Ton Kroef, Kieszon: “With the Agreement we make it clear what we as a purchasing party consider important”
Due to upcoming legislation, your position and image towards customers, but especially from the motivation to do the energy transition in a fair way, you should be involved in corporate social responsibility as a company. “You can’t achieve a revolution on your own, you need mass for that,” says Ton Kroef, Operational Manager at KiesZon, about the Renewable Energy Agreement. We interviewed Ton Kroef about his experience as a participant in the Agreement.
The Renewable Energy Agreement is a broad coalition consisting of solar and wind energy companies, industry associations, the Dutch government, knowledge institutes, NGOs and trade unions that work together on making the international supply chains for solar and wind energy more sustainable. The aim of the Agreement is to make the supply chains in the industry transparent through collaboration.
How is the Agreement linked to your activities?
“It mainly focuses on solar panels, inverters and mounting structures. In addition, there is increasing attention for batteries.” These are all energy components that KiesZon works with, the supply chains of which need to be made transparent and where improvements are needed.
Why did you join the Agreement?
It was a logical step for KiesZon to become a member. “We are an old player in the market, we have been around for a long time. We are also visible through Greenchoice, the parent company of KiesZon,” says Ton Kroef. “Greenchoice has a green image, so we joined out of a great sense of responsibility. Greenchoice has it in its DNA to focus on social and sustainable aspects of the energy transition. So it was actually a no-brainer, you have to do this, it is part of your business.”
What are the goals of the Agreement and why is it important to do this together?
According to Ton Kroef, joining the Agreement provides a degree of direction and control: “We focus on transparency, responsible production, the extraction of raw materials, the CO2 footprint and working conditions in the supply chain.” Wherever the products come from, they must be produced under good working conditions and in the most sustainable way possible. “With the Agreement, we make known what we as a purchasing party consider important. If you want to make it known individually, not much happens, so the collective must make the difference.”
What would you like to say to companies that have not yet joined?
“Join us, then you have a voice through the Agreement, that should be the reason to join.” Ton Kroef says that it is a long-term project, but that counterbalance is important. “You have to offer some counterbalance to your dependence on a country that controls the largest part of the production for our sector. We have to be heard, so that suppliers respect the rules of the game.” He concludes that, to really have an effect, more members have to join.
