Over the past months, we’ve seen how quickly the ESG landscape continues to evolve. Globally and within KUBO, we’re making progress, sometimes in small steps and sometimes in meaningful leaps. All of it brings us closer to our shared ambition: contributing to a future-proof, responsible, and resilient sector.
In this update, I’d like to personally walk you through the latest developments that stood out to me, and what they mean for our work together.
One of the most noticeable trends is the rising societal awareness around climate change. Even though geopolitical tensions often shift attention elsewhere, we still see a stronger social norm emerging: sustainability is no longer a “nice-to-have” but an integral part of responsible business operations.
A clear example of this is the rapid increase in Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments, a global rise of 97% compared to last year. That’s a remarkable signal that we are part of a much broader movement pushing for real, measurable CO2 reduction.
The European Union continues to accelerate its climate agenda. In 2024 and 2025, several new laws have been adopted to support the shift toward a circular economy, from nature restoration to the right to repair.
At the same time, the EU is investing €250 billion in greening the industrial sector, with a focus on green hydrogen and battery technology. These developments will increasingly shape the expectations placed on companies, including ours.
In the energy landscape, we’re seeing progress worth highlighting. Such as the Dutch solar capacity that has grown to 10.7 GWp, with a clear pathway to reach 50 GWp by 2030.
Worldwide, solar panel production continues its upward trajectory, up 33% in the spring of 2025 alone. It’s often called the “silent revolution,” but in truth it’s the largest energy transition ever achieved.
Renewable energy now accounts for 14% of primary energy consumption in the Netherlands, and this share is rising steadily. This shift directly influences the conversations we have around electrification, energy demand, and grid constraints.
The Netherlands remains on track for a 55% emission reduction by 2035, and Europe as a whole reduced CO2 emissions by another 2.5% in 2025. These numbers may seem incremental, but every percentage point matters. Especially in a global context where total emissions are still increasing in many regions.
A noteworthy milestone: China, long seen as the world’s largest emitter, appears to have passed its peak emissions. This is a historic turning point with major implications for global trajectories.
Cities are also playing an increasingly crucial role. Urban areas face challenges such as heat stress, air pollution, and limited green space. But they are also hubs for innovation. Paris is a good example: in the past 15 years, the city has managed to halve its air pollution.
In the Netherlands, €8 billion has been made available through the SDE++ scheme in 2025, with subsidies reaching up to €400 per ton of CO2. These mechanisms help accelerate sustainable investments, but they also require us to carefully consider where opportunities align with long-term feasibility.
Internally, we’ve also taken solid steps. Together with Holtara, we completed the KUBO Carbon & ESG Report 2024.
Thanks to the collaboration of many teams, we collected and processed all relevant data from 2024. A substantial effort that resulted in valuable insights and concrete transition proposals.
This report helps us understand where we stand today, what’s working well, and where our biggest opportunities for impact lie.
During the celebration weekend of KUBO’s 80-year anniversary, we had the chance to reflect on who we are as a company and as colleagues. It felt especially meaningful to present the management team with a sustainable collective gift:
Initiatives like these reflect the heart of ESG: taking joint responsibility and contributing to something that reaches far beyond our daily work.
Although the final reporting requirements are still being refined, we have already completed a large part of our preparation. Together with the Marketing team, we’re exploring how to communicate our sustainability report in a transparent and accessible way.
We’re advancing well across the strategy’s subprojects. Several of the defined KPIs will be published externally on our website and in our sustainability report. This requires absolute precision, as transparency must go hand in hand with reliable data.
Customer expectations around supply chain transparency are growing rapidly. We increasingly receive requests for detailed information: product specifications, supplier data and material origins.
To meet these expectations consistently, we will likely need to start a new initiative focused on material traceability. This also presents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with suppliers and enhance the resilience of our value chain.
If you have questions, ideas, or if you’d like to dive deeper into any of these topics, please don’t hesitate to stop by. ESG is something we can only shape together and your perspective is an important part of that journey.