In den letzten 15 Jahren hat sich die CO₂ Performance Ladder in den Niederlanden und Belgien zu einem führenden Instrument für umweltfreundliche öffentliche Beschaffung und CO₂-Managementsystem entwickelt. Aufgrund des wachsenden internationalen Interesses wird sie nun auch in Irland, Frankreich, Deutschland, Portugal und Großbritannien eingeführt. Diese Erfahrungsberichte zeigen, wie internationale Organisationen die Ladder nutzen, und geben wichtige Einblicke in die erfolgreiche Umsetzung und die damit verbundenen Vorteile.
The early initiators – Patrick Buck (ProRail), Jan Hendrik Dronkers (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) and Nico de Vries (Royal BAM Group) – reflect on the development of the Ladder. What are the key success factors and what is required to successfully implement the CO2 Performance Ladder?
The early initiators – Patrick Buck (ProRail), Jan Hendrik Dronkers (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) and Nico de Vries (Royal BAM Group) – reflect on the development of the Ladder. What are the key success factors and what is required to successfully implement the CO2 Performance Ladder?
(The article below is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country)
In Belgium busy experimentation with the CO2 Performance Ladder is underway, in as many as 25+ pilot projects. A major reason for that success is the efforts of industry association ADEB-VBA, which actively promoted the procurement tool in Belgium. ADEB-VBA CEO Didier Cartage talks about that journey, the challenges involved and what is required to fulfill that leadership role.
When ADEB-VBA first came across the CO2 Performance Ladder, the industry association saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity to make the construction sector more sustainable in all three regions of Belgium: Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia. This is far from self-evident, Cartage explains: “In Belgium, it still sometimes happens that each region puts its own instrument or system on the market. That happened with the energy performance of buildings, for example. That is a shame. Because if everyone uses the same tools and systems, you can make a much greater and faster impact. Because the CO2 Performance Ladder had been working in the Netherlands for years, we saw it as a tool that could be embraced by all regions.”
“We saw the CO2 Performance Ladder as a fantastic tool to bring sustainability into tenders”
Making the construction sector more sustainable
ADEB-VBA represents Belgium’s 65 largest construction companies, which together account for 15 per cent of the total turnover of the Belgian construction sector. Thus, ADEB-VBA was at the forefront of the Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Construction, a network of partners across the construction sector value chain. The alliance is engaged in integrating sustainability into the sector at both micro and macro level (and across all regions), and ensuring that the entire sector uses the same standards and systems.
Support for the CO2 Performance Ladder
The industry association was first introduced to the CO2 Performance Ladder in 2014. “At that time, we were already looking for tools that could ensure CO2 reduction in the construction sector. We were therefore immediately interested,” says Cartage.
In 2016, it commissioned environmental consultancy firm CO2Logic to organise a meeting with various Belgian stakeholders, on the CO2 Performance Ladder. It included representatives from the three Belgian regions, several cities and Embuild (the trade association for the entire Belgian construction sector). The aim of that meeting? To raise awareness about the CO2 Performance Ladder and sound out whether there was support for it. There certainly was. After detailed presentations on how the Ladder works, a testimonial from Dutch ProRail and discussions on the legal aspects, all three regions granted subsidies for a pilot phase with the Ladder, which started in 2019.
Sustainability up front
ADEB-VBA took a leadership role during that entire process and was the pioneer of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium. For instance, the industry association financed the initial assignment to CO2Logic to investigate whether there was support for the Ladder. It also held numerous talks with stakeholders, to convince them of the added value of the procurement tool. Cartage: “We felt it was important to actively promote the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
“It is a powerful tool that allows governments to include sustainability in their tenders from the start”
“That is important, because it removes the reluctance of contractors to start working with sustainability. After all, this way it is already part of the contract.” In addition, the CO2 Performance Ladder can also be used for other sectors, governments can get themselves certified and the procurement tool has been working in the Netherlands for years. “The fact that the operation and benefits of the CO2 Performance Ladder were already proven was a particularly important advantage for us,” says Cartage. “It helped us to win over other stakeholders.”
Convincing dozens of governments
But there were challenges in that regard, too. In Belgium, for example, there is a huge difference from the Netherlands when it comes to the number of governments involved in a decision, Cartage explains: “In the Netherlands, if a decision is taken by Rijkswaterstaat and/or Prorail, it applies immediately to a (large) part of the sector. In Belgium, you’re talking about dozens of authorities, all of which have to be convinced of a new system or instrument. That can make its implementation a lot more difficult.”
In convincing governments about the use of the CO2 Performance Ladder, several concerns surfaced: “Especially about the possible costs that could be involved. And about competition: would enough businesses sign up for a tender with the CO2 Performance Ladder?” said Cartage.
Concerns about small businesses
There were also initial doubts and uncertainties about the Ladder on the contractor side, especially about small and medium-sized companies and whether they would be disadvantaged. After all, it is easier for large companies to be certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder. Small businesses have significantly less time and resources to do so. For this reason, in the pilot phase the CO2 Performance Ladder was only used in projects with a value of €5.5 million or higher. In other words, projects that are only of interest to large construction companies.
Another challenge Cartage sees on the contractor side: the amount of tools and systems around sustainability that are on the market today. “It is difficult for companies to find their way in them. Because what actually serves which end? And what added value does it provide? The fact that the CO2 Performance Ladder has worked for years in the Netherlands helps with this. In addition, we established the Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Construction in June 2022 to further address this topic (among others).”
Creating clarity and involving stakeholders
So how did ADEB-VBA manage to convince both procurers and contractors that the CO2 Performance Ladder should have a place in Belgian construction? “It’s about creating clarity,” says Cartage. “What is the CO2 Performance Ladder? And what exactly is it not? What goals does it serve? What is its added value? How easy is it to use? And so on. It really is something that needs to be sold, both to clients and contractors.”
“Collect the questions from the market, put the answers clearly on paper and, above all, make sure you really understand the tool yourself”
That way you limit the doubts and ambiguities that can arise.” It is also important to involve as many stakeholders as possible in the plans from the early stages. That is the most important advice Cartage has for other countries that may also want to get started with the procurement tool: “Investigate thoroughly whether and where there is support for the Ladder and include as many stakeholders as possible in your plans. If you forget to include important players in the initial phase, it is a missed opportunity. After all, you very much need them to succeed.”
In Belgium, a good start has now been made with the pilot phase, Cartage concludes, “Now we must push on and convince as many Belgian governments as possible of the usefulness of the CO2 Performance Ladder as soon as we can.”
This article is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country. Want to read more about the results of the pilot phase? You can do so here.
(The article below is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country)
In Belgium busy experimentation with the CO2 Performance Ladder is underway, in as many as 25+ pilot projects. A major reason for that success is the efforts of industry association ADEB-VBA, which actively promoted the procurement tool in Belgium. ADEB-VBA CEO Didier Cartage talks about that journey, the challenges involved and what is required to fulfill that leadership role.
When ADEB-VBA first came across the CO2 Performance Ladder, the industry association saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity to make the construction sector more sustainable in all three regions of Belgium: Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia. This is far from self-evident, Cartage explains: “In Belgium, it still sometimes happens that each region puts its own instrument or system on the market. That happened with the energy performance of buildings, for example. That is a shame. Because if everyone uses the same tools and systems, you can make a much greater and faster impact. Because the CO2 Performance Ladder had been working in the Netherlands for years, we saw it as a tool that could be embraced by all regions.”
“We saw the CO2 Performance Ladder as a fantastic tool to bring sustainability into tenders”
Making the construction sector more sustainable
ADEB-VBA represents Belgium’s 65 largest construction companies, which together account for 15 per cent of the total turnover of the Belgian construction sector. Thus, ADEB-VBA was at the forefront of the Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Construction, a network of partners across the construction sector value chain. The alliance is engaged in integrating sustainability into the sector at both micro and macro level (and across all regions), and ensuring that the entire sector uses the same standards and systems.
Support for the CO2 Performance Ladder
The industry association was first introduced to the CO2 Performance Ladder in 2014. “At that time, we were already looking for tools that could ensure CO2 reduction in the construction sector. We were therefore immediately interested,” says Cartage.
In 2016, it commissioned environmental consultancy firm CO2Logic to organise a meeting with various Belgian stakeholders, on the CO2 Performance Ladder. It included representatives from the three Belgian regions, several cities and Embuild (the trade association for the entire Belgian construction sector). The aim of that meeting? To raise awareness about the CO2 Performance Ladder and sound out whether there was support for it. There certainly was. After detailed presentations on how the Ladder works, a testimonial from Dutch ProRail and discussions on the legal aspects, all three regions granted subsidies for a pilot phase with the Ladder, which started in 2019.
Sustainability up front
ADEB-VBA took a leadership role during that entire process and was the pioneer of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium. For instance, the industry association financed the initial assignment to CO2Logic to investigate whether there was support for the Ladder. It also held numerous talks with stakeholders, to convince them of the added value of the procurement tool. Cartage: “We felt it was important to actively promote the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
“It is a powerful tool that allows governments to include sustainability in their tenders from the start”
“That is important, because it removes the reluctance of contractors to start working with sustainability. After all, this way it is already part of the contract.” In addition, the CO2 Performance Ladder can also be used for other sectors, governments can get themselves certified and the procurement tool has been working in the Netherlands for years. “The fact that the operation and benefits of the CO2 Performance Ladder were already proven was a particularly important advantage for us,” says Cartage. “It helped us to win over other stakeholders.”
Convincing dozens of governments
But there were challenges in that regard, too. In Belgium, for example, there is a huge difference from the Netherlands when it comes to the number of governments involved in a decision, Cartage explains: “In the Netherlands, if a decision is taken by Rijkswaterstaat and/or Prorail, it applies immediately to a (large) part of the sector. In Belgium, you’re talking about dozens of authorities, all of which have to be convinced of a new system or instrument. That can make its implementation a lot more difficult.”
In convincing governments about the use of the CO2 Performance Ladder, several concerns surfaced: “Especially about the possible costs that could be involved. And about competition: would enough businesses sign up for a tender with the CO2 Performance Ladder?” said Cartage.
Concerns about small businesses
There were also initial doubts and uncertainties about the Ladder on the contractor side, especially about small and medium-sized companies and whether they would be disadvantaged. After all, it is easier for large companies to be certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder. Small businesses have significantly less time and resources to do so. For this reason, in the pilot phase the CO2 Performance Ladder was only used in projects with a value of €5.5 million or higher. In other words, projects that are only of interest to large construction companies.
Another challenge Cartage sees on the contractor side: the amount of tools and systems around sustainability that are on the market today. “It is difficult for companies to find their way in them. Because what actually serves which end? And what added value does it provide? The fact that the CO2 Performance Ladder has worked for years in the Netherlands helps with this. In addition, we established the Belgian Alliance for Sustainable Construction in June 2022 to further address this topic (among others).”
Creating clarity and involving stakeholders
So how did ADEB-VBA manage to convince both procurers and contractors that the CO2 Performance Ladder should have a place in Belgian construction? “It’s about creating clarity,” says Cartage. “What is the CO2 Performance Ladder? And what exactly is it not? What goals does it serve? What is its added value? How easy is it to use? And so on. It really is something that needs to be sold, both to clients and contractors.”
“Collect the questions from the market, put the answers clearly on paper and, above all, make sure you really understand the tool yourself”
That way you limit the doubts and ambiguities that can arise.” It is also important to involve as many stakeholders as possible in the plans from the early stages. That is the most important advice Cartage has for other countries that may also want to get started with the procurement tool: “Investigate thoroughly whether and where there is support for the Ladder and include as many stakeholders as possible in your plans. If you forget to include important players in the initial phase, it is a missed opportunity. After all, you very much need them to succeed.”
In Belgium, a good start has now been made with the pilot phase, Cartage concludes, “Now we must push on and convince as many Belgian governments as possible of the usefulness of the CO2 Performance Ladder as soon as we can.”
This article is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country. Want to read more about the results of the pilot phase? You can do so here.
Ger van der Wal and Johan van Dalen are in the books as the founding fathers of the CO2 Performance Ladder. From the initial idea to its elaboration and rollout… They are responsible for allowing the CO2 Performance Ladder to rapidly grow into a successful sustainability instrument. How did the initial phase of the Ladder go? Ger and Johan (both now happily retired) reminisce.
It is 2007. Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth is still fresh in everyone’s mind. And climate change is a hot topic, even in the business world. Not surprising therefore that the subject comes up during a dinner of managers and directors from the railway industry. Ger was also at the table, then still head of the Procurement, Cost Management and Purchasing department (AKI) at the Dutch railway manager ProRail.
“At the time, we were already quite satisfied with how ProRail was doing in the area of sustainability. At the same time, a large part of our finances (about 90 percent, equivalent to 2 billion euros) went to external parties. We asked ourselves: how can we encourage them to do the right things? Everyone at the table looked at me. After all, I was responsible for relations with external parties.”
The start of the CO2 Performance Ladder
After that, the subject sank in for a while, Ger remembers. Until the Royal BAM Group (one of the largest construction groups in the Netherlands) announced its CO2 footprint, as one of the first companies in the country. It reminded him that ProRail also had work to do: “I thought: go and do something, Ger.” No sooner said than done. From 2008 to the spring of 2009, ProRail developed a new sustainability instrument to encourage contractors to reduce their CO2 emissions. The CO2 Performance Ladder was born.
Johan was immediately enthusiastic about the initial design of the Ladder and soon became responsible for its development. “We found a number of things important,” he says. “Firstly, we wanted to give contractors as much freedom and space as possible. They had to be able to decide for themselves how they were going to reduce their CO2 emissions. The Ladder also had to encourage companies to work together, share knowledge and make a joint impact in the value chain. Certification turned out to be a good way of achieving that.”
