About DNS Belgium and this report

Our mission is to operationally and administratively manage the domain name zones for .be, .vlaanderen and .brussels, focusing on quality and security. We make the Internet more accessible by acting as an intermediary for all possible online providers at a national and international level and we encourage the use of the internet through domain names.

We ensure that the domain name zones we manage are constantly available worldwide by guaranteeing that the name servers are permanently accessible. Our general annual report tells you which countries our domain names are registered in. We prioritise the security and quality of domain name use and by extension the Internet in everything we do. And in so doing, we seek to strengthen consumer confidence in digital society. In addition to quality, safety and security, sustainability is central to the work of DNS Belgium.

For more information about our core activities, please see our general annual report for 2022 and our financial annual report. For more information about the structure of the organisation, corporate governance, values and directors, please see our corporate website. With regard to the composition of the governing body, no conflicts of interest were identified. 

Reporting Standard

DNS Belgium VZW has reported in accordance with the GRI Standards for the period from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. It was opted to use the GRI Standard 2021. The GRI content index can be found here below.

External assurance

This sustainability report is not externally assured. However, it was verified internally and internal experts made recommendations that were followed.

This CSR Annual Report and the Annual Financial Report are not consolidated into one report. The process for preparing the annual CSR report and the annual financial report is not simultaneous because they highlight different aspects of the organisation and require different data and information. The auditors’ audit report was submitted on 15th May 2023 by the company auditors. The report was approved by the general meeting on 28th June 2023 and published on September 1st 2023.

On the website, you will find the annual reports from past years and our strategy for the years ahead. The 2022 financial report also includes the company auditors’ report. DNS Belgium’s consolidated financial statements for 2022 include the sole entity of DNS Belgium, providing a complete overview of our activities and performance. The financial report is validated externally each year by the company auditors. The sustainability report is not validated externally.

No breaches of environmental, social or labour laws were identified in 2022. There were no reservations in the auditors’ report either. We have had a due diligence strategy in place for domain names since 2023. See the link for details. No reports of human rights violations were received for 2022.

Governance

The sustainability strategy was approved by the governing body in 2016. They also set the ambition level at five out of five. The Chief Executive Officer and the Sustainability Manager were charged with implementing the strategy. The governing body was actively involved in the creation of this strategy and the identification of its material topics, which contributed to its wide acceptance and implementation.

To ensure that DNS Belgium’s sustainability targets are met, the Sustainability Manager sets an annual budget. This budget was 365,590 euro for 2022. The budget is prepared each year and guided by a budget book with the annual action plans. The governing body approves this budget and plans, providing a clear financial basis and direction for sustainability initiatives.

The Sustainability Manager keeps the governing body informed monthly by way of the monthly report. This is to ensure transparency and accountability. This report details the previous month’s performance and results, including progress made towards sustainability targets. It also compiles the annual sustainability report. The governing body receives the sustainability report and can provide feedback on it. Responsibility for reviewing and approving the reported information was delegated to the sustainability manager.

We conduct an annual risk assessment on the entire company. Our Risk Assessment approach is based on ISO 31000. Responsibility for the procedure lies with the Information Security Officer and is approved by the Managing Director. Our sustainability risks are included in this risk assessment.

In addition, two KPIs have been defined for sustainability within DNS Belgium’s corporate balanced scorecard. These KPIs are actively reported to the governing body, giving them insight, on a regular basis, into DNS Belgium’s progress in sustainability performance. These two KPIs are:

• Sustainable organisation: To undertake 10 successful programmes every year (a minimum of one for each “P”: Planet, Peace, People, Prosperity, Partnerships). For 2022, the score was 13.
• To reduce the impact of CO2 and offset actual emissions. The absolute limit for CO2 emissions is 180 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. The figure for 2022 was 131 tons, which is offset. For details, see this article: www.dnsbelgium.be/en/news/our-carbon-footprint-2022

Communication about current or possible negative impacts

DNS Belgium values transparent communication about its impact with stakeholders very highly. If anyone is negatively impacted by our activities or business relationships, this can be reported via e-mail to legal@dnsbelgium.be. There were no negative reports in 2022.