It all started with a resourceful mindset
Sustainability has always been at the core of the Colruyt family. It all starts with a frugal, industrious, and caring mindset. “That’s how I’ve always known my family: being resourceful is our second nature,” explains Griet Aerts . “It’s about making things happen while pushing the needle in the right direction. To this day, I still remember my grandmother reusing the bath water to clean the house. It’s not just about avoiding unnecessary waste. It’s about seeking value and putting soul into every choice and action that we make.”
We want to support companies that make a meaningful difference to the world. Thanks to the 5-P philosophy, we can sharpen our focus on sustainability. It’s our guide in everything we do.” – Griet Aerts
From the reuse of bath water to the introduction of the first green tags in stores in the early 90s to help customers make environmentally friendly choices. Each time, the intention of the Colruyt family is to pave the way for others to also make sustainable and resourceful choices, with respect for people and the planet. What started as a careful and caring way of managing resources with minimal environmental impact grew out into a much bigger dream: to support and invest in other companies than Colruyt Group, to make sustainable ambitions and value-driven entrepreneurship a reality.
Investing with a strong vision for the future
“It’s about what you want to accomplish in the long term to create sustainable value. By building a healthy and thriving network of like-minded companies and entrepreneurs, we want to create prosperity that has a positive contribution on society in general.” – Dries Crevits
Dries is passionate: “What convinced me from the start was the strong commitment to a steady plan to make a difference in the world. Yes, you can argue that sustainability is in part an economic necessity. It’s also about making the best possible use of the resources you have. That means being constantly alert to new and promising opportunities. It’s not just a method, it’s a mindset. That’s what struck me when I first heard about the P-philosophy that forms the foundation of Korys. It’s about authentically and consistently investing in a sustainable way.”
The P-philosophy started with 3 the P’s: to create a positive impact for the benefit of the People, the Planet, and, of course, not to lose sight of Profit. “Early on in the process,” Dries explains, “the notion of Profit transformed into the ambition of Prosperity. For me, especially, this shift to prosperity was paramount. It’s about what you want to accomplish in the long term, so you can create value in a sustainable way. By building a healthy and thriving network of like-minded companies and entrepreneurs, we want to create prosperity that has an impact on society in general.”
Not soon after that, the two other P’s joined the Korys philosophy: Partnership and Peace. “There is no movement without a good partnership,” Griet continues. “We want to inspire others without shouting. We want to grow together. It’s about doing business in a constructive way, with respect for everyone.”
To invest is to dare
“At Korys, we want to make a crucial difference, drive change and push innovative solutions in the right direction. For me, it’s about finding purpose in the financial world. I don’t want to work in an abstract environment. I want to connect with reality and experience the impact of what I do.” – Dries Crevits
To invest is to dare. This pioneering attitude continues to shape Korys to this day. Dries explains: “We make a move before other banks or fundraisers are interested. That’s when you know you are going to make a crucial difference, driving change, and pushing innovative solutions in the right direction. You can see it in the choices we’ve made before, from supporting alternative proteins as early as 2016 to the first major investment in offshore wind power in 2009, to encouraging locally produced meal boxes in 2016.”
As time goes on, sustainability is gaining more attention in the business world. “Sustainability, it seems, is the only word people talk about these days. That wasn’t the case when Korys started,” says Dries, “we truly pioneered with this particular vision of investment.”
Griet points out: “It’s not about being trendy before it’s a trend, mind you. It’s more about realizing when there’s a real need for something. We want to be alert to the next possible solutions to scale. Based on this philosophy, we’ve developed a methodology, that most importantly, allows us to stay true to our intention. It must be said that not all business decisions are optimistic or easy. We always think about the long-term impact. It affects us as human beings.
Sustainability is not a checklist
Sustainability is not a checklist. For Korys, it will always be the spark that initiates everything. From kick-starting a partnership to committing ourselves to future change. It’s what drives our ambitions and unites our team and network. It moves us every day.” – Griet Aerts
So how is sustainability different for Korys than it sometimes is for other companies? “Sustainability should not be a checklist,” explains Griet. “It goes beyond metrics, scores, and screening. Of course, it’s a good sign that companies today are committed to sustainability. It’s good to have standards and benchmarks. But for us, it will always be the spark that initiates everything. From kick-starting a partnership to committing ourselves to future change. It’s what drives our ambitions and unites our network. It moves us every day.”
“This authentic drive, for me personally, started after the financial crisis in 2008,” says Dries. “It made me realize that the financial world needs a purpose. I don’t want to work in an abstract environment. I want to be connected to reality and experience the impact of what I do.” Griet has a similar motivation: “The world came into our home through my mother’s press photographs. Problems like hunger and people in need became visible and tangible. I always looked up to female role models and aspired, very early on as a child, to make a difference.”
Transforming the future together
Transforming the future is an ongoing process. Griet explains the ambitions: “We want to continue to inspire people and companies not only to consistently choose for a sustainable path, but also to be fearless and courageous in taking a pioneering position in a field.”
Dries agrees: “It’s always about interacting with what is happening in the world today: being on top of new scientific breakthroughs and supporting new insights that have a positive impact on our consumer life, our health and our energy transition.”
Let us move together towards a sustainable future.