“We wanted to give contractors as much freedom and space as possible. They had to be able to decide for themselves how they were going to reduce their CO2 emissions”
It was also important that sustainability and CO2 reduction would not take place only on a project basis. The CO2 Performance Ladder had to encourage companies to embed sustainability in their entire business operations. “The director of a dredging company explained it nicely to me at the time. ‘We operate all over the world,’ he said. Do we have to bring our most efficient ships from all over the world in order to win a tender? That is illogical, creates more CO2 emissions and does not really help. By rewarding companies for making their entire business operation more sustainable, we circumvented the problem.
Convincing the management and the market
Once the first version of the CO2 Performance Ladder was on the table, the task was to convince ProRail’s internal organisation of its added value. Ger and Johan had the wind at their backs in that respect, Ger says: “Climate change and sustainability were already in the heads of the board members, they applauded our initiative. But the first reaction of the financial director was of course: ‘what will it cost?’” After all, a fictitious award advantage of 10 per cent on a budget of EUR 2 billion suggests a possible cost of EUR 200 million. “But we were able to demonstrate quickly and simply that the maximum extra cost would be 0.33%,” says Ger. The CO2 Performance Ladder was therefore fairly uncontested within ProRail.”
The next step: convincing the market. That was no difficult task either. There was a simple reason for this: ProRail controlled roughly 95 per cent of the railway market and many contractors were almost entirely dependent on the railway manager. So when ProRail announced the CO2 Performance Ladder, there was little resistance from the market. Contractors set to work with the Ladder energetically in fact. “ProRail had a lot of freedom to make its own decisions. And thus also to simply put the CO2 Performance Ladder on the market.”
Proud of the certificate
But that was certainly not the only reason for the Ladder’s success. It didn’t take long, for instance, for contractors to become intrinsically enthusiastic about the Ladder and to discover and exploit the opportunities. Johan: “Every company had at least a few enthusiasts. They realised that they could save money by using the Ladder, by picking the low-hanging fruit (i.e. by investing in energy saving).”
More and more companies turned out to be proud of their Ladder certificate and started actively communicating about it. “They made it a question of public image and let it work to their advantage,” adds Ger. “That enthusiasm with which the market picked up the CO2 Performance Ladder was an important success factor.”
“Companies realised that they could save money by using the Ladder”
A market-compliant instrument
The CO2 Performance Ladder also fits very much with what companies do, how they do it and why they do it. That, too, proved to be an important key to success, according to Johan: “The Ladder is a market-compliant instrument. It gives companies room to make their own choices, rewards innovation and progressiveness, focuses on matters such as efficiency, process control, competition and cooperation… All elements that fit in well with what companies are and what they stand for. “When you develop a sustainability tool, it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of the companies it affects,” Johan continues. “We succeeded well in that, I think. We soon noticed that companies appreciated and embraced the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
Handing over the baton
Eventually it became necessary to transfer the CO2 Performance Ladder to an independent foundation. “The Ladder took up more and more of our time, while it was not our core task. In the meantime, Rijkswaterstaat also wanted to work with it and interested municipalities came knocking at our door.”
In other words, it was time to hand over the Ladder to a party that could focus on it full-time. That became the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business, or SKAO for short.
Starting small, with big ambitions
Under the auspices of SKAO, the CO2 Performance Ladder has steadily grown in the Netherlands. And neighbouring Belgium is now also experimenting with it. Johan is not surprised: “The CO2 Performance Ladder is an important instrument in every phase of the climate transition. In the initial phase, it can set the climate transition in motion, in various sectors. At a later stage, it provides the knowledge and cooperation infrastructure to take follow-up steps. And it encourages companies to continue integrating new innovations into their business operations.”
“Build up slowly and give companies space, get everyone on board. So start small, to end up big”
For countries working with the CO2 Performance ladder in the future, Ger concludes with a gold tip: “If you build up slowly and give companies the space to prepare, you will get everyone on board. So start small, for example by introducing the Ladder in one sector. At the same time, clearly communicate that the CO2 Performance Ladder is suitable for every sector. That way, the companies in that one sector will feel like the frontrunners and companies in other sectors can prepare themselves for what’s to come.”
Ger van der Wal and Johan van Dalen are in the books as the founding fathers of the CO2 Performance Ladder. From the initial idea to its elaboration and rollout… They are responsible for allowing the CO2 Performance Ladder to rapidly grow into a successful sustainability instrument. How did the initial phase of the Ladder go? Ger and Johan (both now happily retired) reminisce.
It is 2007. Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth is still fresh in everyone’s mind. And climate change is a hot topic, even in the business world. Not surprising therefore that the subject comes up during a dinner of managers and directors from the railway industry. Ger was also at the table, then still head of the Procurement, Cost Management and Purchasing department (AKI) at the Dutch railway manager ProRail.
“At the time, we were already quite satisfied with how ProRail was doing in the area of sustainability. At the same time, a large part of our finances (about 90 percent, equivalent to 2 billion euros) went to external parties. We asked ourselves: how can we encourage them to do the right things? Everyone at the table looked at me. After all, I was responsible for relations with external parties.”
The start of the CO2 Performance Ladder
After that, the subject sank in for a while, Ger remembers. Until the Royal BAM Group (one of the largest construction groups in the Netherlands) announced its CO2 footprint, as one of the first companies in the country. It reminded him that ProRail also had work to do: “I thought: go and do something, Ger.” No sooner said than done. From 2008 to the spring of 2009, ProRail developed a new sustainability instrument to encourage contractors to reduce their CO2 emissions. The CO2 Performance Ladder was born.
Johan was immediately enthusiastic about the initial design of the Ladder and soon became responsible for its development. “We found a number of things important,” he says. “Firstly, we wanted to give contractors as much freedom and space as possible. They had to be able to decide for themselves how they were going to reduce their CO2 emissions. The Ladder also had to encourage companies to work together, share knowledge and make a joint impact in the value chain. Certification turned out to be a good way of achieving that.”
“We wanted to give contractors as much freedom and space as possible. They had to be able to decide for themselves how they were going to reduce their CO2 emissions”
It was also important that sustainability and CO2 reduction would not take place only on a project basis. The CO2 Performance Ladder had to encourage companies to embed sustainability in their entire business operations. “The director of a dredging company explained it nicely to me at the time. ‘We operate all over the world,’ he said. Do we have to bring our most efficient ships from all over the world in order to win a tender? That is illogical, creates more CO2 emissions and does not really help. By rewarding companies for making their entire business operation more sustainable, we circumvented the problem.
Convincing the management and the market
Once the first version of the CO2 Performance Ladder was on the table, the task was to convince ProRail’s internal organisation of its added value. Ger and Johan had the wind at their backs in that respect, Ger says: “Climate change and sustainability were already in the heads of the board members, they applauded our initiative. But the first reaction of the financial director was of course: ‘what will it cost?’” After all, a fictitious award advantage of 10 per cent on a budget of EUR 2 billion suggests a possible cost of EUR 200 million. “But we were able to demonstrate quickly and simply that the maximum extra cost would be 0.33%,” says Ger. The CO2 Performance Ladder was therefore fairly uncontested within ProRail.”
The next step: convincing the market. That was no difficult task either. There was a simple reason for this: ProRail controlled roughly 95 per cent of the railway market and many contractors were almost entirely dependent on the railway manager. So when ProRail announced the CO2 Performance Ladder, there was little resistance from the market. Contractors set to work with the Ladder energetically in fact. “ProRail had a lot of freedom to make its own decisions. And thus also to simply put the CO2 Performance Ladder on the market.”
Proud of the certificate
But that was certainly not the only reason for the Ladder’s success. It didn’t take long, for instance, for contractors to become intrinsically enthusiastic about the Ladder and to discover and exploit the opportunities. Johan: “Every company had at least a few enthusiasts. They realised that they could save money by using the Ladder, by picking the low-hanging fruit (i.e. by investing in energy saving).”
More and more companies turned out to be proud of their Ladder certificate and started actively communicating about it. “They made it a question of public image and let it work to their advantage,” adds Ger. “That enthusiasm with which the market picked up the CO2 Performance Ladder was an important success factor.”
“Companies realised that they could save money by using the Ladder”
A market-compliant instrument
The CO2 Performance Ladder also fits very much with what companies do, how they do it and why they do it. That, too, proved to be an important key to success, according to Johan: “The Ladder is a market-compliant instrument. It gives companies room to make their own choices, rewards innovation and progressiveness, focuses on matters such as efficiency, process control, competition and cooperation… All elements that fit in well with what companies are and what they stand for. “When you develop a sustainability tool, it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of the companies it affects,” Johan continues. “We succeeded well in that, I think. We soon noticed that companies appreciated and embraced the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
Handing over the baton
Eventually it became necessary to transfer the CO2 Performance Ladder to an independent foundation. “The Ladder took up more and more of our time, while it was not our core task. In the meantime, Rijkswaterstaat also wanted to work with it and interested municipalities came knocking at our door.”
In other words, it was time to hand over the Ladder to a party that could focus on it full-time. That became the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business, or SKAO for short.
Starting small, with big ambitions
Under the auspices of SKAO, the CO2 Performance Ladder has steadily grown in the Netherlands. And neighbouring Belgium is now also experimenting with it. Johan is not surprised: “The CO2 Performance Ladder is an important instrument in every phase of the climate transition. In the initial phase, it can set the climate transition in motion, in various sectors. At a later stage, it provides the knowledge and cooperation infrastructure to take follow-up steps. And it encourages companies to continue integrating new innovations into their business operations.”
“Build up slowly and give companies space, get everyone on board. So start small, to end up big”
For countries working with the CO2 Performance ladder in the future, Ger concludes with a gold tip: “If you build up slowly and give companies the space to prepare, you will get everyone on board. So start small, for example by introducing the Ladder in one sector. At the same time, clearly communicate that the CO2 Performance Ladder is suitable for every sector. That way, the companies in that one sector will feel like the frontrunners and companies in other sectors can prepare themselves for what’s to come.”
Franky Van den Berghe and Dirk Christianen from Willemen Infra show us around at their asphalt plant in Belgium. How does Willemen Infra reduce its carbon emissions by using the CO2 Performance Ladder?
Franky Van den Berghe and Dirk Christianen from Willemen Infra show us around at their asphalt plant in Belgium. How does Willemen Infra reduce its carbon emissions by using the CO2 Performance Ladder?
To prepare Amsterdam for major climactic changes the CO₂ Performance Ladder is a guiding principle in Amsterdam’s public procurement. Amsterdam and its partners show us how they work with the Ladder. Over the last 14 years, the CO₂ Performance Ladder has developed into a key Green Public Procurement (GPP) tool and the number one CO₂ management system in the Netherlands and Belgium. To support the implementation of the CO₂ Performance Ladder across Europe, our testimonials represent a selection of stories and examples from the history of the Ladder since 2009. They collect the lessons we have learned: what is needed to successfully implement the Ladder, and what benefits does it bring?
To prepare Amsterdam for major climactic changes the CO₂ Performance Ladder is a guiding principle in Amsterdam’s public procurement. Amsterdam and its partners show us how they work with the Ladder. Over the last 14 years, the CO₂ Performance Ladder has developed into a key Green Public Procurement (GPP) tool and the number one CO₂ management system in the Netherlands and Belgium. To support the implementation of the CO₂ Performance Ladder across Europe, our testimonials represent a selection of stories and examples from the history of the Ladder since 2009. They collect the lessons we have learned: what is needed to successfully implement the Ladder, and what benefits does it bring?
Micheál O’Connor, Senior Procurement Executive at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) talks about his experience implementing the Ladder into their procurement process.
Micheál O’Connor, Senior Procurement Executive at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) talks about his experience implementing the Ladder into their procurement process.
Belgium was the first country after the Netherlands to use the CO2 Performance Ladder. Between 2019 and 2023, 24 pilot projects in three regions were launched implementing the Ladder. The results of the pilot are positive among both participating companies and contracting authorities, and can be read in the report on this successful pilot period. Now that it’s time to map out the further integration and scaling-up of the system in Belgium, the various actors came together for a roundtable discussion.
Step towards a more sustainable construction sector
Construction companies praise the Ladder’s clarity and simplicity. Jan Van Steirteghem, Chief operating officer (COO) of construction company BESIX: “It is not overly complicated. That offers two advantages. First, the initial investment is easy to recoup. Secondly, you can spend more time on achieving the objective that the certificate aims at (namely carbon reduction), than you do on the administration of obtaining the certificate. That’s important, especially for the younger generation who really want to make an impact.”
In addition, the Ladder puts the topic of CO2 reduction on the map within the construction sector and among companies. “The Ladder provides focus, unlike all the other things that are coming our way, like the CSRD”, Van Steirteghem says. “We started in the Netherlands at level 3 and a year later we reached level 5. On our major infrastructure works, experts enthusiastically search for CO2 reduction opportunities on the worksites. For Brice Duchêne, responsible for environment and sustainable development at Duchêne, the Ladder provides a framework to develop an action plan. Philippe Goblet, Chief executive officer (CEO) of Duchêne, jumps in: “We stepped into this to bring down our carbon footprint. This is the example we want to set as a bigger player. After all, it is still going to take a lot of effort to make our colleagues aware of the importance of CO2 reduction. But those who use the Ladder are very positive about its ease of use.”
“We stepped into this to bring down our carbon footprint. This is the example we want to set as a bigger player.” – Philippe Goblet, CEO at Duchêne
Unburdening of contracting authorities
Initially, there was some reluctance among contracting authorities, but during the pilot period, the popularity of the CO2 Performance Ladder grew, resulting in wider acceptance and application. Integration into public procurement involves little extra work.
