The Dutch distributor of biofuels Den hartog delivers the biodiesel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) to sludge processing plant in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant. Depending on how much HVO is used in a fuel mix, the biodiesel can lead to CO2 emissions savings of 89 to 100 percent, claims Den Hartog.
The Dutch municipality of Barneveld has recently obtained a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder at level 3. With this, Barneveld is the second municipality in the Netherlands after Renkum with a certificate on the Ladder. The certification on the CO2 management system is a concrete step for the Dutch municipality to reduce its CO2 emissions and become carbon neutral.
The Dutch province of Zuid-Holland has opened its first CO2 negative road. The road N211 is localized between the cities of The Hague and Poeldijk. The province has commissioned construction concern BAM Infra to develop the sustainable and CO2 negative road. The company has provided the piece of infrastructure with 20 different sustainable innovations that save energy and carbon emissions. The province has said to repeat this approach of sustainable innovations in all of its infrastructure projects and wishes to share knowledge and experience on sustainable infrastructure with other governments.
The Dutch freight transportation company Van der Stelt has the ambition to continuously develop in sustainability and CO2 reduction. For this, the organisation is certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder. By implementing the CO2 management system, Van der Stelt monitors its carbon emissions, structurally cuts back CO2 and was awarded a project in which the CO2 Performance Ladder plays an essential part. Arjan Rademaker, manager of operations at Van der Stelt, explains more about the developments within the company.
Rasenberg Infra, a subsidiary of construction and civil engineering company Strukton, has placed asphalt in the Dutch city of Breda that consists of 97 percent reused materials. The so-called Greenfalt is made of reused asphalt and recycled railway materials. These reused materials are processed in every layer of the asphalt road. A higher percentage of reused materials in asphalt can lead to the reduction of carbon emissions. This conclusion is based on prior research conducted by the Technical University of Delft (TU Delft) in collaboration with SKAO.
From Wednesday 3 till Friday the 5th of October, the EcoProcura took place in the Dutch city of Nijmegen. During this international conference on sustainable procurement, SKAO has done several presentations on the CO2 Performance Ladder. There was plenty of interest from international parties to make use of the instrument for sustainable procurement.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) released a report on Monday the 8th of October, which states that policy makers all over the world must aim at limiting global warming to 1,5 °C instead of 2 °C. A global temperature rise of 2 °C instead of 1,5 °C means a greater negative impact on plants, animals and people. It could also lead to irreversible consequences.
Sweco has been certified at the highest level of the CO2 Performance Ladder since 2011. With the insights gained from the CO2 Performance Ladder, the engineering consultancy agency has taken practical measures in their policy on mobility to reduce as much carbon emissions as possible. SKAO spoke with Arthur Zantinge, sustainability specialist at Sweco, about the lessons learned and the challenges that the agency faces to achieve its climate goals.
The Dutch organisation Wierda Hybrid Technologies is developing the world’s first full electric concrete mixer. Wierda Hybrid Technologies presented an operational prototype of this concrete mixer during the international fair of commercial vehicles, IAA, in the German city of Hannover.
From October 3rd till 5th, the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (in Dutch: SKAO) will present the CO2 Performance Ladder during EcoProcura in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. EcoProcura is a conference for public procurement in which policy meets practice and where professionals gather to share innovations and experiences that contribute to sustainable procurement. With its presence at EcoProcura, SKAO aims to introduce the CO2 Performance Ladder as a means to accelerate sustainable procurement in various European countries.
On Thursday 27 September, local authorities met in Barnevelds town hall to gain more knowledge about the CO2 Performance Ladder and how this management instrument contributes to achieving climate ambitions. Among other things, the municipalities of Winterswijk, Berkelland and the Climate Association Foundation announced during the meeting that they are going to work with the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Sustainability is a hot topic for most organisations. For this, businesses develop policies and ambitions after which they are implemented in daily operations. However, the translation of sustainability policies to practices leaves room for improvement. Thus concludes Niels van Geenhuizen, Global Sustainable Solutions Leader at Arcadis. “The CO2 Performance Ladder allows us to put sustainability on the map. Now it’s time to follow up with actions and turn sustainability into business.”
