scope 3 emissions but also provides valuable insights and practical tools for our partners to improve their environmental performance.

Internal

Internally, our comprehensive mobility policy includes transitioning our fleet to 50% electric vehicles by 2027, with a fully electric fleet targeted by 2030. We also reduce business travel and employee commuting emissions through our established hybrid working model (60/40 flex policy), active promotion of carpooling and public transportation, and clear limitations on annual business kilometres.

Sustainable facilities and property strategy

In 2022, HeadFirst Group relocated its headquarters to a highly sustainable office in Hoofddorp. It features a cradle-to-cradle design, has an energy label A and a BREEAM-NL New Construction ‘Excellent’ certificate, and is fully powered by 100% Dutch green energy. Just five minutes from a train station, the building supports both low-impact commuting and energy efficiency. The office incorporates features such as rainwater harvesting systems and optimised energy management for heating and cooling.

As part of our property strategy, we operate from a central headquarters supported by a number of strategically located hubs. This approach has enabled us to significantly reduce the number of offices in our portfolio. Our Belgian offices were consolidated into a single location in 2023 and we closed offices in Rotterdam and The Hague in 2024. 

We also promote flexible working, such as working from home or during train travel, resulting in an estimated 25% reduction in required office space. Together, these measures help us lower our operational emissions and support a more sustainable way of working. 

Renewable energy

As part of our commitment to reduce our environmental impact, we actively seek to increase the share of renewable energy in our operations. We prioritise measures such as the phased replacement of traditional lighting with energy-efficient LED lighting and the strategic installation of smart meters at our headquarters to better monitor and manage energy usage. The relocation of our headquarters in 2022 marked a major step forward. Since then, our head office has been powered largely by green electricity, which significantly contributed to the overall drop in Scope 2 emissions between 2021 and 2022. In 2024, approximately 16% of our electricity-related Scope 2 emissions came from green sources. The remaining 84% is still attributed to grey electricity, which includes vehicle charging and electricity consumption in locations where we have limited control over energy procurement — such as multi-tenant office buildings.

Looking ahead, we have adopted a clear policy: upon renewal of any energy contract, we will switch to green electricity wherever technically and contractually feasible.

Waste reduction, recycling, and resource conservation

Reducing waste and conserving resources are integral parts of our environmental strategy. We have set ambitious targets for waste reduction, comprehensive recycling initiatives are in place at our headquarters, targeting paper, plastics, IT equipment, batteries, and organic waste. We actively engage our employees through training and educational programmes to cultivate an environmentally conscious workplace culture.

Sustainability in the supply chain

In 2024, we took additional measures to strengthen sustainability throughout our supply chain. We developed and implemented a Code of Conduct that every supplier, including those providing professional services, is required to sign. Currently, 45% of our professional suppliers have signed the Code of Conduct. Our goal is to reach full compliance, with 100% of suppliers signed by the end of 2027.

Additionally, sustainability has been integrated into our procurement policy. This updated procurement policy outlines clear guidelines for the responsible sourcing of products and services, ensuring alignment with our core business principles and emphasising accountability towards society, people, and the environment. These measures collectively reinforce our commitment to responsible and sustainable procurement across our entire supply chain.

Targets summary

• Our company commits to reducing absolute scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions by 23% by 2030 from a 2021 base year, and to measure and reduce our scope 3 emissions (SBTi Target)

• Achieve net zero by 2040 from a 2021 base year. Interim milestone: 30% absolute reduction in scope 1, 2 and upstream scope 3 by 2030.

• Decrease carbon intensity of scope 1 and 2 by 5% annually through the implementation of energy-efficient practices and technologies from a 2021 base year.

• Increase number of electric vehicles in our fleet to 50% by 2027 and 100% in 2030

• Decrease business travel-related emissions by 23% by 2030 through increased utilisation of video conferencing and virtual meeting technologies by 2030 from a 2023 base year.

• Reduce carbon emissions from employee commuting by 23% by 2030 through the promotion of carpooling, public transportation, and telecommuting from a 2023 base year.

• Reduce residual waste to below 20% of total waste by the end of 2025.

Trends and analyses  

In 2024, we continued to take important steps toward reducing our environmental impact, with notable progress in waste reduction, facility efficiency, sustainable mobility, and supply chain responsibility. 

Waste: significant improvements with clearer separation 

After a sharp temporary drop in total waste volume in 2023—mainly due to improved waste separation and a temporary decline in paper and cardboard (PAKA)—the total volume in 2024 increased again to near-2022 levels. This increase is largely explained by business growth, including an expansion of office workspaces and a major archive clean-out. Despite the increase in volume, the share of residual waste dropped significantly from 57% in 2023 to 26% in 2024, confirming that waste separation at source has improved. This puts us well on track to meet our target of less than 20% residual waste by the end of 2025. 