Dirk van Troyen, road measurement engineer at the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), notes that it is easy to integrate the CO2 Performance Ladder into tender documents. “The clauses can be found online. It is not an additional cost and creates little extra work for officials.” Alexander Lemmens, a lawyer at the Agency for Facility Operations, refers to the positive experience in the public contract for the renovation of buildings on the Martelaarsplein in Brussels: “The integration into the contract documents requires little extra effort. The checks and audits are done by accredited certification bodies, which, in case of a positive result, issue a certificate to the contractor. Thus, the contracting authority does not have to carry out detailed checks itself, but only checks that the contractor has a valid certificate at the appropriate level. This shifts the burden away from the contracting authorities, which is certainly also relevant for the lower levels. The CO2 Performance Ladder provides insight into the course of events and creates a clear framework for all involved.”
There are also positive signs on the Walloon side. Sylvie Loutz, Sustainable Development Project Manager at the Service public de Wallonie (SPW), argues that people see the usefulness of working with the Ladder. The targets are easy to verify. According to her, it is one of the tools that can help meet European climate targets.
Call for structural implementation
Now that it is time to map out the next steps, industry is asking for commitment from the government to get started with the CO2 Performance Ladder and implement it structurally in public procurement.
According to Philippe Goblet, the issue is starting to take hold in the market, but action is needed from the government. “Even though many see its benefit, they remain too hesitant. You can compare it to the introduction of the ISO9001 standard. It is there, but it takes years to implement and when it comes to sustainability, we don’t have that time. We need to take action together now. It is up to the government to take the lead, taking into account the resources and capabilities of all companies.”
“We need to take action together now. It is up to the government to take the lead, taking into account the resources and capabilities of all companies.” – Philippe Goblet, CEO at Duchêne
Need to support green premium
While companies are convinced of the added value of the Ladder, they want governments to pay attention to the costs involved. This is another reason why commitment from the government is needed. That way, the playing field is equal for all players.
Jan Van Steirteghem points out that green alternatives come at an additional cost. He questions who will pay ‘the Green Premium’: “In the Netherlands, subsidies are given for buying sustainable construction equipment. If you can show that you reduce CO2 emissions by 50 per cent and become 10 per cent more expensive, you can win the tender. In Belgium, this is unthinkable and governments still only focus on price. The CO2 Performance Ladder can be a catalyst to immediately lay down in the specifications which sustainable alternatives must be used.”
According to Alexander Lemmens, this awareness is growing among the government. He says the notional discounts for the Ladder are already shifting the focus towards quality.
Approach Flanders vs Wallonia
Several government agencies, such as the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) and the Agency for Roads and Traffic and the Flemish Waterways, both linked to the Flemish department for mobility and public works (MOW), have already decided to implement the Ladder structurally, while others, such as SWDE and SOWAER in Wallonia, are positive towards further integration.
Sylvie Loutz argues that the differences between Wallonia and Flanders should be taken into account. There are currently consultations with colleagues on the integration of the Ladder but nothing has been decided yet. If Wallonia integrates a sustainability tool into public procurement, it will of course be the same as in neighbouring countries and Flanders. However, there is still a lot of work to convince companies in Wallonia.
The management of the Flemish MOW has already approved the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder. “We will include the Ladder in specifications for infra works from 1 January 2025 starting from five million euros and progressing gradually”, says Dirk van Troyen.
Finally, BESIX and Duchêne hope to raise awareness among subcontractors. Jan van Steirteghem: “We need to get them on board. We often need data to meet Ladder requirements, but it is sometimes difficult to obtain. Other sectors, such as concrete, steel and aluminium, also need to take responsibility. That’s where the biggest impact is. We need to cooperate across national borders and impose conditions. We need a Coalition of the Willing where governments take the lead.”
Belgium was the first country after the Netherlands to use the CO2 Performance Ladder. Between 2019 and 2023, 24 pilot projects in three regions were launched implementing the Ladder. The results of the pilot are positive among both participating companies and contracting authorities, and can be read in the report on this successful pilot period. Now that it’s time to map out the further integration and scaling-up of the system in Belgium, the various actors came together for a roundtable discussion.
Step towards a more sustainable construction sector
Construction companies praise the Ladder’s clarity and simplicity. Jan Van Steirteghem, Chief operating officer (COO) of construction company BESIX: “It is not overly complicated. That offers two advantages. First, the initial investment is easy to recoup. Secondly, you can spend more time on achieving the objective that the certificate aims at (namely carbon reduction), than you do on the administration of obtaining the certificate. That’s important, especially for the younger generation who really want to make an impact.”
In addition, the Ladder puts the topic of CO2 reduction on the map within the construction sector and among companies. “The Ladder provides focus, unlike all the other things that are coming our way, like the CSRD”, Van Steirteghem says. “We started in the Netherlands at level 3 and a year later we reached level 5. On our major infrastructure works, experts enthusiastically search for CO2 reduction opportunities on the worksites. For Brice Duchêne, responsible for environment and sustainable development at Duchêne, the Ladder provides a framework to develop an action plan. Philippe Goblet, Chief executive officer (CEO) of Duchêne, jumps in: “We stepped into this to bring down our carbon footprint. This is the example we want to set as a bigger player. After all, it is still going to take a lot of effort to make our colleagues aware of the importance of CO2 reduction. But those who use the Ladder are very positive about its ease of use.”
“We stepped into this to bring down our carbon footprint. This is the example we want to set as a bigger player.” – Philippe Goblet, CEO at Duchêne
Unburdening of contracting authorities
Initially, there was some reluctance among contracting authorities, but during the pilot period, the popularity of the CO2 Performance Ladder grew, resulting in wider acceptance and application. Integration into public procurement involves little extra work.
Dirk van Troyen, road measurement engineer at the Agency for Roads and Traffic (AWV), notes that it is easy to integrate the CO2 Performance Ladder into tender documents. “The clauses can be found online. It is not an additional cost and creates little extra work for officials.” Alexander Lemmens, a lawyer at the Agency for Facility Operations, refers to the positive experience in the public contract for the renovation of buildings on the Martelaarsplein in Brussels: “The integration into the contract documents requires little extra effort. The checks and audits are done by accredited certification bodies, which, in case of a positive result, issue a certificate to the contractor. Thus, the contracting authority does not have to carry out detailed checks itself, but only checks that the contractor has a valid certificate at the appropriate level. This shifts the burden away from the contracting authorities, which is certainly also relevant for the lower levels. The CO2 Performance Ladder provides insight into the course of events and creates a clear framework for all involved.”
There are also positive signs on the Walloon side. Sylvie Loutz, Sustainable Development Project Manager at the Service public de Wallonie (SPW), argues that people see the usefulness of working with the Ladder. The targets are easy to verify. According to her, it is one of the tools that can help meet European climate targets.
Call for structural implementation
Now that it is time to map out the next steps, industry is asking for commitment from the government to get started with the CO2 Performance Ladder and implement it structurally in public procurement.
According to Philippe Goblet, the issue is starting to take hold in the market, but action is needed from the government. “Even though many see its benefit, they remain too hesitant. You can compare it to the introduction of the ISO9001 standard. It is there, but it takes years to implement and when it comes to sustainability, we don’t have that time. We need to take action together now. It is up to the government to take the lead, taking into account the resources and capabilities of all companies.”
“We need to take action together now. It is up to the government to take the lead, taking into account the resources and capabilities of all companies.” – Philippe Goblet, CEO at Duchêne
Need to support green premium
While companies are convinced of the added value of the Ladder, they want governments to pay attention to the costs involved. This is another reason why commitment from the government is needed. That way, the playing field is equal for all players.
Jan Van Steirteghem points out that green alternatives come at an additional cost. He questions who will pay ‘the Green Premium’: “In the Netherlands, subsidies are given for buying sustainable construction equipment. If you can show that you reduce CO2 emissions by 50 per cent and become 10 per cent more expensive, you can win the tender. In Belgium, this is unthinkable and governments still only focus on price. The CO2 Performance Ladder can be a catalyst to immediately lay down in the specifications which sustainable alternatives must be used.”
According to Alexander Lemmens, this awareness is growing among the government. He says the notional discounts for the Ladder are already shifting the focus towards quality.
Approach Flanders vs Wallonia
Several government agencies, such as the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) and the Agency for Roads and Traffic and the Flemish Waterways, both linked to the Flemish department for mobility and public works (MOW), have already decided to implement the Ladder structurally, while others, such as SWDE and SOWAER in Wallonia, are positive towards further integration.
Sylvie Loutz argues that the differences between Wallonia and Flanders should be taken into account. There are currently consultations with colleagues on the integration of the Ladder but nothing has been decided yet. If Wallonia integrates a sustainability tool into public procurement, it will of course be the same as in neighbouring countries and Flanders. However, there is still a lot of work to convince companies in Wallonia.
The management of the Flemish MOW has already approved the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder. “We will include the Ladder in specifications for infra works from 1 January 2025 starting from five million euros and progressing gradually”, says Dirk van Troyen.
Finally, BESIX and Duchêne hope to raise awareness among subcontractors. Jan van Steirteghem: “We need to get them on board. We often need data to meet Ladder requirements, but it is sometimes difficult to obtain. Other sectors, such as concrete, steel and aluminium, also need to take responsibility. That’s where the biggest impact is. We need to cooperate across national borders and impose conditions. We need a Coalition of the Willing where governments take the lead.”
One of the largest Dutch infrastructure projects in recent years, with a financial volume of ± €845.000.000, is the extension of the A9 motorway between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht. Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for this project and used the CO2 Performance Ladder in their tender. The project was awarded to the construction consortium VeenIX, consisting of FCC Construcción and Macquarie Capital. We spoke about the project with Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC. The Spanish company is among the 15 largest construction companies in Europe. During the conversation, we discussed the role of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the project and the CO2 reduction measures taken.
The project
The A9 between the Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht junctions is one of the busiest connections in the Netherlands. A lot needs to be done to improve the situation here. Hortal Alonso: ‘The motorway will be widened to four lanes in each direction and a dual carriageway will be built that can be opened depending on traffic density. Near Amstelveen, the A9 will be deepened and there will be three canopies with green spaces so that residents can enjoy a park. In total, this involves some 10.5 kilometres that we are taking care of.’
The CO2 Performance Ladder was included in the tender for this project by Rijkswaterstaat. Hortal Alonso is pleased that FCC achieved the highest level of certification (level 5) and was awarded the contract: ‘Working with the CO2 Performance Ladder is both a challenge for us and an opportunity. We learn to deal with new standards and what knowledge and skills are required to implement such an instrument within a Dutch project. Challenging ourselves this way in terms of sustainability is part of our DNA.’
Green electricity and electrical equipment
Ahead of the A9 project, FCC set ambitious targets in terms of reducing CO2 emissions. Hortal Alonso: ‘This involves a reduction of 300 tonnes of CO2 for scope 1. Then another 300 tonnes for scope 2 and 30,000 tonnes for scope 3. We are doing everything we can to achieve that target.’
To meet these targets, FCC is implementing several measures. First of all, the construction company is switching to green energy. Buying only green electricity drastically reduces Scope 2 emissions caused by electrical energy consumption. Hortal Alonso added: ‘In addition, we have reduced the use of diesel fuel as much as possible to carry out the project, among other things, by using electric equipment.’
‘We have reduced the use of diesel fuel as much as possible to carry out the project, among other things, by using electric equipment.’ – Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC
Reusing materials and adapting driving behaviour
Regarding the use of materials within the project, FCC has entered into an agreement with Rijkswaterstaat. Based on this agreement, the old beam structures deployed in the project will not be demolished after use. Instead, the beams will be reused in another project of Rijkswaterstaat. Hortal Alonso welcomes this development: ‘This kind of measure keeps the recycling cycle going, applying fundamental principles of the circular economy.’
In addition, some of the current asphalt will be reused in the production of new asphalt for the project. The reuse percentage is quite high, at more than 50%. Moreover, the guard rails will be refurbished. Hortal Alonso: ‘We have to install quite a few kilometres of guard rails in this project. In doing so, we are trying to reuse as much of the existing guard rails as possible.’
Another measure making a lot of impact is changing drivers’ driving behaviour. On many projects, a large part of the CO2 emissions consists of transporting materials for construction. For this project, FCC developed a programme for the company’s employees to create awareness around driving behaviour. Based on this, the drivers learnt a more efficient way of driving, allowing them to minimise CO2 emissions as a group.
The importance of transparency and monitoring
At least as important as taking all these sustainable measures, is being transparent about the actions being implemented. Hortal Alonso: ‘We are very transparent around sustainability. We communicate not only internally, but also externally about our progress in the project in terms of CO2 reduction. On our site, information and reports are shared, and they are accessible to everyone.’ But transparency requires enough and reliable information, and processes must be monitored to obtain the information FCC wants to communicate. That is why, besides transparency, monitoring the project is important for the company. On the basis of a follow-up plan, the progression achieved by the measures is continuously monitored.
Hortal Alonso is satisfied when he reviews what the above measures have achieved: ‘All these measures together have made a huge difference and ensured that we have reached the highest level on the Ladder.’
The CO2 Performance Ladder brings things into focus
Having worked with the CO2 Performance Ladder for over four years within the A9 Badhoevedorp-Holendrecht project, Hortal Alonso has formed a good understanding of the sustainability tool. ‘It challenges us and ensures that we have to be innovative all the time. The Ladder forces us to explore different ways of reducing CO2. These are necessary to meet our targets. This is not always easy, but it pays off handsomely. Reusing beams is a good example. Without the Ladder, we would not have come up with this.’
‘The CO2 Performance Ladder challenges us and ensures that we have to be innovative all the time. It forces us to explore different ways of reducing CO2.’ – Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC
The CO2 Performance Ladder system makes it clear which actions are needed to make a positive impact. Besides reusing beams, changing the composition of asphalt is also a great example of something FCC didn’t do to the same extent before, Hortal Alonso explains. ‘Materials often have a second life. They may not be suitable for all parts of another project, but there is always overlap. It’s good to make the best use of that.’
