The Ministries of Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZK) and Climate Policy and Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality are today publishing their first joint report on the sustainability of their own business operations. In 2019, the national government has included the objective of climate-neutral operations by 2030 in the Climate Agreement.
Fuel supplier Finco Fuel has recently obtained a level 3 certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder. What drives an organization that also transports fossil fuels to aim for sustainability? And how did this organization manage to implement the requirements of the Ladder? Kirsten Barnhoorn (director FinCo Renewables) speaks.
The province of Gelderland is the first government organization to be certified for level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder. Deputy Jan Markink received the certificate on Monday 28 September 2020. The province aims to be a climate neutral organization by 2030.
CO2 emissions from Dutch economic activities were 21.1 percent lower in the second quarter than in the same quarter of 2019. According to the first calculation, gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 9.3 percent in the same period.
Due to COVID-19, SKAO works with fewer people in the office, which means that we are less accessible by telephone than you are used to from us.
Handbook 3.1, the successor to Handbook 3.0, will be published on 22 June. SKAO interviews members of the Central Board of Experts (CCvD) about the creation of the new Handbook. Harald Versteeg (independent chairman), Maud Vastbinder (project leader Handbook 3.1) and Tijmen de Groot (secretary) have their say. Why has a new manual been published and how do you get support from so many parties?
Handbook 3.1, the successor to Handbook 3.0, will be published on 22 June. SKAO interviews Charlotte Pars (ProRail), Stefan Daamen (Heijmans) and Maarten Neelis (Rijkswaterstaat), members of the Central Board of Experts ( CCvD ), about the project file in Handbook 3.1. What is that, and more importantly, what's in it for us?
Handbook 3.1, the successor to Handbook 3.0, was published on 22 June. SKAO interviews Jeroen Gijzen and Huub Groenenberg, two members of the Central Board of Experts (CCvD). The CCvD makes the amendment decisions about the Manual. One of the pillars of Handbook 3.1 is the 'more efficient standard'. What is meant by this and what role have they played in this?
Gww contractor Ploegam, certified at level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder, has developed a 30-ton crawler excavator together with Doosan importer Staad and electrification company UMS. An interchangeable battery pack must ensure that the machine can be used 24/7. The three companies will immediately launch three battery-electric excavators: a 2-ton mini, a 16-ton tire crane and the 30-ton crawler excavator. The machines are also for sale for other companies.
Not only the Dutch government provides incentives to stimulate circular procurement and tendering. The EU is also taking steps towards a circular economy. Europe already presented a first action plan in 2015. This month, the EU announced a new action plan for a European circular economy entitled "For a cleaner and more competitive Europe."
Construction company van Gelder, certified at level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder, reports that it is about to order two earth-moving machines from the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai. The innovative construction machines operate emission-free and run on hydrogen instead of diesel.
The European Commission has put forward plans with the Green Deal to combat climate change. The Green Deal is intended to ensure that the European Union becomes climate neutral by 2050. To achieve this objective, a road map is being drawn up with a package of measures for a sustainable energy transition. SKAO would like to contribute to the Green Deal with the CO2 Performance Ladder and has written a letter to Frans Timmermans, Vice-President of the European Commission. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management has written a accompanying letter in which it endorses the importance of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
The board of SKAO has reduced the annual contribution for CO2 Performance Ladder certified companies.
The current situation with the Corona virus means that, in some cases, planned audits, including for the CO2 Performance Ladder, cannot be carried out on location. As an accredited scheme, SKAO refers to the latest version (April 7, 2020) of the explanatory document ( T051 ) that the Accreditation Council has published on its website for such situations.
Together with Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research and the environmental consultancy CE Delft, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment has developed a method to determine the effect of circular procurement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving resources.
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!
In the context of the study "Towards a climate neutral infrastructure sector in the Netherlands" that SKAO conducted in collaboration with TU Delft, a business case on sustainable asphalt has been highlighted. This business case can be seen in a film in which the results of the study are also mentioned. View the movie here.
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 construction and waste sector, the CO2 Performance Ladder is slowly becoming the norm. However, there are still enough sectors where no company is certified on the Ladder. However, the car industry is no longer included. Mercedes-Benz Dealer Bedrijven recently won, as the very first car company in the Netherlands, a level 3 certificate.
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.
