Robbert Wilmink and Sana Amari, Holland Solar member Natec: "As a wholesaler, we are the link between the origin of our material and its destination."

Upcoming legislation is not only the only reason for Natec to join the Renewable Energy Agreement. “There is a real intrinsic motivation within Natec to ensure that the energy transition takes place in a fair way. People quickly think that you are doing a good thing for the environment when it comes to solar panels, but it should not be the case that you are implementing green energy here, while there is enormous pollution at the other end of the supply chain.” So the goal is not to move the pollution to another place in the supply chain. And, as Robbert Wilmink indicates, cooperation is very important, because with multiple parties together you have more influence.

How is the Agreement linked to your work?

“If you keep an eye on the news, you will come across quite a bit of information about the supply chain and that there is a chance that this does not always go in a desirable way. Our right to exist depends on solar panels, so that is something that affects us directly,” says Robbert (CSR/ESG coordinator at Natec). “As an important link in the supply chain of solar energy, we strive to work ethically responsible. This starts with making the supply chain transparent.” He indicates that it is important for them to know how it is structured. A supply chain is very broad and the further back you go to the source of the raw materials, the more opaque the origin and the environmental and social conditions linked to it become. “As a wholesaler, you are the link between where it comes from and where it goes, as the centre of that supply chain it is important to make that as clear as possible.”
“If you try to make the supply chain transparent as a single party, it will be quite a challenge. Through the Agreement we try to join forces with other parties to gain more insight into the supply chain and to find out what is really going on. In this way, we also convey a message to our suppliers. These are values that we consider to be of great importance and we believe that our suppliers should also adhere to them. In this way, we try to gain more control.” Companies that purchase from wholesalers such as Natec also find it increasingly important to know where the products they buy come from, partially due to increasingly strict legislation and regulations.

How can you join the Renewable Energy Agreement?

"Natec already set itself a goal to make the supply chain transparent, so it was decided to seek cooperation via Holland Solar to see how other parties tackle this. We started to orient ourselves within the IRBC working group of Holland Solar and there we came into contact with other companies that were already further along in this subject or had just started with it. That's how we ended up at the SER," says Sana Amari. After a number of exploratory discussions about what Natec was up against and what it needed, it was decided that they would join if the Agreement were to come into effect. When the time came, they were the first wholesaler to join.

Why is it so important that other wholesalers join as well?

“As a wholesaler, you are the connecting link between suppliers outside Europe and installers. If all those direct links with the supplier unite, then the voice and urgency of our message becomes a lot stronger. If enough wholesalers say that these standards and values are important to them, then it automatically becomes important for suppliers to change their practices,” says Sana Amari.

What are the benefits of joining the Renewable Energy Agreement?

The most important reason according to Robbert Wilmink is the exchange of knowledge. “This topic is new for many companies within the sector, also within Europe, because legislation is quite recent and is only now being gradually implemented. It is also becoming increasingly important for smaller companies. Everyone is still looking for how to tackle this. So the most important thing is to exchange knowledge with those who are leading the way.” But the Agreement also develops all kinds of useful tools that you can use as a company, for example a ‘due diligence maturity assessment’, a way to see how far you have progressed as a company in taking steps in the field of due diligence. This results in a score and is followed by one-on-one support from the SER. “So you are supported by people who know what they are doing and whose daily work is to deal with all the changes in legislation and regulations, but also know what is happening in the sector. They help you to determine the next steps to improve this, and a concrete action plan is provided. “There are also a lot of templates available on how to properly manage your procurement, all kinds of policy templates that you can implement within your company, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” Sana Amari adds. “When companies complete the questionnaire, they also look at the overlaps between the companies and help to identify opportunities for partnerships.”

What would you say to companies that have not yet joined?

“Join us and work together on a transparent and sustainable supply chain. It is a very accessible way to quickly make improvements within your own company in the field of sustainability, including through the tools and templates that you can use and through the network of other parties that are also joining the Agreement. It is a very open way to share knowledge and information with each other. No competition-sensitive information, but purely to get improvements in the sector going," Robbert Wilmink concludes.