Creating awareness among employees and suppliers
In an organisation, it is important that everyone is on the same page. Especially when it comes to a topic like sustainability. After all, making progress does not happen automatically; it requires dedication and energy. Hortal Alonso agrees and says that this was the biggest challenge in achieving level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder. He says the Ladder ultimately helped create support within FCC and in the organisation’s supply chain. ‘Construction companies have an obligation, a responsibility. The policy they pursue has to have a certain priority and focus. The Ladder helps us do that. Namely, it makes it easier to explain to our employees and suppliers what we are doing and why we are making certain choices. As a result, the urgency of the measures we take is felt and understood. If that had not been there, many innovative measures would have been omitted. After all, you are asking something new from the chain, from your suppliers. They do have to accept that change. Without them, we cannot do what we do. Sustainability is, necessarily, a task for everyone and all stakeholders have an unavoidable role to play.’
‘The CO2 Performance Ladder makes it easier to explain to our employees and suppliers what we are doing and why we are making certain choices. As a result, the urgency of the measures we take is felt and understood.’ – Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC
In addition, Hortal Alonso indicates that once a team believes in the targets, it is actually not that difficult to meet them. Setting specific targets is a challenge, though, and that also played a role in achieving level 5 on the Ladder. ‘You can promise all kinds of things, but you also have to deliver. So the challenge is to set ambitious yet realistic targets. In doing so, it is important to know the possibilities and limitations of the chain. Suppliers cannot always deliver the sustainable materials you have in mind. It is good to take that into account in your plan of action.’
The A9 Badhoevedorp-Holendrecht project started in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
One of the largest Dutch infrastructure projects in recent years, with a financial volume of ± €845.000.000, is the extension of the A9 motorway between Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht. Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for this project and used the CO2 Performance Ladder in their tender. The project was awarded to the construction consortium VeenIX, consisting of FCC Construcción and Macquarie Capital. We spoke about the project with Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC. The Spanish company is among the 15 largest construction companies in Europe. During the conversation, we discussed the role of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the project and the CO2 reduction measures taken.
The project
The A9 between the Badhoevedorp and Holendrecht junctions is one of the busiest connections in the Netherlands. A lot needs to be done to improve the situation here. Hortal Alonso: ‘The motorway will be widened to four lanes in each direction and a dual carriageway will be built that can be opened depending on traffic density. Near Amstelveen, the A9 will be deepened and there will be three canopies with green spaces so that residents can enjoy a park. In total, this involves some 10.5 kilometres that we are taking care of.’
The CO2 Performance Ladder was included in the tender for this project by Rijkswaterstaat. Hortal Alonso is pleased that FCC achieved the highest level of certification (level 5) and was awarded the contract: ‘Working with the CO2 Performance Ladder is both a challenge for us and an opportunity. We learn to deal with new standards and what knowledge and skills are required to implement such an instrument within a Dutch project. Challenging ourselves this way in terms of sustainability is part of our DNA.’
Green electricity and electrical equipment
Ahead of the A9 project, FCC set ambitious targets in terms of reducing CO2 emissions. Hortal Alonso: ‘This involves a reduction of 300 tonnes of CO2 for scope 1. Then another 300 tonnes for scope 2 and 30,000 tonnes for scope 3. We are doing everything we can to achieve that target.’
To meet these targets, FCC is implementing several measures. First of all, the construction company is switching to green energy. Buying only green electricity drastically reduces Scope 2 emissions caused by electrical energy consumption. Hortal Alonso added: ‘In addition, we have reduced the use of diesel fuel as much as possible to carry out the project, among other things, by using electric equipment.’
‘We have reduced the use of diesel fuel as much as possible to carry out the project, among other things, by using electric equipment.’ – Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC
Reusing materials and adapting driving behaviour
Regarding the use of materials within the project, FCC has entered into an agreement with Rijkswaterstaat. Based on this agreement, the old beam structures deployed in the project will not be demolished after use. Instead, the beams will be reused in another project of Rijkswaterstaat. Hortal Alonso welcomes this development: ‘This kind of measure keeps the recycling cycle going, applying fundamental principles of the circular economy.’
In addition, some of the current asphalt will be reused in the production of new asphalt for the project. The reuse percentage is quite high, at more than 50%. Moreover, the guard rails will be refurbished. Hortal Alonso: ‘We have to install quite a few kilometres of guard rails in this project. In doing so, we are trying to reuse as much of the existing guard rails as possible.’
Another measure making a lot of impact is changing drivers’ driving behaviour. On many projects, a large part of the CO2 emissions consists of transporting materials for construction. For this project, FCC developed a programme for the company’s employees to create awareness around driving behaviour. Based on this, the drivers learnt a more efficient way of driving, allowing them to minimise CO2 emissions as a group.
The importance of transparency and monitoring
At least as important as taking all these sustainable measures, is being transparent about the actions being implemented. Hortal Alonso: ‘We are very transparent around sustainability. We communicate not only internally, but also externally about our progress in the project in terms of CO2 reduction. On our site, information and reports are shared, and they are accessible to everyone.’ But transparency requires enough and reliable information, and processes must be monitored to obtain the information FCC wants to communicate. That is why, besides transparency, monitoring the project is important for the company. On the basis of a follow-up plan, the progression achieved by the measures is continuously monitored.
Hortal Alonso is satisfied when he reviews what the above measures have achieved: ‘All these measures together have made a huge difference and ensured that we have reached the highest level on the Ladder.’
The CO2 Performance Ladder brings things into focus
Having worked with the CO2 Performance Ladder for over four years within the A9 Badhoevedorp-Holendrecht project, Hortal Alonso has formed a good understanding of the sustainability tool. ‘It challenges us and ensures that we have to be innovative all the time. The Ladder forces us to explore different ways of reducing CO2. These are necessary to meet our targets. This is not always easy, but it pays off handsomely. Reusing beams is a good example. Without the Ladder, we would not have come up with this.’
‘The CO2 Performance Ladder challenges us and ensures that we have to be innovative all the time. It forces us to explore different ways of reducing CO2.’ – Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC
The CO2 Performance Ladder system makes it clear which actions are needed to make a positive impact. Besides reusing beams, changing the composition of asphalt is also a great example of something FCC didn’t do to the same extent before, Hortal Alonso explains. ‘Materials often have a second life. They may not be suitable for all parts of another project, but there is always overlap. It’s good to make the best use of that.’
Creating awareness among employees and suppliers
In an organisation, it is important that everyone is on the same page. Especially when it comes to a topic like sustainability. After all, making progress does not happen automatically; it requires dedication and energy. Hortal Alonso agrees and says that this was the biggest challenge in achieving level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder. He says the Ladder ultimately helped create support within FCC and in the organisation’s supply chain. ‘Construction companies have an obligation, a responsibility. The policy they pursue has to have a certain priority and focus. The Ladder helps us do that. Namely, it makes it easier to explain to our employees and suppliers what we are doing and why we are making certain choices. As a result, the urgency of the measures we take is felt and understood. If that had not been there, many innovative measures would have been omitted. After all, you are asking something new from the chain, from your suppliers. They do have to accept that change. Without them, we cannot do what we do. Sustainability is, necessarily, a task for everyone and all stakeholders have an unavoidable role to play.’
‘The CO2 Performance Ladder makes it easier to explain to our employees and suppliers what we are doing and why we are making certain choices. As a result, the urgency of the measures we take is felt and understood.’ – Raúl Hortal Alonso, project director at FCC
In addition, Hortal Alonso indicates that once a team believes in the targets, it is actually not that difficult to meet them. Setting specific targets is a challenge, though, and that also played a role in achieving level 5 on the Ladder. ‘You can promise all kinds of things, but you also have to deliver. So the challenge is to set ambitious yet realistic targets. In doing so, it is important to know the possibilities and limitations of the chain. Suppliers cannot always deliver the sustainable materials you have in mind. It is good to take that into account in your plan of action.’
The A9 Badhoevedorp-Holendrecht project started in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
In recent years, construction contractor De Vries Stolwijk B.V. has made great strides in the area of sustainability. That sustainable adventure started with certification on the CO2 Performance Ladder. “It was initially about the fictitious award advantage for us,” says KAM (Quality, Working Conditions and Environment) coordinator Bastina van Houwelingen. “But once you start working with the Ladder, you soon notice that more is possible.”
De Vries Stolwijk is a South Holland-based construction company, mainly active in ground, road and hydraulic engineering. The small enterprise, consisting of 25 internal and external employees, specialises in (among other things) bank protection, sewer construction and the redevelopment of residential areas and nature reserves.
Straight to level 5
Sustainability came on the agenda at De Vries Stolwijk around 2015, says Van Houwelingen: “We noticed that the CO2 Performance Ladder was increasingly being asked for in the market and that it would become the tendering instrument of the future. So we decided to get certified as well. Initially, the fictitious award advantage was our main motivation, to be just that one step ahead of our competitors.”
De Vries Stolwijk also decided to obtain Level 5 certification right away. Either we really dive in or we don’t do it at all, was the reasoning. “When you start at level 3, you don’t immediately reap all the benefits of a certificate on the Ladder,” explains Van Houwelingen. “And you have to go back to work at a later stage, to achieve a higher level. It therefore seemed smarter to us to go for level 5 right away.”
Solar panels and LED lighting
Since then, De Vries Stolwijk has taken several steps to make its own operations more sustainable. Especially in the initial phase, it was able to immediately realise good CO2 reductions, for instance by switching completely to green electricity and installing 98 solar panels on the roof of the office. In addition, old lighting was replaced by LED lighting and motion sensors were installed so that the lights are only on when employees are present.
Until 2024, De Vries Stolwijk will further reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 3 per cent. All hired excavators must be Tier 3b or higher by the same year. “And we are exploring the possibilities of purchasing hybrid or fully electric machines in the future. Right now, for example, we are in the process of purchasing an electric vibratory plate and rammer,” Van Houwelingen adds.
Continuing to reduce CO2
So, nice steps and plans. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep reducing CO2 year after year, Van Houwelingen notes. Especially as an SME, whose time and resources are simply limited. “In the beginning, you take big and relatively easy steps, but that becomes increasingly challenging. How can you keep improving and reducing, even if you don’t (yet) have the financial resources for electric equipment?”
That is a matter of continually looking critically at one’s own operations, she argues. But cooperation with industry peers can also help. This is where the CO2 Performance Ladder helps; as it obliges companies to share and disseminate knowledge to the rest of the sector. “We have therefore joined the sector initiative ‘Focus on CO2’ of Cumela (the trade association for the green, soil and infrastructure sector) and attend a regional meeting three times a year with like-minded people from the sector,” says Van Houwelingen. “There we can talk to colleagues about the sustainability challenges that come our way.”
“We really learn from each other and that in turn helps us take steps in our own operations and decision-making”
Saving on fuel
Incidentally, that is not the only advantage the CO2 Performance Ladder offers De Vries Stolwijk. For instance, certification on the Ladder also made Van Houwelingen actively monitor fuel consumption. She can now see exactly which machine uses how much fuel and for which operations. “That insight allows us to target fuel reduction. That gives us (especially in these times) a lot of financial benefits. Every litre you can save is a nice bonus.”
Challenges for SMEs
But the CO2 Performance Ladder also brings challenges, says Van Houwelingen. Especially for smaller companies. “At level 5, you also have to make your supply chain transparent. At first, this can be quite difficult to fathom and involves quite a bit of administrative work,” Van Houwelingen says. She therefore advises other SMEs to hire an external consultant (especially in the first few years) to help them get to grips with the Ladder. “But don’t completely outsource the certification process,” she stresses. “Then sustainability comes alive within your own organisation and you can take steps faster.”
“It is precisely when you understand it yourself and start working with it that you see where the opportunities lie”
Demands for sustainability
De Vries Stolwijk recently concluded a project (apart from a few final works) for regional water authority De Stichtse Rijnlanden, in which the CO2 Performance Ladder was used in the tender. Only companies that already held a level 5 certificate were allowed to bid for the tender. For De Vries Stolwijk, this meant that the competition pool was much smaller and it was easier to win the contract.
The execution of the project also included various sustainability requirements. For instance, an additional requirement was that all machines used had to use the more sustainable fuel HVO 100. In addition, the trucks used had to meet at least the Euro 5 emission standard and machines had to have at least a Stage 4 engine. In addition, De Vries Stolwijk tried to combine the supply and removal of materials as much as possible.
The ball is in the government’s court
The fact that regional water authority De Stichtse Rijnlanden used the CO2 Performance Ladder for this tender is part of a broader trend, Van Houwelingen notes. More and more contracting parties are embracing the tendering instrument and (more importantly) are also achieving certification on the Ladder themselves. The latter is important, she says:
“If governments also get certified, they have a much better understanding of how the CO2 Performance Ladder works and what the possibilities are”
“In addition, they must then also reduce CO2 in their own supply chain,” says Van Houwelingen. “That stimulates collaborations between tenderer and contractor and then suddenly much more is possible in terms of sustainability.” Such cooperation is important, she concludes: “Companies (and certainly SMEs) cannot do it alone. We really have to do sustainability together.”
In recent years, construction contractor De Vries Stolwijk B.V. has made great strides in the area of sustainability. That sustainable adventure started with certification on the CO2 Performance Ladder. “It was initially about the fictitious award advantage for us,” says KAM (Quality, Working Conditions and Environment) coordinator Bastina van Houwelingen. “But once you start working with the Ladder, you soon notice that more is possible.”
De Vries Stolwijk is a South Holland-based construction company, mainly active in ground, road and hydraulic engineering. The small enterprise, consisting of 25 internal and external employees, specialises in (among other things) bank protection, sewer construction and the redevelopment of residential areas and nature reserves.
