Reducing your companys CO2 emissions is not optional, especially if you operate in the EU. The CO2 Performance Ladder is a tool that helps companies in improving their environmental and business performance. In this interview, Brian Heikamp, Project Manager at The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business, explains the tool and the benefits of using it.
This Guide is focused on contracting authorities (public ordering party) who want to focus on sustainable purchasing and are considering applying the MEAT Criterion CO2 Performance Ladder in tenders under MEAT (Most Economically Advantageous Tender). The described method can also be used by other ordering parties (special sector companies, private ordering parties).
This month, the SKAO presented its latest ambitions up to 2018. Top of the list are creating room for innovation and stimulating dialogue between clients and contractors.
Using green energy is a relatively simple way to reduce a companys CO2 emissions. Many companies therefore opt for this measure. The CO2 Performance Ladder imposes strict demands on what constitutes "green energy", please see Handbook 3.0 for more information. In the questions below, we will provide a brief explanation on what the ladder perceives green energy to be and we expand on key terms.
The ministry for Infrastructure and the Environment, including implementation offices Rijkswaterstaat and ILT and the agencies PBL and KNMI, will have itself certified for the CO2 Performance Ladder. Initially, the certification process will be for level 3. The CO2 Performance Ladder helps organisations track their carbon footprint and reduce it.
Kornelis Blok, eminent driving force behind the European and international climate policy, uses five areas of development to describe how construction and civil engineering industries can be climate-neutral by 2050. "Ever since the Paris climate conference, energy neutrality has only become more pressing."
Royal BAM Group has been identified as a global leader for its actions and strategies in response to climate change and has been awarded a position on the Climate A List by CDP, the international not-for-profit that drives sustainable economies.
Awarding sustainable leaders: Towards more distinctive projects
On December 9th, the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business is organising an Innovation Seminar for companies and procurement bodies. The theme of the seminar is Awarding leaders: Towards more distinctive projects.
The number of certified companies on the CO2 Performance Ladder continues to grow rapidly. The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO) handed over the 750th certificate to Covalent.
In the next few years the national government wants to buy 70 percent of its green power including certificates (guarantees of origin). The power has to come from wind or solar energy from a number of European countries. The government will buy the remaining 30% from Dutch windparks and solar projects.
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) is a forum of 34 countries to discuss, study and coordinate social and economic policies. These countries attempt to solve mutual problems and to align international policies.
The climate targets require a drastic adjustment of our economy, according to a recent study by advisory agency CE Delft. Our current products, machinery and production do not meet the future demands of a low carbon economy and that will involve huge investments and accelerated depreciation of the fossil economy.
Dr. Martijn Rietbergen of the Utrecht University compared the COâ‚‚ footprint of more than fifty construction companies between 2010 and 2013. His research shows that the COâ‚‚ Performance Ladder is responsible for a strong COâ‚‚ reduction in the construction and civil engineering sector, which is otherwise highly was probably not achieved.
Construction companies certified for the CO2- Performance ladder achieve an annual 3.2 percent reduction in CO2. Very remarkable, given how the national average has CO2 emissions actually increasing. Half of the energy-saving measures taken by these constructors are a direct consequence of the sustainability tool providing an award advantage. This is the conclusion of research performed by dr. Martijn Rietbergen. De Cobouw followed up on this with an article.
The board of the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO) has decided to reduce the annual contribution of CO2 Performance Ladder certified companies to the SKAO.
The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement (SKAO) handed over a certificate for the CO2 Performance Ladder to the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB).
Following the release this week of a report that showed that even green-minded multinationals can struggle to keep tabs on their supply chains carbon footprint, Dexter Galvin of CDP — one of the organizations behind the report — discusses how and why businesses should be looking at where they are buying as well as where they are selling.
The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO) is celebrating its fifth year! Thats why SKAO is going to celebrate its birthday with a inspirational event. The event will take place on April 6 in TivoliVredenburg in utrecht. The theme for the day: five years of working together to reduce CO2.
Martijn Rietbergen graduated for his PhD on November 20, 2015 at the New Energy lectureship. His doctoral research was on the effectiveness of public and private policy for energy saving, such as the long-term agreements on energy saving, CO2 Performance Ladder and energy labels for buildings.
> You can read the complete doctoral research here.
> An update of the article Improving energy and carbon management in construction and civil engineering companies – Evaluating the impacts of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the thesis has been published in an updated version. Read and refer to the updated version of the article.
On Friday December 4th SKAO organised an official Side Event on the COP21 in Paris, about the international potential for the CO2 Performance Ladder and possible strategies for international rollout.
In December 2015, world leaders will meet in Paris to make global agreements on tackling climate change. Negotiations during the climate convention will discuss new CO2 emission targets for the year 2030. The CO2 Performance Ladder is on the agenda of climate conference.
Since early this year, ProRail (Dutch Railway infrastructure owner) received a level 5 certificate for the CO2 performance ladder. ProRail is aware that achieving this highest step is an achievement, but remaining on top is the real challenge.
The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO) today launched a meausurement list on its website. The Measurement List is a comparison basis for CO2 efficiency and reduction measures for companies operating in the same market and are similar in activity. In the Measurement List Handbookl 3.0 is required as part introduced to requirement 3B1.
Last year in The Netherlands companies and consuemres used 37.88 TWh of certified green electricity, with 11.56 TWh was produced in the Netherlands. That was more than 30% of certified green electricity Dutch. This is evident from the statistical annual certification authority Certiq, a daughter of transmission system operator Tennet.
