For the CO2 Performance Ladder, 2019 was dominated by opportunities, impact and growth. From the start of the sustainability instrument in 2010, 950 certificates have now been obtained. Nearly 150 new registrations were added in 2019 and a total of eight governments were certified. More governments will follow when we look forward to the award of the 1000th certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder in 2020!
Haasnoot Bruggen is certified at level 3 of the CO2 Performance Ladder. After making the electricity more sustainable, the bridge builder started looking for other measures to reduce CO2 and reduce the environmental impact of the organization. That is why Haasnoot Bruggen ended up with Basic Office Solutions, a company that offers sustainable printing solutions and thus saves 92 percent CO2 emissions. SKAO spoke with both Haasnoot Bruggen and Basic Office Solutions about this energy-saving printing technique.
The municipality of Arnhem has recently obtained a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder. With this, the municipality strives to fulfill its exemplary role in the transition to green energy and sustainability. A certificate on the Ladder makes it possible to manage CO2 reduction both within business operations and on projects.
From the TÜV Certifying Institute, the directors of the municipality of Arnhem, labor development company Scalabor and Sportbedrijf Arnhem today received an official certificate confirming that they are taking significant steps to reduce CO2 emissions in their business operations. This makes Arnhem the first large municipality in the Netherlands to receive such a certificate. Arnhems ambition is to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% in 2023 compared to 2018.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Smart Freight Center have published a report with guidelines for socially responsible procurement in the transport and logistics sector: the Sustainable Freight Procurement (SFP) Guidelines. The CO2 Performance Ladder is herein referred to as a best practice to limit the CO2 emissions of tenders in the sector.
In the coming years, Belgian governments will experiment in their tenders with the CO2 Performance Ladder. Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels will take part in the experiments with the CO2 management system. When the results of the pilot phase turn out to be positive, then the Ladder will become the norm for Belgian governments.
The construction sector is able to reduce carbon emissions with, among other things, the reuse of building materials and more efficient machinery.
Sustainability is particularly high on the agenda of Dutch water boards. With things like green energy, sustainable innovations and sustainable procurement, they have been playing an exemplary role for years. Seven water boards are now preparing for the next ambitious step: certification on the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Since 2016, a certificate for the CO2 Performance Ladder from level 3 has been used as an alternative to the European Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) Energy audit obligation. This validity has been extended again.
Until 2022, the Flemish government is experimenting with the CO2 performance ladder for public procurement. In concrete terms, companies that reduce their CO2 emissions will have a greater chance of winning government contracts.
As a society, we are increasingly in contact with each other, thanks to the internet and our mobile phones. VolkerWessels Telecom is responsible for the networks that make this connectivity possible, from underground copper and fiber optic cables to antennas and transmission towers. The company is certified on level 4 of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
On Wednesday, April 10, the kick-off of the Community of Practice CO2 Performance Ladder for Water Boards was given. No fewer than seven water boards will start using the CO2 Performance Ladder. These frontrunners are in a select, but fast-growing group: the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, the province of Gelderland and the municipalities of Barneveld and Renkum already have a CO2 Performance Ladder certificate.