Straight to level 5
Sustainability came on the agenda at De Vries Stolwijk around 2015, says Van Houwelingen: “We noticed that the CO2 Performance Ladder was increasingly being asked for in the market and that it would become the tendering instrument of the future. So we decided to get certified as well. Initially, the fictitious award advantage was our main motivation, to be just that one step ahead of our competitors.”
De Vries Stolwijk also decided to obtain Level 5 certification right away. Either we really dive in or we don’t do it at all, was the reasoning. “When you start at level 3, you don’t immediately reap all the benefits of a certificate on the Ladder,” explains Van Houwelingen. “And you have to go back to work at a later stage, to achieve a higher level. It therefore seemed smarter to us to go for level 5 right away.”
Solar panels and LED lighting
Since then, De Vries Stolwijk has taken several steps to make its own operations more sustainable. Especially in the initial phase, it was able to immediately realise good CO2 reductions, for instance by switching completely to green electricity and installing 98 solar panels on the roof of the office. In addition, old lighting was replaced by LED lighting and motion sensors were installed so that the lights are only on when employees are present.
Until 2024, De Vries Stolwijk will further reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 3 per cent. All hired excavators must be Tier 3b or higher by the same year. “And we are exploring the possibilities of purchasing hybrid or fully electric machines in the future. Right now, for example, we are in the process of purchasing an electric vibratory plate and rammer,” Van Houwelingen adds.
Continuing to reduce CO2
So, nice steps and plans. But it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep reducing CO2 year after year, Van Houwelingen notes. Especially as an SME, whose time and resources are simply limited. “In the beginning, you take big and relatively easy steps, but that becomes increasingly challenging. How can you keep improving and reducing, even if you don’t (yet) have the financial resources for electric equipment?”
That is a matter of continually looking critically at one’s own operations, she argues. But cooperation with industry peers can also help. This is where the CO2 Performance Ladder helps; as it obliges companies to share and disseminate knowledge to the rest of the sector. “We have therefore joined the sector initiative ‘Focus on CO2’ of Cumela (the trade association for the green, soil and infrastructure sector) and attend a regional meeting three times a year with like-minded people from the sector,” says Van Houwelingen. “There we can talk to colleagues about the sustainability challenges that come our way.”
“We really learn from each other and that in turn helps us take steps in our own operations and decision-making”
Saving on fuel
Incidentally, that is not the only advantage the CO2 Performance Ladder offers De Vries Stolwijk. For instance, certification on the Ladder also made Van Houwelingen actively monitor fuel consumption. She can now see exactly which machine uses how much fuel and for which operations. “That insight allows us to target fuel reduction. That gives us (especially in these times) a lot of financial benefits. Every litre you can save is a nice bonus.”
Challenges for SMEs
But the CO2 Performance Ladder also brings challenges, says Van Houwelingen. Especially for smaller companies. “At level 5, you also have to make your supply chain transparent. At first, this can be quite difficult to fathom and involves quite a bit of administrative work,” Van Houwelingen says. She therefore advises other SMEs to hire an external consultant (especially in the first few years) to help them get to grips with the Ladder. “But don’t completely outsource the certification process,” she stresses. “Then sustainability comes alive within your own organisation and you can take steps faster.”
“It is precisely when you understand it yourself and start working with it that you see where the opportunities lie”
Demands for sustainability
De Vries Stolwijk recently concluded a project (apart from a few final works) for regional water authority De Stichtse Rijnlanden, in which the CO2 Performance Ladder was used in the tender. Only companies that already held a level 5 certificate were allowed to bid for the tender. For De Vries Stolwijk, this meant that the competition pool was much smaller and it was easier to win the contract.
The execution of the project also included various sustainability requirements. For instance, an additional requirement was that all machines used had to use the more sustainable fuel HVO 100. In addition, the trucks used had to meet at least the Euro 5 emission standard and machines had to have at least a Stage 4 engine. In addition, De Vries Stolwijk tried to combine the supply and removal of materials as much as possible.
The ball is in the government’s court
The fact that regional water authority De Stichtse Rijnlanden used the CO2 Performance Ladder for this tender is part of a broader trend, Van Houwelingen notes. More and more contracting parties are embracing the tendering instrument and (more importantly) are also achieving certification on the Ladder themselves. The latter is important, she says:
“If governments also get certified, they have a much better understanding of how the CO2 Performance Ladder works and what the possibilities are”
“In addition, they must then also reduce CO2 in their own supply chain,” says Van Houwelingen. “That stimulates collaborations between tenderer and contractor and then suddenly much more is possible in terms of sustainability.” Such cooperation is important, she concludes: “Companies (and certainly SMEs) cannot do it alone. We really have to do sustainability together.”
When ProRail introduced the CO2 Performance Ladder in 2009, Dura Vermeer immediately had itself certified at the highest level. In other words, few companies have as much experience with the Ladder as Dura Vermeer. What can we learn from the construction company?
Emissions to zero, reuse as much as possible and work greener and healthier. Those are Dura Vermeer’s sustainable ambitions in a nutshell. The construction company has been giving substance to these goals for years now and the sustainable achievements do not lie. From extensive use of electric equipment and experiments with bio-based materials to the construction of a 100 percent circular road.
Dura Vermeer is reaping the benefits of these sustainable efforts, notes KAM (Quality, Working Conditions and Environment) manager Theo Baggerman: “Sustainability is gaining more and more value in the market, especially in these times of energy transition, reduction of emissions such as CO2 and shortage of raw materials. If you are not a sustainable company, you won’t attract the new generation of professionals, for instance. They only want to work for sustainable companies. Of course, clients also have their sustainability goals. They are looking hard for builders who can help them achieve them.”
Staying competitive
Independence and continuity are the main goals of family business Dura Vermeer. It is therefore important for Dura Vermeer to be constantly working on sustainability. The CO2 Performance Ladder has been helping the construction company with this for years, says Baggerman:
“The Ladder provides an insight into your own CO2 footprint, offers measures to reduce it and encourages cooperation with others”
“That really helped us, especially in the early stages.” Yet that contribution to sustainability was not the main reason for Dura Vermeer to be certified on the Ladder. That was the award advantage. “When railway manager ProRail first introduced the Ladder for the railway sector (where we also operate), we couldn’t miss that award advantage. Competition in the rail sector is simply too fierce. The fictitious discount was a must to win contracts and stay in the market.”
Benefits of the CO2 Performance Ladder
To date, Dura Vermeer is carrying out and executed a total of no less than 67 projects where the CO2 Performance Ladder was part of the tender. The construction company therefore knows the certification instrument extremely well and gradually discovered even more advantages it brings. Eldar Biro, sustainability advisor at Dura Vermeer: “For example, it also helps us to convince the internal organisation of the importance of sustainability. Because if sustainability is included as a requirement in tenders, it is also more likely to be budgeted for and contributes to innovation. It’s as simple as that.”
Companies seeking Ladder certification must also actively communicate the sustainable measures they are taking. Dura Vermeer is doing so energetically and that too has benefits, says Baggerman: “Partly as a result, we are seen and recognised in the market as a sustainable leader. That generates new work for us and makes us more attractive to young talent.”
“In addition, we inspire our construction chain and the rest of the industry to also take sustainable measures and innovate”
“This is important because we cannot do it alone,” he continues. “For example, if we say we want to switch to electric trucks, that is not convincing enough for suppliers to actually commit to it. But if the whole industry demands it, it becomes a different story. You need each other to convince partners and suppliers that there is a market for sustainability. The CO2 Performance Ladder gives an important push to actively publish about your sustainable ambitions and milestones.”
The CO2 Performance Ladder also improves cooperation with clients around sustainability. Biro: “We periodically sit down with clients to report on the CO2 Performance Ladder. That is an important input for us to discuss opportunities for further sustainability within the project. We like to talk to clients about more than just time and money, especially about sustainability. The CO2 Performance Ladder gives us that opportunity.”
Convincing contracting authorities
Contracting authorities are also increasingly open to this, Biro and Baggerman note. At the same time, there is still a world to be won there. “I see that as one of the biggest challenges we currently face,” says Biro. “Many clients know they have to start working with sustainability, but don’t know exactly how. If sustainability then comes with extra costs (which is often still the case), they are often still hesitant about it.”
Baggerman gives an example: “We recently started Urban Miner. That is a circular construction hub in the shadow of Rotterdam where we temporarily store used building materials and building components so that they can be reused. For example, there is now a bicycle bridge in fine condition there, which can be placed somewhere else in no time. But the biggest challenge appears to be finding a municipality that wants the bridge at all. They are often looking for a unique design or find a ‘second-hand’ cycle bridge a bit too challenging because of the differences between old and new. Think about lifespan and inspection reports, for example.
How does Dura Vermeer deal with this? “It’s about getting them enthusiastic and thinking along,” says Biro.
“Keep telling the sustainable story, keep emphasising the advantages and take clients to projects where it has already succeeded. Then you win them over”
It is also important to respond to the sustainable objectives clients have, Baggerman adds: “Find out what those objectives are and how you can contribute to them.”
Saving 1,000 tons of CO2
Fortunately, there are also plenty of clients these days who are leading the way, who are open to sustainability and who are driving it themselves, Biro emphasises. The city of Amsterdam is one such example. Dura Vermeer has been carrying out small road works and element paving for the municipality since 2019, within the Cooperation Agreement (SOK) Amsterdam. Within that cooperation agreement, Dura Vermeer can play its sustainable heart out. Various measures collectively already resulted in CO2 savings of more than 1,000 tons. Biro: “The municipality’s requirements in terms of sustainability and reuse were already high, but we went one level above .”
Within SOK Amsterdam, for instance, Dura Vermeer works exclusively with sustainable fuels and electric equipment. From articulated mops and wheel loaders to vibratory plates and dumpers. It also made use of an all-electric truck and mobile crane and employees also drive electric as much as possible.
A circular road was also constructed in Amsterdam. For the construction of this temporary road, next to the Johan Cruijff Arena, Circularpave was used. This is a 100 percent circular mixture from Dura Vermeer, consisting of recycled asphalt, secondary raw materials and recycled bitumen (from used roofing materials). Per ton of Circularpave, a CO2 reduction of over 57 kilos is achieved.
Challenges of electric vehicles
However, the above measures are not taken lightly. The use of electric equipment, for instance, brought several new challenges. In principle, diesel machines can run for 24 hours straight, whereas electric equipment needs to be recharged regularly. As a result, production can be lower, which has to be compensated for by smarter planning and logistics and the use of batteries. In addition, at some project sites there is no fixed power connection available, so Dura Vermeer has to work with mobile charging facilities. In addition, the construction company decided to start generating its own sustainable energy on building sites, using solar panels, wind turbines and the vehicle-to-load concept.
In terms of safety, electric equipment also poses challenges. Baggerman: “For example, the equipment makes much less noise, which can be dangerous. And some manual equipment pieces have become a lot heavier (because of the battery). At the start of each project, Dura Vermeer employees are therefore given extra explanation on how to use the new equipment.
But also consider the risk of fire: if an electric car’s battery catches fire, the entire car is dumped in a large bucket of water. This is because extinguishing is not possible with batteries. But how do you do that with heavy electrical construction equipment? You can’t just lift that into a tub of water. We are currently busy investigating that.”
Intrinsic motivation
So, in short there are challenges enough. But that is no reason not to work on sustainability, also given the challenging times we live in, argue Biro and Baggerman. The need and benefits are simply too great these days. “But it has to come from your own motivation,” Biro stresses. “Dura Vermeer reaps the benefits of sustainability, but that is not the only reason why we do it. We also have intrinsic motivation and pride in what we do. If you don’t have that, it’s not going to work.” For companies that do have the motivation, the CO2 Performance Ladder can be an excellent tool and big stick, Baggerman adds.
“So get in touch with companies that are already certified on the Ladder, get advice and experience exactly what it means in practice”
When ProRail introduced the CO2 Performance Ladder in 2009, Dura Vermeer immediately had itself certified at the highest level. In other words, few companies have as much experience with the Ladder as Dura Vermeer. What can we learn from the construction company?
Emissions to zero, reuse as much as possible and work greener and healthier. Those are Dura Vermeer’s sustainable ambitions in a nutshell. The construction company has been giving substance to these goals for years now and the sustainable achievements do not lie. From extensive use of electric equipment and experiments with bio-based materials to the construction of a 100 percent circular road.
Dura Vermeer is reaping the benefits of these sustainable efforts, notes KAM (Quality, Working Conditions and Environment) manager Theo Baggerman: “Sustainability is gaining more and more value in the market, especially in these times of energy transition, reduction of emissions such as CO2 and shortage of raw materials. If you are not a sustainable company, you won’t attract the new generation of professionals, for instance. They only want to work for sustainable companies. Of course, clients also have their sustainability goals. They are looking hard for builders who can help them achieve them.”
Staying competitive
Independence and continuity are the main goals of family business Dura Vermeer. It is therefore important for Dura Vermeer to be constantly working on sustainability. The CO2 Performance Ladder has been helping the construction company with this for years, says Baggerman:
“The Ladder provides an insight into your own CO2 footprint, offers measures to reduce it and encourages cooperation with others”
“That really helped us, especially in the early stages.” Yet that contribution to sustainability was not the main reason for Dura Vermeer to be certified on the Ladder. That was the award advantage. “When railway manager ProRail first introduced the Ladder for the railway sector (where we also operate), we couldn’t miss that award advantage. Competition in the rail sector is simply too fierce. The fictitious discount was a must to win contracts and stay in the market.”
