Boskalis

Stakeholder engagement 

Boskalis discloses an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities which covers nature, including biodiversity, and social issues. The company discloses how often and through which channels it engages with various stakeholder groups. The company discloses how its stakeholder engagement activities impact its sustainability strategy. 

Invasive species 

Boskalis identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species in its own operations. The company discloses that the discharge of ballast water could lead to the introduction of invasive alien species. 

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion and community impact area

Sustainability strategy and accountability 

Boskalis discloses its process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability impacts as well as the outcome of this process, in relation to its sustainability strategy. While the company discloses some sustainability targets such as GHG emissions and reports against progress, no evidence that the company has group wide targets on key sustainability topics for the most material parts of its value chain based on the SBTN Sectoral Materiality Tool could be found in the public domain.  

No evidence was found that Boskalis Westminster links performance criteria in senior executives’ remuneration policies to targets and objectives which cover nature, including biodiversity, and social issues. The company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics. 

Lobbying 

Boskalis does not report on its lobbying and advocacy practices on nature-related issues, nor whether these activities align with its sustainability strategy. 

Impact and dependencies assessment 

While Boskalis discloses its biodiversity framework and the main biodiversity pressures, it is unclear with the process and methodology of the identification and assessment of its impact on nature, including biodiversity, within its own operations. The company has not holistically assessed its impacts or how it depends on nature, including biodiversity. It has an opportunity to start such an assessment across its value chains, focused on quantification of its impacts or dependencies. 

Key areas and species 

Boskalis does not disclose key species or areas important for biodiversity affected by its operations or suppliers. It has an opportunity to increase its transparency. 

Ecosystem conversion and restoration 

While Boskalis discloses its ambition to prevent negative impacts on marine life and to protect coastal ecosystems, this does not translate to a commitment to ensure zero conversion across its relevant high-risk commodities or across all material realms. The company does not disclose activities or time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose a commitment or activities to minimise ecosystem conversion.  

Boskalis does not disclose a commitment to restore ecosystems. While the company discloses as part of its services’ portfolio its Artificial Reefs Program, no evidence that the company is doing a continuous effort towards restoring land impacted by its own operations could be found in the public domain. 

Resource exploitation and circularity 

No evidence was found regarding Boskalis’ efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. While the company’s materiality matrix includes sand and soil availability, no qualitative evidence that the company improves soil health and/or increases agrobiodiversity in its production and/or sourcing practices could be found in the public domain.  The company does not disclose a target to improve soil health in its production or sourcing practices. 

Water 

Boskalis does not disclose relevant information related to water, in its operations or supply chains.  

Solid and air pollution 

Boskalis Westminster does not disclose relevant information related to pollution in its operations or supply chains.  

GHG emissions 

No evidence that Boskalis reduces its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions compared to the previous year. While the company sets a target to achieve scope 1 and 2 net zero by 2050, no evidence that the target is aligned with 1.5°C trajectory and that the company reports progress against the target.  

Boskalis does not disclose any scope 3 emissions, nor has it set a time-bound reduction target. 

Invasive species 

No evidence was found that Boskalis identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of IAS in its value chain. 

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment

While Boskalis respect the rights of the communities, this does not translate to a commitment to respect the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. No evidence that the company tracks its actual or potential negative impacts on the health of local communities was found. The company is not committed to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders. 

Indigenous peoples’ and land rights 

Boskalis Westminster does not disclose a commitment to respecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights or land rights of local communities. 

While Boskalis indicates that it seeks to identify adverse impacts related to human rights, minimize or mitigate them, it has an opportunity to specify that it conducts human rights due diligence that includes a process for identifying human rights risks and impacts through its business relationships. The company has an opportunity to describe a process for assessing the human rights risks it has identified and to disclose what it considers to be its salient human rights issues. A description of this process would include how relevant factors are considered, such as geographical, economic and social factors. No evidence was found that the company has a global system to act on its salient human rights issues.

While Boskalis discloses the categories of stakeholders it engages with generally on sustainability issues, it is not clear if these stakeholders are those whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities. No evidence that the company provides examples of its engagement with stakeholders whose human rights have been or may be affected by its activities was found.

There is no evidence that Boskalis has a publicly available policy statement committing it to respect the health and safety of workers. While the company indicates that it pays a living wage that covers workers and their family’s basic needs in their home country, it has an opportunity to disclose a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage. No evidence that the company describes how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates was found. While the company states that it expects its suppliers to pay wages that are sufficient for workers and their families to fulfil their basic needs, it has an opportunity to disclose how it works to support the payment of a living wage by its suppliers.

Boskalis discloses the proportion of its total direct operations workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements. While the company states that it encourages its suppliers to respect employees’ right to freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, it has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to those.

Boskalis discloses a global tax strategy. No evidence that the company describes the process for identifying its bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations was found. The company includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with direct business relationships. No evidence that the company has a publicly available policy statement or policy setting out its lobbying and political engagement approach was found. The company specifies that it does not make political contributions.