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LCL's sporting partners support sustainability
Mother Borlée taught sons respect for Mother Nature
Spurt bombs and twin brothers Jonathan and Kevin Borlée look confidently to the future. Sportingly, the athletes look ahead to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, as concerned citizens nurture hope for a more sustainable world. “That something must be done is beyond question. That’s why we believe in authenticity and initiatives that make a real difference. With our partnership with LCL, we endorse and support the data center company’s climate ambitions.”
Small gestures sometimes show great respect. Jonathan and Kevin Borlée were instilled with reverence for nature. Jonathan Borlée: “Mother insisted incessantly that we are indebted to nature. That we had to recycle. Had to take the bike. I think that attitude is super important and reflects in my daily life: I take my two children to school by bike, I use reusable bottles instead of disposable plastic PET, I avoid waste and recycle very meticulously… What I learned from home, I also want to pass on. Not because of tradition, but because it is essential. The earth took millions of years to create the resources we are now consuming at a rapid pace. If we want to pass on our planet in good condition, we must change our behavior. We live in a world of comfort and people don’t want to give that up. That bothers me. Beware, I don’t want to point fingers or judge people. I note the difficulty of changing our course. I, too, bump into boundaries: For our competitions, we have to take the plane. Although we take care not to travel unnecessarily and on site we always make the most of our stay.”
“The Earth took millions of years to create the resources we are now consuming at a rapid pace. If we want to pass on our planet in good condition, we must change our behavior. How LCL is committed to becoming a more sustainable data center, we appreciate that.”
Kevin and Jonathan Borlée — Top Belgian athletes
“Even though I try to keep my footprint as small as possible, I believe that real solutions and changes are only possible if we all act as a team and take action together. If two people are committed and the rest don’t follow, it doesn’t make any difference. Yes, I would prefer to drive electric, for example, but there are no charging stations in our neighborhood. We are being asked to change – and we need to – but I feel there is no long-term vision that offers an alternative to our way of life.”
“I have two children. If we want to pass on our planet in good condition, we need to change our behavior.” Jonathan Borlée — Athlete and LCL Ambassador
Lead by example
Kevin Borlée also prefers bicycles to cars for short distances, prefers to put on a thick sweater rather than crank the thermostat up, and has special power strips to really turn off all electrical appliances at night. “We pay attention to the smallest things. What I can get excited about is overconsumption. We need to take a step back and produce responsibly and consume in moderation. I’m not saying “Stop eating animals,” but I’m still not cheering for meat from South America in refrigerated shelves at our local supermarket. We are too unaware of where everything comes from, of who makes things, of the impact that everything has on our environment. I recently spoke with a chef who consciously works with local produce and selects a calf from a local farmer only to have it slaughtered three years later and completely – completely! – to use. That particularly appeals to me.”
“The same goes for clothing. Of course I like to look good, but I pay attention to what I buy and where I buy it. My sister Olivia, together with Elodie Ouedraogo, makes sustainable clothing (Unrun) that incorporates recycled plastic. And also the production is not done in distant low-wage countries, but at my father-in-law’s house in Tunisia where attention is paid to the welfare of the employees.”
The Borlées’ social drive is great. Selflessly, they lend their name and fame to charities such as KidCancer, which funds pediatric cancer research “to shoot the disease away” or an initiative that supports orphans in Nepal. Typical is the chance encounter the brothers had on the plane bound for South Africa. They met a man who was installing solar-powered lamps in townships to replace the fuming and unhealthy oil lamps. “Then we took a day off to help install it.”
As role models, perhaps the brothers could raise their voices and advocate for more sustainability, but like his brother Jonathan, Kevin prefers to take a modest role: “We try to do the right things, and if that inspires people please. Leading by example.”
About the partnership with LCL
“For us, authenticity is very important,” say Jonathan and Kevin Borlée. “We don’t enter into partnerships with anybody or anything. It happens that we let collaborations pass us by. We are a close-knit family, so we discuss such things in group – with the three brothers and our sister. How LCL is committed to becoming a more sustainable data center is something we appreciate. And of course, for us there is a valued return in return that allows us to surround ourselves with the best physical therapists, the best doctors… That costs something, but they are indispensable if we want to achieve extraordinary performance.”