Benefits of the CO2 Performance Ladder
To date, Dura Vermeer is carrying out and executed a total of no less than 67 projects where the CO2 Performance Ladder was part of the tender. The construction company therefore knows the certification instrument extremely well and gradually discovered even more advantages it brings. Eldar Biro, sustainability advisor at Dura Vermeer: “For example, it also helps us to convince the internal organisation of the importance of sustainability. Because if sustainability is included as a requirement in tenders, it is also more likely to be budgeted for and contributes to innovation. It’s as simple as that.”
Companies seeking Ladder certification must also actively communicate the sustainable measures they are taking. Dura Vermeer is doing so energetically and that too has benefits, says Baggerman: “Partly as a result, we are seen and recognised in the market as a sustainable leader. That generates new work for us and makes us more attractive to young talent.”
“In addition, we inspire our construction chain and the rest of the industry to also take sustainable measures and innovate”
“This is important because we cannot do it alone,” he continues. “For example, if we say we want to switch to electric trucks, that is not convincing enough for suppliers to actually commit to it. But if the whole industry demands it, it becomes a different story. You need each other to convince partners and suppliers that there is a market for sustainability. The CO2 Performance Ladder gives an important push to actively publish about your sustainable ambitions and milestones.”
The CO2 Performance Ladder also improves cooperation with clients around sustainability. Biro: “We periodically sit down with clients to report on the CO2 Performance Ladder. That is an important input for us to discuss opportunities for further sustainability within the project. We like to talk to clients about more than just time and money, especially about sustainability. The CO2 Performance Ladder gives us that opportunity.”
Convincing contracting authorities
Contracting authorities are also increasingly open to this, Biro and Baggerman note. At the same time, there is still a world to be won there. “I see that as one of the biggest challenges we currently face,” says Biro. “Many clients know they have to start working with sustainability, but don’t know exactly how. If sustainability then comes with extra costs (which is often still the case), they are often still hesitant about it.”
Baggerman gives an example: “We recently started Urban Miner. That is a circular construction hub in the shadow of Rotterdam where we temporarily store used building materials and building components so that they can be reused. For example, there is now a bicycle bridge in fine condition there, which can be placed somewhere else in no time. But the biggest challenge appears to be finding a municipality that wants the bridge at all. They are often looking for a unique design or find a ‘second-hand’ cycle bridge a bit too challenging because of the differences between old and new. Think about lifespan and inspection reports, for example.
How does Dura Vermeer deal with this? “It’s about getting them enthusiastic and thinking along,” says Biro.
“Keep telling the sustainable story, keep emphasising the advantages and take clients to projects where it has already succeeded. Then you win them over”
It is also important to respond to the sustainable objectives clients have, Baggerman adds: “Find out what those objectives are and how you can contribute to them.”
Saving 1,000 tons of CO2
Fortunately, there are also plenty of clients these days who are leading the way, who are open to sustainability and who are driving it themselves, Biro emphasises. The city of Amsterdam is one such example. Dura Vermeer has been carrying out small road works and element paving for the municipality since 2019, within the Cooperation Agreement (SOK) Amsterdam. Within that cooperation agreement, Dura Vermeer can play its sustainable heart out. Various measures collectively already resulted in CO2 savings of more than 1,000 tons. Biro: “The municipality’s requirements in terms of sustainability and reuse were already high, but we went one level above .”
Within SOK Amsterdam, for instance, Dura Vermeer works exclusively with sustainable fuels and electric equipment. From articulated mops and wheel loaders to vibratory plates and dumpers. It also made use of an all-electric truck and mobile crane and employees also drive electric as much as possible.
A circular road was also constructed in Amsterdam. For the construction of this temporary road, next to the Johan Cruijff Arena, Circularpave was used. This is a 100 percent circular mixture from Dura Vermeer, consisting of recycled asphalt, secondary raw materials and recycled bitumen (from used roofing materials). Per ton of Circularpave, a CO2 reduction of over 57 kilos is achieved.
Challenges of electric vehicles
However, the above measures are not taken lightly. The use of electric equipment, for instance, brought several new challenges. In principle, diesel machines can run for 24 hours straight, whereas electric equipment needs to be recharged regularly. As a result, production can be lower, which has to be compensated for by smarter planning and logistics and the use of batteries. In addition, at some project sites there is no fixed power connection available, so Dura Vermeer has to work with mobile charging facilities. In addition, the construction company decided to start generating its own sustainable energy on building sites, using solar panels, wind turbines and the vehicle-to-load concept.
In terms of safety, electric equipment also poses challenges. Baggerman: “For example, the equipment makes much less noise, which can be dangerous. And some manual equipment pieces have become a lot heavier (because of the battery). At the start of each project, Dura Vermeer employees are therefore given extra explanation on how to use the new equipment.
But also consider the risk of fire: if an electric car’s battery catches fire, the entire car is dumped in a large bucket of water. This is because extinguishing is not possible with batteries. But how do you do that with heavy electrical construction equipment? You can’t just lift that into a tub of water. We are currently busy investigating that.”
Intrinsic motivation
So, in short there are challenges enough. But that is no reason not to work on sustainability, also given the challenging times we live in, argue Biro and Baggerman. The need and benefits are simply too great these days. “But it has to come from your own motivation,” Biro stresses. “Dura Vermeer reaps the benefits of sustainability, but that is not the only reason why we do it. We also have intrinsic motivation and pride in what we do. If you don’t have that, it’s not going to work.” For companies that do have the motivation, the CO2 Performance Ladder can be an excellent tool and big stick, Baggerman adds.
“So get in touch with companies that are already certified on the Ladder, get advice and experience exactly what it means in practice”
The CO2 Performance Ladder is an effective tool to help organisations reduce their CO2 emissions. The sustainability tool helps organisations make their CO2 emissions comprehensible and embed reduction measures. The CO2 Performance Ladder offers the most added value to companies and governments with little insight into their CO2 emissions. This is according to research by CE Delft commissioned by the IKEA Foundation.
CO2 emissions in the organisation and value chain
Organisations that are certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder take more CO2 reduction measures than non-certified organisations. Using the CO2 Performance Ladder leads to an extra 3% CO2 reduction annually for Scope 1 (CO2 emissions caused by their own organisations) and Scope 2 (CO2 emissions caused by the use/consumption of purchased electricity or heat). Almost all certified organisations have implemented CO2 reducing measures that they would not have taken without the CO2 Performance Ladder, such as purchasing domestically generated electricity and electrifying their vehicle fleet. The CO2 Performance Ladder also provides insight into the main indirect CO2 emissions caused by other organisations in their chain, also known as Scope 3 emissions. Cooperation between certified organisations and chain partners leads to the procurement of more sustainable materials with a lower climate impact.
Changing behaviour and culture
Most organisations indicate that the CO2 Performance Ladder contributes to changing the culture internally. The CO2 Performance Ladder raises awareness and also serves as a tool to get everyone on the same page. Organisations communicate internally and externally about the use of the CO2 Performance Ladder, for example about targets and achieved CO2 reductions.
“The main motivations to join the CO2 Performance Ladder are its advantage in tenders and because the CO2 Performance Ladder provides insight into their emissions and points the way to CO2 reduction”
Motivation for certification on the Ladder
The main reasons for organisations to get certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder are the award advantage that certified organisations receive in tenders, the insight gained into their own CO2 emissions, the benefits of implementing a CO2 management system or to help them comply with Dutch or European regulations.
The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropic foundation that focuses its grants on addressing the two greatest threats to children’s futures: poverty and climate change. See www.ikeafoundation.org for more information.
The CO2 Performance Ladder is an effective tool to help organisations reduce their CO2 emissions. The sustainability tool helps organisations make their CO2 emissions comprehensible and embed reduction measures. The CO2 Performance Ladder offers the most added value to companies and governments with little insight into their CO2 emissions. This is according to research by CE Delft commissioned by the IKEA Foundation.
CO2 emissions in the organisation and value chain
Organisations that are certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder take more CO2 reduction measures than non-certified organisations. Using the CO2 Performance Ladder leads to an extra 3% CO2 reduction annually for Scope 1 (CO2 emissions caused by their own organisations) and Scope 2 (CO2 emissions caused by the use/consumption of purchased electricity or heat). Almost all certified organisations have implemented CO2 reducing measures that they would not have taken without the CO2 Performance Ladder, such as purchasing domestically generated electricity and electrifying their vehicle fleet. The CO2 Performance Ladder also provides insight into the main indirect CO2 emissions caused by other organisations in their chain, also known as Scope 3 emissions. Cooperation between certified organisations and chain partners leads to the procurement of more sustainable materials with a lower climate impact.
Changing behaviour and culture
Most organisations indicate that the CO2 Performance Ladder contributes to changing the culture internally. The CO2 Performance Ladder raises awareness and also serves as a tool to get everyone on the same page. Organisations communicate internally and externally about the use of the CO2 Performance Ladder, for example about targets and achieved CO2 reductions.
“The main motivations to join the CO2 Performance Ladder are its advantage in tenders and because the CO2 Performance Ladder provides insight into their emissions and points the way to CO2 reduction”
Motivation for certification on the Ladder
The main reasons for organisations to get certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder are the award advantage that certified organisations receive in tenders, the insight gained into their own CO2 emissions, the benefits of implementing a CO2 management system or to help them comply with Dutch or European regulations.
The IKEA Foundation is a strategic philanthropic foundation that focuses its grants on addressing the two greatest threats to children’s futures: poverty and climate change. See www.ikeafoundation.org for more information.
The CO2 Performance Ladder was developed in the Netherlands by ProRail as a way to stimulate action from the market on carbon reduction. For the first decade of its existence, the CO2PL remained a Dutch instrument, focused on the Dutch market, despite international interest from early on, including across the border in Belgium. As a result of that interest, the CO2 Performance Ladder was piloted in 24 construction projects in Belgium, in the period 2019 – 2023. The results of this pilot phase were positive, and are available here. Governments and companies in Belgium are enthusiastic about the instrument and have the ambition to move forward with it.
Of course, the first pilot of the CO2 Performance Ladder didn’t happen overnight! Before the Ladder could be implemented in a new context for the first time, many stakeholders worked hard to make it possible and create the best conditions for the experiment. This included market parties, – who provided the push to get started – and regional governments – who co-financed the pilot, alongside experts and certifying bodies. This timeline illustrates how the CO2 Performance Ladder was piloted in Belgium, sharing the insights gained and lessons learned in the process. Together with IISD’s feasibility study, the pilot in Belgium demonstrates the widespread applicability of the CO2 Performance Ladder, and helps future users to streamline their implementation of the Ladder.
“the pilot in Belgium demonstrates the widespread applicability of the CO2 Performance Ladder”
Structural implementation in Belgium
Structural implementation in public tenders is currently being discussed by multiple major public authorities in Belgium. The Flemish department for Mobility and Public works (MOW) has announced that they will use the CO2 Performance Ladder in all their public tenders with a value above € 5 million starting from 2025, and progressively lowering the threshold annually after . The Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) continues using the CO2 Performance ladder in its tenders for remediation works, and several other public authorities are interested in applying the CO2 Performance Ladder consistently, including Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Walloon water agency (SWDE).
As part of the structural implementation, the independent organization BENOR has taken over the coordination of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium, and will expand its use in Belgium. BENOR will be responsible for helping companies and governments navigate the certification system, providing practical advice and expert guidance, in collaboration with the owner and manager of the tool, the Foundation for Climate-friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO).
Pilot phase in Belgium
After the co-creative process, it was of course a matter of actually getting started with the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium. Implementing a new system in its entirety from the very start is naturally quite a challenge, so in Belgium it was decided to start with a pilot phase. During this pilot phase, the aim was to concretely implement the Ladder in a number of projects.
Specifically, pilot projects were sought spread across the three Belgian regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. The aim was to launch a total of about 25 projects using the CO2 Performance Ladder: 10 in Flanders, 10 in Wallonia and 5 in Brussels. The pilot phase was coordinated by CO2logic and followed up quarterly in a Steering Committee that included key stakeholders involved since the very beginning of the CO2PL in Belgium (including the Flemish & Walloon administrations, SKAO & ADEB-VBA among others). A final evaluation was produced at the end of the pilot phase, showing the positive findings from both procurers and companies after using the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium.
Guiding principles Belgium
Based on the development process, guiding principles were drawn up for implementation in Belgium:
In line with the Dutch model: certificate valid in Belgium and the Netherlands;
In line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol;
Administrative burden for governments must be as low as possible through external certification;
Must ensure real CO2 reduction;
Only for works above EU threshold amount (€5.5 million). Focus on larger projects to avoid (potential) negative impact on small companies;
Subcontractors not included, for joint ventures the lowest level of the Ladder certificate applies;
Advantage only given up to level 3 of the CO2 Performance Ladder, to be achieved within one year. This was to avoid granting a competitive advantage to Dutch companies already at higher levels (4 or 5).
Award advantage by means of a fictitious discount (% or lump sum) or via a points system;
If the ambition level is not met, a sanction higher than the fictitious discount follows;
BELAC is responsible for the accreditation of certifying bodies in Belgium.
Co-creative implementation process of the Ladder in Belgium
Interest in implementing the Ladder was of course only the beginning. Therefore, after the positive stakeholder analysis, a co-creative process was started with the main stakeholders: governments, public institutions, SKAO, certifying institutions and the construction sector. This led to answers to questions which emerged from the stakeholder analysis and concrete proposals for implementation and coordination of the Ladder in Belgium. The Belgian authorities and the sector organisation ADEB-VBA funded this trajectory, based on their interest in implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium.
The trajectory mainly consisted of thinking about specific questions from Belgian stakeholders in working groups. Thus, working groups were organised to reflect on:
The organisational aspect; how could the Ladder be managed and implemented in Belgium?
The legal aspect: can the Ladder system be adopted in its entirety from the Netherlands, or might some adjustments be needed? Does it comply with Belgian legislation?
