Our journey to becoming carbon positive
Moving beyond carbon neutrality to become carbon positive. How tèn company is walking the talk on sustainability and what other organizations can learn from the journey.
We didn't start with a sustainability strategy. We started with a question.
Key takeaways
- You don't need a perfect sustainability strategy to start—just a clear question about how your business can give more back to the planet than it takes, and the courage to act on it.
- Leaders, every step matters: from installing solar panels to closing your gas connection, each concrete action compounds your positive impact and demonstrates your values to your team and stakeholders.
- You won't reach carbon positivity overnight, but by systematically addressing energy, mobility, and unavoidable emissions, you create a resilient, future-proof business that stands for more than profit alone.
Could we work — and live — in a way that gives more back to the planet than we take? Could we do it in a way that is responsible with the economics of our business, and still do it with some urgency?
That quiet question has since become a guiding principle for both our business and personal lives. Our journey to becoming carbon positive — where our total impact is net-beneficial to the climate — is not yet complete. But we've made steady progress, step by step.
Step 1: Solar power (2005 and 2013)
Twenty years ago, we installed our first 14 solar panels on the roof of our office and home. It was our first tangible step — clean energy flowing directly into our daily operations and lifestyle. Eight years ago, we added another 9 panels. It made financial sense, yes. But that wasn't the only driver.
Step 2: A green roof (2016)
We wanted more than energy generation. We wanted our building itself to breathe. Our green roof regulates temperature, retains rainwater, and adds biodiversity. It's a living symbol of our values — not just better insulation, but a piece of nature brought back into our everyday view.
Step 3: All-electric mobility (2023)
In 2023, we said goodbye to fossil fuel-powered driving. We switched to fully electric vehicles and installed a smart charger. We now drive on energy generated from our own roof. Cleaner, quieter, better.
Step 4: Closing the gas connection (2025)
Since spring 2025, we heat our offices entirely with an air-to-water heat pump. Our gas connection has been closed. We are no longer dependent on natural gas from Groningen, Russian pipelines, or LNG shipped across oceans from the USA or Qatar. That decision brings peace of mind — not just for the climate, but for our autonomy and conscience.
Step 5: Compensating what we can't yet avoid
We still fly. We travel. We work. We live. And we're not perfect. That's why we've committed to offsetting the CO2 emissions from our flights through credible projects — not because it erases the impact, but because it reflects our intent: to take responsibility, even when perfection isn't yet practical. Europe's fast train network is developing rapidly, and we follow that with interest. For now, compensating our flights is the most responsible option available to us. And it is, by the way, very affordable.
More than a checklist
This journey has taught us something important: not everything needs to deliver an immediate economic return. We don't look only through an economic lens when making these decisions. Some investments are for the longer run — for our children, and the generations that follow. We take a holistic view. We ask ourselves: is this the right thing to do? Will this help build a better future? Can we inspire others by leading through action?
Becoming carbon positive is not only about numbers. It's about values. About taking ownership. About showing that small steps, repeated with intention, lead to real change.
We believe in progress, not perfection. If our journey can encourage just one more business to take that first step — then our handprint becomes even larger than our footprint.
We're not done yet. But we're moving forward.
We'd love to hear your stories and challenges. We don't have all the answers — we're on this journey together.
Over to you.
PS — Stay the course. In a world where political winds shift and climate policies swing from progressive to regressive, it's easy to lose focus. We're not in politics — we're in business. Leadership, for us, means staying committed to long-term impact regardless of who's in office. The climate doesn't wait for consensus. Businesses that reduce their footprint now are not only doing the right thing — they're building resilience and earning trust for the decades ahead.
Over to you.