Never without… my sampling kit!

Gardening brings Kristof inner peace. His garden is brimming with local plant varieties. He is also committed to nature in his job. As a Sustainability employee, he helps to create green areas, among other things, and takes soil samples with a sampling kit.

‘Nature and beautiful landscapes have always fascinated me. I was less concerned with ecology when I was young. My time and energy were mainly spent on playing football and tennis. When choosing my studies, however, I opted for precision engineering techniques. In evening school I took a course in electromechanics. That’s how I ended up at Elia.’

‘I started in 2002 at MAC Substation, which was then still called ‘Sterkstroom’. There I maintained the high-voltage equipment and checked the substations for defects. In 2004 my temporary contract expired. Elia was not hiring at the time, so I couldn’t stay. Fortunately, I found a job at Umicore Olen.’

‘After a few years, I got a phone call. Would I like to work at Elia again? I didn’t hesitate for long. The job offer here is very varied, and I have fantastic colleagues. This time I was offered a job as a line patrol at Linear Assets & Structures in Stalen. An internal vacancy that caught my attention, and I ended up in my current job: Sustainability employee at the Environment-North department.’

‘All questions and complaints about the environment that arise on Flemish territory come to our department. Some things I solve myself, others I pass on to the right people. The environment is a very broad domain, ranging from soil or water pollution to noise pollution and electromagnetic fields. The versatility of the job really appeals to me.

‘One day I’m dealing with complaints about the humming or crackling noise of a high-voltage line. I then go on site to see if the noise exceeds the legal standards. If that is the case – which is rarely the case – we work with Assets to find out what the problem is. Being compliant with the legislation is an important ActNow objective and crucial for our stakeholder management. Other days I deal with the electromagnetic fields under the lines. In case of questions or complaints, I or an external expert will carry out measurements and we will draw up a report. Actually, we are always within the legal standards. However, the most important work is not the measurement itself, but to remove people’s concerns as best as possible.’

‘In addition to solving questions and complaints, I also help to realise green areas: green zones that make our posts blend better into their surroundings and promote biodiversity. That, too, is part of the ActNow program. In fact, I am currently following a course in Ecological Garden and Landscape Design in order to develop more internal expertise and to be able to respond even better to the environmental challenges that Elia faces.

And when oil has leaked into the ground from a transformer, I make sure that enough contaminated soil is excavated. To make sure that’s the case, I take samples and then have them analysed by a soil expert.’

‘I like to get my hands in the dirt. At home too. Gardening gives me a lot of peace. It helps me clear my head. Working in nature also gives me energy. Since I became a Sustainability employee, my ecological awareness has grown considerably. For example, I put a veggie meal on the menu twice a week and I use public transport or the electric bike as much as possible. There are now also solar panels on the roof of my house.’

‘Our resources are limited. It is high time we became aware of this. I therefore strongly advise everyone at Elia to follow a Climate Fresk. The workshop will show you what the consequences are if we continue to consume as we do now. Our CO2 footprint is far too large. If we want to achieve the 2050 climate target, we can only emit 2 tonnes of CO2 per person. In Belgium, almost all of us are above that.’

‘To reach that 2 tonnes, we have to change our mindset enormously. We will never be able to convince everyone. We will probably never reach about 10 or 20%. But if you get 20% on board, most others will follow. And then the tanker has already turned around to a large extent!’