The technical aspect: is the Ladder’s system applicable in the Belgian context or are adjustments needed?
Stakeholder analysis
Knowledge sharing among Belgian contractors provided an important step in the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium. To check whether the Belgian market was open to using the Ladder in Belgium, a stakeholder analysis was launched by ADEB-VBA. Its purpose was to find out whether the various stakeholders (companies, contracting authorities, sector organisations, etc.) in Belgium were interested in the Ladder. The construction sector in Belgium thus decided on its own to investigate the possible implementation of the Ladder in Belgium.
The results of this stakeholder analysis were positive! Important motivations for interested Belgian stakeholders were mainly the uniformity of the Ladder (one system), the simplicity for administrations and the now proven success in the Netherlands.
A one-to-one implementation of the Ladder in Belgium was of course difficult. Specific questions and concerns of Belgian stakeholders naturally had to be answered and resolved first. This was carried out in the next phase, considering implementation in Belgium.
Rising interest in the Ladder from Belgium
Over the years, the CO2 Performance Ladder was taken up by more and more organisations in the Netherlands, and sustainability became an increasingly important topic for both companies and the government. In Belgium, during this period, contracting authorities occasionally experimented with systems to evaluate CO2 emissions in large projects. In addition, a number of large Belgian construction companies decided to certify for the CO2 Performance Ladder because of their activities in the Netherlands.
These companies actively shared their experience on the operation and use of the CO2 Performance Ladder within ADEB-VBA, the Belgian sector organisation for large contractors. Based on those exchanges the demand came from the construction sector itself to start investigating a uniform system for sustainability. This demand from the sector itself helped to win over governments as well: the regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
Following the Ladder in the Netherlands
In the early years of the development of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the Netherlands, these developments were closely followed in the Belgian market not only by companies that came into contact with the Ladder in Dutch projects, but also by government bodies interested in using the Ladder in their tenders. In those early years, it remained a case of ‘wait-and-see’ from the Belgian market. There was no concrete implementation yet, but Belgian stakeholders watched with interest as the CO2 Performance Ladder became the sustainability instrument of the Netherlands.
The CO2 Performance Ladder was developed in the Netherlands by ProRail as a way to stimulate action from the market on carbon reduction. For the first decade of its existence, the CO2PL remained a Dutch instrument, focused on the Dutch market, despite international interest from early on, including across the border in Belgium. As a result of that interest, the CO2 Performance Ladder was piloted in 24 construction projects in Belgium, in the period 2019 – 2023. The results of this pilot phase were positive, and are available here. Governments and companies in Belgium are enthusiastic about the instrument and have the ambition to move forward with it.
Of course, the first pilot of the CO2 Performance Ladder didn’t happen overnight! Before the Ladder could be implemented in a new context for the first time, many stakeholders worked hard to make it possible and create the best conditions for the experiment. This included market parties, – who provided the push to get started – and regional governments – who co-financed the pilot, alongside experts and certifying bodies. This timeline illustrates how the CO2 Performance Ladder was piloted in Belgium, sharing the insights gained and lessons learned in the process. Together with IISD’s feasibility study, the pilot in Belgium demonstrates the widespread applicability of the CO2 Performance Ladder, and helps future users to streamline their implementation of the Ladder.
“the pilot in Belgium demonstrates the widespread applicability of the CO2 Performance Ladder”
Structural implementation in Belgium
Structural implementation in public tenders is currently being discussed by multiple major public authorities in Belgium. The Flemish department for Mobility and Public works (MOW) has announced that they will use the CO2 Performance Ladder in all their public tenders with a value above € 5 million starting from 2025, and progressively lowering the threshold annually after . The Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM) continues using the CO2 Performance ladder in its tenders for remediation works, and several other public authorities are interested in applying the CO2 Performance Ladder consistently, including Port of Antwerp-Bruges and the Walloon water agency (SWDE).
As part of the structural implementation, the independent organization BENOR has taken over the coordination of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium, and will expand its use in Belgium. BENOR will be responsible for helping companies and governments navigate the certification system, providing practical advice and expert guidance, in collaboration with the owner and manager of the tool, the Foundation for Climate-friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO).
Pilot phase in Belgium
After the co-creative process, it was of course a matter of actually getting started with the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium. Implementing a new system in its entirety from the very start is naturally quite a challenge, so in Belgium it was decided to start with a pilot phase. During this pilot phase, the aim was to concretely implement the Ladder in a number of projects.
Specifically, pilot projects were sought spread across the three Belgian regions: Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels. The aim was to launch a total of about 25 projects using the CO2 Performance Ladder: 10 in Flanders, 10 in Wallonia and 5 in Brussels. The pilot phase was coordinated by CO2logic and followed up quarterly in a Steering Committee that included key stakeholders involved since the very beginning of the CO2PL in Belgium (including the Flemish & Walloon administrations, SKAO & ADEB-VBA among others). A final evaluation was produced at the end of the pilot phase, showing the positive findings from both procurers and companies after using the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium.
Guiding principles Belgium
Based on the development process, guiding principles were drawn up for implementation in Belgium:
In line with the Dutch model: certificate valid in Belgium and the Netherlands;
In line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol;
Administrative burden for governments must be as low as possible through external certification;
Must ensure real CO2 reduction;
Only for works above EU threshold amount (€5.5 million). Focus on larger projects to avoid (potential) negative impact on small companies;
Subcontractors not included, for joint ventures the lowest level of the Ladder certificate applies;
Advantage only given up to level 3 of the CO2 Performance Ladder, to be achieved within one year. This was to avoid granting a competitive advantage to Dutch companies already at higher levels (4 or 5).
Award advantage by means of a fictitious discount (% or lump sum) or via a points system;
If the ambition level is not met, a sanction higher than the fictitious discount follows;
BELAC is responsible for the accreditation of certifying bodies in Belgium.
Co-creative implementation process of the Ladder in Belgium
Interest in implementing the Ladder was of course only the beginning. Therefore, after the positive stakeholder analysis, a co-creative process was started with the main stakeholders: governments, public institutions, SKAO, certifying institutions and the construction sector. This led to answers to questions which emerged from the stakeholder analysis and concrete proposals for implementation and coordination of the Ladder in Belgium. The Belgian authorities and the sector organisation ADEB-VBA funded this trajectory, based on their interest in implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium.
The trajectory mainly consisted of thinking about specific questions from Belgian stakeholders in working groups. Thus, working groups were organised to reflect on:
The organisational aspect; how could the Ladder be managed and implemented in Belgium?
The legal aspect: can the Ladder system be adopted in its entirety from the Netherlands, or might some adjustments be needed? Does it comply with Belgian legislation?
The technical aspect: is the Ladder’s system applicable in the Belgian context or are adjustments needed?
Stakeholder analysis
Knowledge sharing among Belgian contractors provided an important step in the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Belgium. To check whether the Belgian market was open to using the Ladder in Belgium, a stakeholder analysis was launched by ADEB-VBA. Its purpose was to find out whether the various stakeholders (companies, contracting authorities, sector organisations, etc.) in Belgium were interested in the Ladder. The construction sector in Belgium thus decided on its own to investigate the possible implementation of the Ladder in Belgium.
The results of this stakeholder analysis were positive! Important motivations for interested Belgian stakeholders were mainly the uniformity of the Ladder (one system), the simplicity for administrations and the now proven success in the Netherlands.
A one-to-one implementation of the Ladder in Belgium was of course difficult. Specific questions and concerns of Belgian stakeholders naturally had to be answered and resolved first. This was carried out in the next phase, considering implementation in Belgium.
Rising interest in the Ladder from Belgium
Over the years, the CO2 Performance Ladder was taken up by more and more organisations in the Netherlands, and sustainability became an increasingly important topic for both companies and the government. In Belgium, during this period, contracting authorities occasionally experimented with systems to evaluate CO2 emissions in large projects. In addition, a number of large Belgian construction companies decided to certify for the CO2 Performance Ladder because of their activities in the Netherlands.
These companies actively shared their experience on the operation and use of the CO2 Performance Ladder within ADEB-VBA, the Belgian sector organisation for large contractors. Based on those exchanges the demand came from the construction sector itself to start investigating a uniform system for sustainability. This demand from the sector itself helped to win over governments as well: the regions of Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels.
Following the Ladder in the Netherlands
In the early years of the development of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the Netherlands, these developments were closely followed in the Belgian market not only by companies that came into contact with the Ladder in Dutch projects, but also by government bodies interested in using the Ladder in their tenders. In those early years, it remained a case of ‘wait-and-see’ from the Belgian market. There was no concrete implementation yet, but Belgian stakeholders watched with interest as the CO2 Performance Ladder became the sustainability instrument of the Netherlands.
How can we explain the success of the Ladder in the Netherlands and Belgium? What can this teach us about implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in new sectors, regions and countries? SKAO and CO2logic combined their experiences to identify the most important factors – building blocks and accelerators – for the successful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
The CO2 Performance Ladder (CO2PL) started in 2009 with only one procuring authority, ProRail, and a handful of tenders in the Dutch infrastructure sector. Since then, the tool has grown to become the standard GPP tool in the Netherlands, used by over 300 procuring authorities, with (at the time of writing) over 2000 active tenders in many different sectors. The first experience implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in tenders outside the Netherlands came in 2019, when all three Belgian regional governments began piloting the GPP tool in tenders.
How can we explain the success of the Ladder in the Netherlands and Belgium? What can this teach us about implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in new sectors and countries? The Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO, the owner and manager of the Ladder) and CO2logic (coordinator of the pilot in Belgium), combined their experiences to identify the most important factors for the successful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new sectors, regions and countries. Our aim was to gain a clear insight into the crucial building blocks, and enabling accelerators to facilitate the effective and impactful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new contexts.
On the basis of our analysis, we have identified:
10 ‘building blocks’ – aspects that are necessary to implement the CO2 Performance Ladder in a new geographical area or sector, based on our experiences in the Netherlands and Belgium.
3 ‘accelerators’ – factors that are useful but not crucial, as they lead to an acceleration in adoption and scaling-up.
“Our aim was to gain a clear insight into the crucial building blocks, and enabling accelerators to facilitate the effective and impactful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new contexts”
Building blocks
First procuring authority
The theory of change of the CO2 Performance Ladder is based on the ‘Power of Procurement.’ In this way, public authorities initiate and stimulate the decarbonisation of companies, their supply chains and heavy industries by using the CO2 Performance Ladder as an award criteria in their tendering process. This also motivates companies to get certified. Therefore, to implement the CO2 Performance Ladder, at least one public authority is required.
To achieve higher emission reductions and to send a stronger signal to market parties, however, it is highly recommended to include multiple procuring authorities in implementation (see accelerator 1 below).
National coordinating organisation
To stimulate local ownership and coordinate effective stakeholder engagement (see building block 6, multi-stakeholder approach), a national coordinating organisation is needed to coordinate the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new country contexts. This organisation should ideally be active in relevant networks and sectors, and familiar with the local language, culture and procurement context. Bringing all stakeholders together and liaising with SKAO is an important building block during the pilot phase and beyond, as demonstrated in Belgium.
Understanding the CO2 Performance Ladder
It is crucial that key (future) users of the CO2 Performance Ladder, primarily the procuring authorities, companies and the auditors, understand the tool and how to use it. SKAO has published many documents and videos explaining how to apply the CO2 Performance Ladder. It is useful to make these materials available in the local language and adapting the information so that it reflects the local context (policy priorities, procurement regulations, etc.).
Capacity building and communication
Engaging with (future) stakeholders is important, as our experience shows that publishing documents and guidelines about the CO2 Performance Ladder is not enough to ensure awareness and knowledge of the tool. In order to effectively inform and stimulate current and future users, capacity building activities such as (peer-to-peer) events, communities of practice, trainings, preferably in the local language, should be organised on a regular basis. Procuring authorities should also ensure to communicate their plans for implementing the Ladder clearly, to give market parties adequate time to understand and prepare for system implementation.
Furthermore, publishing examples and case studies can illustrate the wide range of applications of the CO2 Performance Ladder. Collaborating in these activities with stakeholders like industry federations, knowledge institutes, governments and NGOs will ensure maximum and effective outreach. Industry associations have been particularly important in spreading knowledge and broaden support for the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Legal assessment
The CO2 Performance Ladder is aligned with the 2014 EU Procurement Directive, and has a strong track record in implementation in the Netherlands and in Belgium, with no legal challenges across the CO2PL’s near 15-year existence.
Yet, public procurement is a strongly regulated field and many public procurers hesitate to take risks when implementing new GPP instruments. To overcome potential concerns in new pilot projects, it is recommended to conduct a review of legal considerations about the alignment of the CO2 Performance Ladder with EU, national and local procurement regulations. Such a legal assessment could be carried out by legal experts, as in France, or through a working group of experts, as in Belgium. Stakeholders can already draw from multiple resources, such as the Procurement Guide, Answers to Legal Questions and Belgian Tender Model Clauses,
Multi-stakeholder approach
For successful implementation of the Ladder in a specific country context, a multi-stakeholder approach is crucial. Structures bringing together all relevant stakeholder groups serve to collect input, broaden support as well as address relevant substantive and practical issues. Relevant stakeholders include for instance procuring authorities, procurement policy authorities, certification and accreditation bodies, industry associations and companies, research and civil society organizations. Key considerations for such groups during implementation are to make sure they ensure appropriate representation of the different users of the CO2 Performance Ladder, and offer possibilities to gather input and experiences to effectively direct implementation.
For example, SKAO is guided by various committees and groups, covering a broad cross-section of representatives from all stakeholders. In Belgium, a steering committee, coordinated by CO2Logic brings together contracting authorities, businesses and certifying bodies, while three working groups address more specific issues.
