Arcadis is committed to the principles of good governance: integrity, transparency, accountability and proper supervision. We apply the Dutch Corporate Governance Code since it was first introduced in 2003, with few deviations.
On 20 December 2022, the Dutch Corporate Governance Committee (the ‘Committee’) presented a revised Corporate Governance Code with an increased focus on sustainability, diversity and inclusion. During 2023, Arcadis implemented the changes resulting from the new Code.
After the publication of the new Code on 20 December 2022, representatives from, inter alia, the legal, people, investor relations, sustainability, internal audit, and risk management functions reviewed and assessed the updated principles and best practice provisions of the Code and their implications for Arcadis. During 2023, changes required based on the new Code were implemented: company policies, governance documents and processes were developed and/or updated to align with the new Code. For example, a company-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) policy was introduced and existing EB and SB Diversity and Inclusion policies were aligned with the new Code; and a new Stakeholder Engagement Policy on Sustainable Topics was developed.
In line with the Committee’s recommendation, Arcadis will include compliance with the new Code as a separate item on the agenda of the General Meeting of Shareholders (the ‘General Meeting’) in 2024.
An overview of the corporate governance structure of Arcadis and an explanation of its sole deviation from the principles and best practices of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code is provided on the page 'Compliance with Dutch Corporate Governance Code’.