AUTOMATIC SYSTEMS’ MERCATOR SITE IN WAVRE AWARDED THE NATURE NETWORK ENTREPRISES LABEL

The Nature Network : a Natagora project

Natagora aims to protect nature by preventing its deterioration and enabling biodiversity to regenerate and live in harmoniously with human activities.

When awarding the Nature Network Label, Natagora refers to their established charter to rigorously assess candidate companies’ ecological practices and their impact on the environment.

This charter includes the following five commitments, presented by Natagora :

– “Renounce the use of chemical pesticides

– Preserve natural environments and not to develop human activities that lead to their destruction

– Favour local indigenous plants that exist in the wild

– Encourage the spontaneity and diversity of wildlife

– Combat invasive species”.

Concrete initiatives for the environment

At AUTOMATIC SYTEMS, we firmly believe in the importance of protecting and promoting local biodiversity. Our Wavre manufacturing site, now recognised by the Nature Network Entreprises label, is a concrete example of our commitment.

Despite the minimal amount of green spaces at this location, each has been developed to encourage biodiversity, thanks to the support offered by Natagora.

Divided into several phases (meeting and inventory, management plan development, charter signature and implementation of the improvements, follow-up visits), this 2-year plan enabled AUTOMATIC SYTEMS to successfully implement several ecological initiatives making the Mercator site more welcoming for the local flora and fauna.

Here are some of the initiatives:

• Converting the lawns into flowering meadows
• Replacing cultured flowerbeds with native hedges and flowers
• Managing invasive exotic species
• Stopping the use of chemical pesticides
• …

Two years after the implementation of these new practices, Automatic Systems’ Mercator staff now enjoys a parking area and walkways beautifully enhanced with flora and fauna local to the Belgian Brabant landscape.

The Natagora teams praised AUTOMATIC SYTEMS staff’s efforts and the new look of the site’s green spaces.

A long-term commitment

Receiving the Nature Network Entreprises label is an important step in AUTOMATIC SYTEMS’ approach to social responsibility. We are determined to continue along this path and to strengthen our long-term actions protecting the environment.

This label motivates us to go even further in our ecological initiatives and we hope to inspire other companies to follow our example starting with our Lavoisier site, also in Wavre, Belgium, and then rolling out to our other subsidiaries worldwide.

We thank Natagora for this recognition and all our employees for their involvement in this project. AUTOMATIC SYTEMS will continue working to implement environmentally-friendly site maintenance practices and to promote biodiversity around each of its manufacturing facilities.