Glass and PMD waste (plastic, metal, and drink cartons) showed a steady increase, which aligns with growing recycling awareness among employees. With more employees on-site and a daily rise in office lunches (from 50 to 85 per day), we have also seen more waste from internal events and gatherings. Meanwhile, data destruction volumes have remained structurally lower due to a new, on-demand collection setup, which better matches actual needs. 

Electric fleet: transition progressing slowly 

The share of electric vehicles in our company fleet increased only slightly in 2024—from 18% to 19%—despite our target of 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2027. Although the share of hybrid vehicles rose notably (from 10% to 19%), the relatively modest growth in full-electric vehicles indicates that stronger internal incentives and stricter fleet policies may be required to accelerate the transition pace and remain aligned with our climate goals. 

Facilities: consolidation and efficient space use 

The closure of offices in Rotterdam and The Hague in 2024 supports our ongoing strategy to consolidate physical office locations.  

Sustainable sourcing and supply chain 

In 2024, sustainability was further embedded in our procurement process. We rolled out a Supplier Code of Conduct for all professional suppliers, with a 45% adoption rate by year-end. The updated procurement policy now includes explicit environmental and social criteria, reinforcing our commitment to sustainable purchasing practices across the chain. 

Our CO₂ Footprint

We report on our CO₂ footprint in accordance with ISO 14064, ensuring a structured and internationally recognised approach to emissions accounting. Each year, our CO₂ calculation is independently assessed by a certified external auditor, in line with ISO 14064 requirements.

Carbon Footprint in CO₂

As our organisation continues to grow and mature, we are committed to continuously improve the completeness, accuracy and consistency of our environmental data. This means we actively work to eliminate uncertainties and refine methodologies where needed. Over time, these improvements have led to methodological updates as well as a rectification of our 2023 emission figures, following additional verification carried out during the 2024 reporting cycle.

Due to these changes, direct year-on-year comparisons of total reported tCO₂ are not always fully accurate. However, in cases where we lack complete data, we deliberately apply conservative assumptions that slightly overestimate emissions. This approach ensures transparency and integrity, and supports the principle that improved data quality will most likely lead to greater —not lower— reductions in reported emissions over time.

Methodology

We calculate and report our CO₂ footprint using a structured Excel-based model, which estimates emissions per scope based on annually updated emission factors from co2emissiefactoren.nl and co2emissiefactoren.be. These emission factors are based on the WTW (Well-to-Wheel) method, meaning they include both upstream emissions (production and distribution of energy) and direct emissions.

We collect energy consumption data for all our facilities, based on meter readings or —in the case of multi-tenant buildings— calculated using an allocation formula based on square metres rented.

Fleet-related emissions are calculated using actual fuel consumption data from leasing companies. Business travel and commuting emissions are based on declared kilometres from our HR system. Public transport usage is estimated based on expense declarations, also recorded in the HR system.

All consolidated entities under HFBG Holding B.V. are included in the calculation. On 1 September 2023, HFBG Holding B.V. acquired the shares of StarApple, StackOps, and ProUnity. Although the shares were previously held by Beryllium B.V., we have consolidated their full-year 2023 consumption data in this report to ensure continuity and completeness of reporting.

Changes to methodologies

In 2022, we began applying country-specific emission factors for diesel, gas, and electricity, allowing for a more accurate reflection of local energy mixes. Additionally, where in 2021 commuting and business travel were reported together under declared kilometres, from 2022 onwards we have separated these categories. This change has improved data granularity but did not affect total CO₂ emissions.

In 2024, we further refined our calculations by distinguishing between WKO (thermal energy storage) for heating and cooling, as these have different emission factors.

Lastly, this year, it was not possible  to retrieve data on green electricity used for EV charging at our Hoofddorp headquarters. As a result, the categories Electricity consumption – vehicles Green NL (Scope 2) and Electricity consumption – vehicles Green NL – external charging sessions (Scope 3) are not listed separately in this report. However, the relevant charging sessions are included under general (grey) electricity consumption categories. This ensures the related emissions are accounted for, but also results in a slight overestimation of the total footprint for these categories.

Uncertainties

• Our headquarters in Hoofddorp has been under our own management since 2022. This has allowed us to gain better insights into our energy data and has enabled us to take direct action on energy savings and the use of renewable energy sources. Our other offices are located in multi-tenant buildings, where water, gas, and electricity usage is pooled and allocated across tenants. These allocations are not based on our actual consumption. They are calculated using an allocation formula based on the number of square metres rented. As a result, our direct influence on these environmental factors is limited. Nevertheless, our Property Manager actively participates in meetings with the building managers to influence decision-making on sustainability wherever possible. For example, in our Brussels office, a new lease contract has been signed that requires the landlord to implement at least one sustainability initiative a year. These initiatives may include upgrades such as replacing windows or phasing out oil-based heating systems. Relocating to more sustainable facilities is also an integral part of our long-term strategy.

