Ronald Lazet

Ronald Lazet is responsible for making ING’s offices more sustainable. “Our scope is broad; there is a huge amount that can be done in the context of sustainability. And yes, that calls for a lot of changes and it costs money, but at ING we’re convinced that we can – and must – make an impact, both as a major employer and in view of our role in society. Therefore, sustainability has a central role in ING’s vision.”

As ING is increasingly becoming a digital bank, the network of branches has already been considerably reduced. There are now approximately 80 locations remaining, and they are all being upgraded to energy label A as far as possible. “We want our branches to make a positive contribution to the local living environment, so we’re making them as energy-efficient as possible. Our aim is to achieve zero energy loss. We’re also using sustainable materials; all the wood in our offices is 100% FSC-certified. Needless to say, we also use renewable energy. For example, some of our electricity comes from solar panels on the roofs,” says Ronald.

Flagship

The Cedar building on Bijlmerdreef in Amsterdam is one of ING’s flagship locations when it comes to sustainability. The building, which opened in 2020, has the highest possible international BREEAM rating (5 stars). “This building ticks a lot of boxes – from the insulation, the amount of natural light, the solar panels on the roof and the extra energy from our solar panel field in Diemen, to the sorting of waste for recycling and the water-saving plumbing. Moreover, 39% of the concrete used to build Cedar was recycled concrete from the building that stood here before.”

And those are by no means the only sustainability-related aspects at Cedar. “The outdoor situation is also considered in the rating. One advantage is the close vicinity of the building to the train station, because it encourages the use of public transport. We also have lots of facilities for electric cars. Plus in front of the building we’ve created a public park where we’ve installed nesting boxes and insect hotels to contribute to biodiversity. And during dry periods, the park watering system uses rainwater collected in our own storage tank.”

Not resting on our laurels

“Even though we are doing so well, that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels. BREEAM raises the bar for sustainability every year. We want to have at least a 3-star rating everywhere, and you have to keep doing more to maintain that level.”

Grand ambitions

“We have grand ambitions. We want to achieve the BENG certificate for near-energy-neutrality for all our buildings by 2030, which is 20 years earlier than the government’s target. This means transitioning our branches from gas to heat pumps as much as possible and installing solar panels on the roofs and facades. We are also creating ‘green roofs’ wherever possible, which provide good insulation, stimulate biodiversity and also enhance the visual appeal of the environment.”

Even more attention to circularity

“When rolling out the new concept for our branches around the country, we’re taking an integral approach. We not only consider the interior design and furnishings, but also future maintenance and how things like insulation and disconnecting them from the gas supply can help to achieve a higher energy label rating. In my view, we can never pay enough attention to circularity: it’s fine to want designer chairs, but how can we reuse them when they are written off? Sustainability requires a continuous process of thinking and acting, and for me it’s the most interesting type of work there is.”