Sustainable development objectives at Eubelius

Sustainable development objectives at Eubelius

The importance of corporate social responsibility is well established at Eubelius. Since 2010 we have been making serious efforts to develop our policy on corporate social responsibility. Everyone in the firm, both employees and attorneys, is involved in this process.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals inspires us to develop this policy further, by supporting all kinds of initiatives both within the firm and beyond.

Good health and well-being (SDG 3)

A healthy, pleasant working environment is very important to us at Eubelius: the well-being of our people is our highest priority. We promote healthy nutrition and physical exercise. Here are a few examples:

  • organic soup every Wednesday;
  • a basket of fresh local fruit is provided twice a week on each floor;
  • other fair trade or local products; and
  • a team from Eubelius takes part in the Tournée Minérale.

We also encourage regular breaks for physical exercise during the working day (yoga sessions at lunchtime, advanced running and gym facilities sponsored by Eubelius).

Our Eubelians have opportunities to participate in a number of sporting events free of charge, including runs (Antwerp 10 miles & Marathon, the Legal Run, the Brussels 20 km run and the “Bruggenloop” (Bridges Run) in Kortrijk), cycling (Eubelius Cycling Challenge) and football (Fighting Blue & Blue Flames). Each year Eubelius also organises a short ski trip, in which up to 80 employees take part.

Eubelius organises blood donation sessions and Heart Rhythm Week, supports Think Pink (breast cancer prevention) and gives its employees opportunities to be vaccinated against influenza.

Cultural diversity (SDGs 5 and 10)

As well as promoting health and well-being, Eubelius strongly believes in promoting gender equality and diversity within the firm.

Every year, two Eubelians participate in WILL (Women in Law and Leadership), a programme cycle intended to promote and support career development for talented women. Eubelius also participates actively in the International Women Leadership Programme (IWLP), a similar international initiative.

Eubelius is one of the founding members of the LDIA (Legal Diversity & Inclusion Alliance), the initiative that aims to promote gender equality and diversity in the legal profession. We regularly welcome people with a disability and we implemented a policy that work well for young parents.

Climate action (SDGs 7 and 13)

Eubelius cares about the environment and is aware of the environmental impact of its activities. We engage in a number of activities and initiatives to support our natural environment.

We promote the use of bicycles and public transport. Our firm has a number of electric bicycles for journeys within Brussels and a secure bicycle parking facility, and makes electric charging points available. We also make efforts to increase awareness of energy consumption and avoidance of waste. Environmental performance is taken into account when selecting all our printers and photocopiers. We also encourage our attorneys and employees to use the equipment responsibly. We are improving the general energy efficiency of our buildings.

In 2022 Eubelius achieved a second star for Ecodynamic Enterprise label.

Sustainability within our community (SDGs 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11 and 17)

Eubelius takes responsibility for the socio-cultural domain, and supports a number of organisations that are working to support the most vulnerable in society. We participate in “The Warmest Week” each year, which focuses on support for underprivileged people.

Over the last couple of years, we have also given our support to the following organisations:

In 2017 we supported an initiative by Rikolto (formerly known as Islands of Peace), which led to a partnership. Eubelius is therefore doing its bit to help local food development and sustainability in food.

Ladder’op is another organisation we enjoy working with. This association provides individually tailored educational support to underprivileged children in Dutch-speaking schools in the Brussels Capital Region. In 2018 we sponsored them during The Warmest Week, and in 2019 we also entered into a long-term collaboration with them.

In 2019 we raised funds through The Warmest Week for the YouthStart organisation. This association aims to help young people with difficulties to make their dreams a reality. Through an eight-day training course, young people are able to discover their talents and develop and present their own dream project.

We also work closely with ASATT (A Seat At The Table), an organisation that aims to help talented young people from different socio-economic backgrounds. Eubelius provides legal training and summer internships or student jobs to give them extra opportunities.

The cultural sector is currently struggling because of COVID-19. It is precisely for this reason that we are currently supporting:

Pro bono work (SDG 16)

The attorneys in our firm devote a considerable proportion of their time and expertise to legal cases in which they work on a pro bono basis.

We apply a number of criteria when accepting an organisation as a pro bono client:

  • Can we identify with the aims of the organisation and the way it seeks to realise those aims?
  • Does the legal assistance requested fall within the scope of our expertise, which is business law in the broadest sense?

Additional information about our CSR policy

Eubelius has published its second report on the implementation of its CSR policy and targets achieved during the 2018-2020 period. Read the report by clicking on this link. (Read the first report during the 2012-2017 period by clicking on this link.) 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact our CSR committee at csr@eubelius.com.