• We currently have no visibility into the specific type of public transport used. Therefore, we apply an average emission factor of €0.15 per kilometre. This is a relatively low financial value, which results in a slight overestimation of actual emissions.

• In our Voorburg office (Netherlands), all employees without a leased car receive a standard travel allowance of €0.21 per kilometre, based on the distance between home and work. As we do not collect actual mileage data, this method also leads to a minor overestimation of commuting emissions.

• When calculating declared kilometres for business travel, there is no insight into the mode of transport used. Due to the lack of detailed fuel or energy consumption data, we use the standard emission factor from the passenger transport category: Car – Fuel type unknown, Weight class unknown, Vehicle kilometres.

These assumptions reflect our commitment to transparency, even where data is incomplete or based on estimations. To further strengthen the accuracy of our Scope 3 emissions reporting, we initiated improvement efforts in 2024 — including exploring ways to collect actual travel behaviour data, linking reimbursement types to specific transport modes, and refining internal registration processes.

This is part of our broader ambition to enhance Scope 3 reporting and to reduce commuting-related emissions in line with our sustainability strategy.

The first measurable results of these efforts are expected to be visible in 2026, based on the 2025 data.

This continuous improvement approach strengthens our broader ESG data foundation and supports future compliance with the CSRD, which will require more detailed and verifiable sustainability reporting in the years to come.

Trends and analyses

CO₂ emissions

In 2024, our total CO₂ emissions increased to 841 tonnes, compared to 762 tonnes in 2023. This rise is primarily due to higher fuel consumption, especially from petrol-powered vehicles, and increased electricity use for transportation. In Belgium, diesel fuel use for assets also contributed to the increase.

Carbon Intensity

Compared to our base year 2021, carbon intensity decreased by 40%, despite a temporary increase of 21% in 2024 compared to 2023. This follows two years of consistent improvement and reflects the dynamic nature of a business in transition. Importantly, the upward shift in 2024 is not due to organisational growth — in fact, the number of employees decreased slightly, two office locations (Rotterdam and The Hague) were closed, and gross profit remained stable. This makes the increase in absolute emissions all the more relevant, it shows that emissions can rise even in the absence of organisational growth — highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring, behavioural changes, and structural interventions in mobility and energy use.

At a more detailed level, the increase in emissions can be attributed to:

• A rise in petrol fuel use, now the largest single contributor in Scope 1

• Higher electricity use for transportation, as our vehicle fleet partly transitioned

• Increased diesel use in Belgian assets, not previously included in our footprint

Despite these developments, we also observed positive trends. Our efforts to reduce facility-related electricity consumption have shown positive results. Total grey electricity use for buildings in the Netherlands and Belgium dropped by 22% (from 62.0 to 48.2 tCO₂), showing the effect of energy-saving measures such as LED lighting, efficient HVAC settings, and occupancy-based usage.

One notable exception in facility emissions is the increase in WKO (heat and cold storage) consumption. This was caused by a misconfiguration in our building management system, resulting in abnormally high consumption in January 2024 — more than double the typical monthly load. We have since corrected the system settings and implemented new control measures to prevent such anomalies in the future.

Looking back, the large decrease in emissions between 2021 and 2022 was driven by relocating our headquarters to a sustainable business park and switching to renewable energy. The increase in 2023 was mainly attributable to the acquisitions made and the associated rise in FTEs and office locations (e.g., Breda, Brussels, Voorburg, and The Hague).

Going forward, we acknowledge the importance of moving beyond efficiency gains that result from organisational changes alone. A more consistent reduction strategy —focusing on fleet electrification, reduction of commuting and business travel, and smarter energy use— is needed to continue our progress toward net zero. We have already initiated this through our Energy Reduction and Resource Conservation Plan that started in 2024.

Rectification 2023 data

As part of our commitment to transparent and responsible sustainability reporting, we have corrected an error in our 2023 Scope 1 emission data. Verification of the 2024 emission data led to the discovery of a miscalculation in the 2023 figures.

As a result, Scope 1 emissions in the category "Fuel consumption assets – diesel BE" increased from 6.4 to 27.9 tCO₂. The total Scope 1 footprint for 2023 was therefore revised to 473 tCO₂. This correction is reflected in this annual report.

The discrepancy was due to an error in the allocation formula based on the number of square metres rented.

Despite this correction, our overall emissions profile and reduction trajectory remain aligned with our climate targets. In response to this issue, we have implemented additional checks and controls in our data validation processes to prevent similar errors in future reporting.