From good intentions to hard evidence: how Attentia professionalized its sustainability policy
About Attentia
Attentia is a Belgian HR service provider headquartered in Ghent. The company offers payroll administration (social secretariat), prevention and protection at work, HR consulting, and wellbeing services. With over 850 employees and 40 offices across Belgium, Attentia is one of the larger players in the sector. Its baseline, "Feeling good works great," sums up what the company stands for: strong organizations are built on the wellbeing of their employees. This conviction also guides Attentia's approach to sustainability.
About this project
Attentia × Mantis Consulting
Its own corporate forest, BREEAM-certified offices, and a vehicle fleet going green. Attentia wasn't idle, but it lacked emission figures, structured reporting, and a cohesive environmental policy. When major clients started asking for transparent sustainability data, scores, and certifications, this was no longer workable.
Attentia, one of Belgium's largest HR service providers, brought in Mantis as an external sustainability coordinator to professionalize its sustainability approach: from EcoVadis certification to carbon accounting.
The Challenge
Much was already happening, but little was documented. No emission figures, no professional reporting, and an outdated EcoVadis score.
The Solution
Mantis as a sustainability partner: EcoVadis, assessments such as the Supplier Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), carbon footprint, and policy support.
Our approach
Surfacing what was already there, documenting what was missing, and gradually raising the bar. Internally and externally as one sustainability team.
The result
Bronze EcoVadis medal, SAQ score from 50 to 71, a structured sustainability policy, and a team that can now quickly answer client questions.
The challenge
Many initiatives underway, but little documented
Attentia had the right instincts, but no system. CO₂ emissions were not recorded anywhere. Initiatives were not translated into measurable objectives. Every client request meant searching, gathering and improvising all over again.
Growing client pressure
As an HR service provider, Attentia serves many large companies in industry, retail, and automotive. These clients already report on their entire supply chain and expect the same from suppliers. The questions range from relatively simple (“what were your emissions last year?”) to very extensive: full sustainability assessments as part of a tender. A first attempt to complete an EcoVadis questionnaire without external help yielded a disappointing result. The SAQ, Drive Sustainability's assessment for the automotive sector, scored only 50 out of 100 on its first submission.
“In the past, it was enough to just do things. Now you also have to substantiate it, quantify it, and have it validated by external parties.”
The solution
Sustainability Coordination with three pillars
After talking with several parties, Attentia chose Mantis. Not because of a fundamentally different proposal, but because of how they work: pragmatic, honest, and tailored to the company's reality.
EcoVadis pushes organizations to document, measure, and improve on specific themes. For Attentia, it became the backbone of its sustainability policy.
From sector-specific questionnaires (including the SAQ for the automotive sector) to ad-hoc client requests: responding accurately and quickly with the right documents.
A carbon footprint for Scope 1 and 2, combined with a clear policy on sustainable procurement, environmental, and social goals.
“The difference with other consulting firms is their style. Very pragmatic, responsive, highly accessible. If they think something isn't the right time for us yet, they'll say so.”
The results
What is the CO2 Performance Ladder?
- Team spiritCollaborating on meaningful projects
- Continuous learningStaying ahead in an evolving field.
- Career progressionMore expertise, more responsibility.
of experience
courses
who support you
projects
Our approach
One role, two dedicated people
Attentia deliberately chose not to appoint an internal sustainability manager. Coordination sits with communications, not operations. That makes sense: customer questions about sustainability come in through sales and marketing, and they touch on how Attentia positions itself in the market. In practice, an internal lead at Attentia and a Mantis consultant fill the role together. One knows the company, its values, and its internal stakeholders. The other brings the technical expertise and knowledge of frameworks and regulations.
Specifically:
Many initiatives already existed but stayed invisible due to a lack of documentation. The first step was to take inventory: what is Attentia already doing? What data is available? And how do we translate that into what EcoVadis, the SAQ, and clients need?
Drafting operational policies, approved by management, covering sustainable procurement, supplier policies, and quantified targets for HR topics such as wellbeing and absenteeism. This ensures sustainability moves beyond good intentions and becomes part of policy.
A questionnaire comes in? Quick check, fill it out together, submit. Attentia doesn't have to reinvent the wheel every time
Year one: getting the basics in order. Year two: building further. This approach helps to create internal support and justify the budget.
“In many companies, what we do together would fall under one sustainability manager. We don't have one internally. But together, it works very well.”
The results
EcoVadis Bronze, SAQ from 50 to 71, and control over client inquiries
EcoVadis Bronze. After an outdated score from 2013, Attentia earned a Bronze EcoVadis medal in its first assesment with Mantis. Not the ultimate goal, but a solid step forward.
SAQ score: from 50 to 71. The SAQ score, Drive Sustainability's sustainability assessment for the automotive sector, increased significantly. The strongest improvements were in environment and health & safety.
Answering client questions in hours, not weeks. Standardized documents, an updated company presentation, information on the intranet, sales teams kept in the loop. The team now responds quickly, with the right figures.
Formal policy, approved by management. Sustainability is embedded in policy documents: from sustainable procurement to quantified HR targets. Approved by management.
Internal awareness is growing. Colleagues know who to turn to. Internal communications links campaigns to sustainability goals. And spontaneous initiatives are already popping up here and there.
"In the past, when a client request came in, we almost panicked. Now we have documents, reports, and information ready. That gives us a bit of peace of mind."
NEXT STEPS
First Scope 1 and 2, then the rest
This year, Attentia will finalize its carbon footprint for Scope 1 and 2, and publish its first external sustainability report, prepared according to the VSME standard. Scope 3 will follow next year. Further out, external validation through SBTi is on the radar. Mantis stays on as a sparring partner, contributing ideas and bringing technical depth.
“We want to match the market and our competitors. And then we want to set ourselves apart.”
Also read Attentia's client story:
“We are not a production company, but our clients do expect the same transparency” →
Making your services future-proof?
You don't have to be a manufacturer to face sustainability questions from clients. More and more companies in consultancy, facility management, IT, and logistics are noticing that clients expect transparency, even from their service providers.
As a service provider, are you also getting more sustainability questions you can't answer right away?
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