Adequate capacity and resources
To create ownership and to ensure long-term financial stability of the CO2 Performance Ladder, all stakeholders need adequate capacities and resources. Even though the instrument is relatively easy to use for procurers, implementing it in a new country or sector requires upfront efforts from participating organisations, particularly national coordinating organisation(s), and procuring parties. For example in Belgium, the Walloon and Flemish governments provided a subsidy to the coordinating partner for the duration of the pilot period.
Leadership
Key figures who champion sustainable procurement, and the implementation of the Ladder both internally and externally have been essential players in the development and evolution of the Ladder. In the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new contexts, brave sustainability leaders will be required to navigate the challenges and to advocate for green public procurement. These individual leaders understand the need to act now, make impact, and see more opportunities than barriers, and have the mandate to create momentum internally and/or externally. Such leaders within contracting authorities are especially important.
One tool one approach
The fact that the CO2 Performance Ladder certificate is based on a consistent norm – the CO2 Performance Ladder Handbook – means that one certificate can be used everywhere the CO2 Performance Ladder is implemented. This ensures that there is no fragmentation across various regions or countries. We believe this increases the overall impact of the system and provides a stronger incentive for organisations to get certified. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the national implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder does not affect the interoperability of Ladder certificates or lead to divergences across borders. In this way compatibility with international standards and methods can be assured.
Sufficient certification bodies
To effectively assure third party verification sufficient capacity for certification should be available in the market. There should be sufficient certification bodies in a country/region able to carry out Ladder assessments.
Accelerators
The more contracting authorities the better
At least one contracting authority is needed to start a pilot, but the more contracting authorities that are active in a specific sector implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder, the more momentum is created, and the stronger the signal to industry. For instance, the uptake of the tool the Netherlands grew rapidly once more organisations, such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, joined ProRail in using the CO2 Performance Ladder in their infrastructure and construction procurement.
Influence and market share
If the contracting authorities and organisations participating in the pilot are large and important players with a large spend in the market, they have more influence in the supply chain and the CO2 Performance Ladder can spread faster. Some of the earliest adopters of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the Netherlands are some of the most significant: ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have a large influence over the Dutch public infrastructure market, while Royal BAM Group is a significant player in the infrastructure sector.
Political support and conducive policy context
If the CO2 Performance Ladder is integrated within broader net-zero strategies and GPP policies, and is seen as a way to concretely implement them, this boosts the impact of the tool. For example, the Sustainable Public Market initiative in Wallonia and the Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering works (DGWW) in the Netherlands led to a broader adoption and increased impact.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful for the research carried out by Jonathan de Clerck, Gijs Temeer and Jan Janssen, as well as the whole SKAO team for their input. We would also like to thank all interviewees, and IISD and CO2logic for their review and guidance.
How can we explain the success of the Ladder in the Netherlands and Belgium? What can this teach us about implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in new sectors, regions and countries? SKAO and CO2logic combined their experiences to identify the most important factors – building blocks and accelerators – for the successful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
The CO2 Performance Ladder (CO2PL) started in 2009 with only one procuring authority, ProRail, and a handful of tenders in the Dutch infrastructure sector. Since then, the tool has grown to become the standard GPP tool in the Netherlands, used by over 300 procuring authorities, with (at the time of writing) over 2000 active tenders in many different sectors. The first experience implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in tenders outside the Netherlands came in 2019, when all three Belgian regional governments began piloting the GPP tool in tenders.
How can we explain the success of the Ladder in the Netherlands and Belgium? What can this teach us about implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in new sectors and countries? The Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO, the owner and manager of the Ladder) and CO2logic (coordinator of the pilot in Belgium), combined their experiences to identify the most important factors for the successful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new sectors, regions and countries. Our aim was to gain a clear insight into the crucial building blocks, and enabling accelerators to facilitate the effective and impactful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new contexts.
On the basis of our analysis, we have identified:
10 ‘building blocks’ – aspects that are necessary to implement the CO2 Performance Ladder in a new geographical area or sector, based on our experiences in the Netherlands and Belgium.
3 ‘accelerators’ – factors that are useful but not crucial, as they lead to an acceleration in adoption and scaling-up.
“Our aim was to gain a clear insight into the crucial building blocks, and enabling accelerators to facilitate the effective and impactful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new contexts”
Building blocks
First procuring authority
The theory of change of the CO2 Performance Ladder is based on the ‘Power of Procurement.’ In this way, public authorities initiate and stimulate the decarbonisation of companies, their supply chains and heavy industries by using the CO2 Performance Ladder as an award criteria in their tendering process. This also motivates companies to get certified. Therefore, to implement the CO2 Performance Ladder, at least one public authority is required.
To achieve higher emission reductions and to send a stronger signal to market parties, however, it is highly recommended to include multiple procuring authorities in implementation (see accelerator 1 below).
National coordinating organisation
To stimulate local ownership and coordinate effective stakeholder engagement (see building block 6, multi-stakeholder approach), a national coordinating organisation is needed to coordinate the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new country contexts. This organisation should ideally be active in relevant networks and sectors, and familiar with the local language, culture and procurement context. Bringing all stakeholders together and liaising with SKAO is an important building block during the pilot phase and beyond, as demonstrated in Belgium.
Understanding the CO2 Performance Ladder
It is crucial that key (future) users of the CO2 Performance Ladder, primarily the procuring authorities, companies and the auditors, understand the tool and how to use it. SKAO has published many documents and videos explaining how to apply the CO2 Performance Ladder. It is useful to make these materials available in the local language and adapting the information so that it reflects the local context (policy priorities, procurement regulations, etc.).
Capacity building and communication
Engaging with (future) stakeholders is important, as our experience shows that publishing documents and guidelines about the CO2 Performance Ladder is not enough to ensure awareness and knowledge of the tool. In order to effectively inform and stimulate current and future users, capacity building activities such as (peer-to-peer) events, communities of practice, trainings, preferably in the local language, should be organised on a regular basis. Procuring authorities should also ensure to communicate their plans for implementing the Ladder clearly, to give market parties adequate time to understand and prepare for system implementation.
Furthermore, publishing examples and case studies can illustrate the wide range of applications of the CO2 Performance Ladder. Collaborating in these activities with stakeholders like industry federations, knowledge institutes, governments and NGOs will ensure maximum and effective outreach. Industry associations have been particularly important in spreading knowledge and broaden support for the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Legal assessment
The CO2 Performance Ladder is aligned with the 2014 EU Procurement Directive, and has a strong track record in implementation in the Netherlands and in Belgium, with no legal challenges across the CO2PL’s near 15-year existence.
Yet, public procurement is a strongly regulated field and many public procurers hesitate to take risks when implementing new GPP instruments. To overcome potential concerns in new pilot projects, it is recommended to conduct a review of legal considerations about the alignment of the CO2 Performance Ladder with EU, national and local procurement regulations. Such a legal assessment could be carried out by legal experts, as in France, or through a working group of experts, as in Belgium. Stakeholders can already draw from multiple resources, such as the Procurement Guide, Answers to Legal Questions and Belgian Tender Model Clauses,
Multi-stakeholder approach
For successful implementation of the Ladder in a specific country context, a multi-stakeholder approach is crucial. Structures bringing together all relevant stakeholder groups serve to collect input, broaden support as well as address relevant substantive and practical issues. Relevant stakeholders include for instance procuring authorities, procurement policy authorities, certification and accreditation bodies, industry associations and companies, research and civil society organizations. Key considerations for such groups during implementation are to make sure they ensure appropriate representation of the different users of the CO2 Performance Ladder, and offer possibilities to gather input and experiences to effectively direct implementation.
For example, SKAO is guided by various committees and groups, covering a broad cross-section of representatives from all stakeholders. In Belgium, a steering committee, coordinated by CO2Logic brings together contracting authorities, businesses and certifying bodies, while three working groups address more specific issues.
Adequate capacity and resources
To create ownership and to ensure long-term financial stability of the CO2 Performance Ladder, all stakeholders need adequate capacities and resources. Even though the instrument is relatively easy to use for procurers, implementing it in a new country or sector requires upfront efforts from participating organisations, particularly national coordinating organisation(s), and procuring parties. For example in Belgium, the Walloon and Flemish governments provided a subsidy to the coordinating partner for the duration of the pilot period.
Leadership
Key figures who champion sustainable procurement, and the implementation of the Ladder both internally and externally have been essential players in the development and evolution of the Ladder. In the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder in new contexts, brave sustainability leaders will be required to navigate the challenges and to advocate for green public procurement. These individual leaders understand the need to act now, make impact, and see more opportunities than barriers, and have the mandate to create momentum internally and/or externally. Such leaders within contracting authorities are especially important.
One tool one approach
The fact that the CO2 Performance Ladder certificate is based on a consistent norm – the CO2 Performance Ladder Handbook – means that one certificate can be used everywhere the CO2 Performance Ladder is implemented. This ensures that there is no fragmentation across various regions or countries. We believe this increases the overall impact of the system and provides a stronger incentive for organisations to get certified. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the national implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder does not affect the interoperability of Ladder certificates or lead to divergences across borders. In this way compatibility with international standards and methods can be assured.
Sufficient certification bodies
To effectively assure third party verification sufficient capacity for certification should be available in the market. There should be sufficient certification bodies in a country/region able to carry out Ladder assessments.
Accelerators
The more contracting authorities the better
At least one contracting authority is needed to start a pilot, but the more contracting authorities that are active in a specific sector implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder, the more momentum is created, and the stronger the signal to industry. For instance, the uptake of the tool the Netherlands grew rapidly once more organisations, such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, joined ProRail in using the CO2 Performance Ladder in their infrastructure and construction procurement.
Influence and market share
If the contracting authorities and organisations participating in the pilot are large and important players with a large spend in the market, they have more influence in the supply chain and the CO2 Performance Ladder can spread faster. Some of the earliest adopters of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the Netherlands are some of the most significant: ProRail and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management have a large influence over the Dutch public infrastructure market, while Royal BAM Group is a significant player in the infrastructure sector.
Political support and conducive policy context
If the CO2 Performance Ladder is integrated within broader net-zero strategies and GPP policies, and is seen as a way to concretely implement them, this boosts the impact of the tool. For example, the Sustainable Public Market initiative in Wallonia and the Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering works (DGWW) in the Netherlands led to a broader adoption and increased impact.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful for the research carried out by Jonathan de Clerck, Gijs Temeer and Jan Janssen, as well as the whole SKAO team for their input. We would also like to thank all interviewees, and IISD and CO2logic for their review and guidance.
IISD conducted a feasibility study of using the CO2 Performance Ladder as a procurement tool and CO2 management tool in Europe. Compared to other European carbon tools and approaches, the CO2 Performance Ladder stands out for its track record of use in public procurement, its proven carbon mitigation impact, and its third-party verification system.
Due to increasing international interest (including a pilot project in Belgium), the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), together with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), is investigating the feasibility of the CO2 Performance Ladder in several European countries.
The project – ‘Accelerating decarbonisation through the power of procurement, by dissemination of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Europe’ (CO2PLEU) – researches the possibilities to extend the use of this best practice instrument, towards a Europe wide dissemination. In this way the CO2 Performance Ladder can boost green public procurement and CO2 reduction even further.
Feasibility study
The feasibility study, conducted by IISD, provides insights about the procurement context in 10 European countries: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. For each of the countries, the study provides information about:
Sustainable Public Procurement: What are key priorities and activities in the country? Which tools, instruments and labels are used for sustainable public procurement?
Low carbon procurement: What are emission reduction targets in the country? What is the status of low carbon procurement of goods, works and services, and how is this monitored?
The study shows the potential of the CO2 Performance Ladder in 10 studied countries
Key observations by country
Below Table provides an overview of key observations on the potential for uptake of the CO2 Performance Ladder through public procurement processes in the 10 studied countries.
IISD conducted a feasibility study of using the CO2 Performance Ladder as a procurement tool and CO2 management tool in Europe. Compared to other European carbon tools and approaches, the CO2 Performance Ladder stands out for its track record of use in public procurement, its proven carbon mitigation impact, and its third-party verification system.
Due to increasing international interest (including a pilot project in Belgium), the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), together with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), is investigating the feasibility of the CO2 Performance Ladder in several European countries.
The project – ‘Accelerating decarbonisation through the power of procurement, by dissemination of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Europe’ (CO2PLEU) – researches the possibilities to extend the use of this best practice instrument, towards a Europe wide dissemination. In this way the CO2 Performance Ladder can boost green public procurement and CO2 reduction even further.
Feasibility study
The feasibility study, conducted by IISD, provides insights about the procurement context in 10 European countries: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. For each of the countries, the study provides information about:
Sustainable Public Procurement: What are key priorities and activities in the country? Which tools, instruments and labels are used for sustainable public procurement?
Low carbon procurement: What are emission reduction targets in the country? What is the status of low carbon procurement of goods, works and services, and how is this monitored?
The study shows the potential of the CO2 Performance Ladder in 10 studied countries
Key observations by country
Below Table provides an overview of key observations on the potential for uptake of the CO2 Performance Ladder through public procurement processes in the 10 studied countries.
IISD study: CO₂ Performance Ladder feasable for use in Europe
Article
Vorige
Volgende
Politik und der Markt
Schaffung von Unterstützung in der Politik und auf dem Markt durch die Einbeziehung von Kleinunternehmen und die Förderung einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung.
The Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering is a progressive sector initiative that has ensured broad acceptance and application of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the market. Signed in 2013 in the Netherlands, it is a sector-wide approach to integrate sustainability in ground, road and hydraulic engineering projects. It provides how clients and contractors can cooperate to achieve sector-wide agreement to boost sustainability. Its objective: a practical and uniform approach for everyone in the Civil Engineering market to concretise sustainability in projects, with the CO2 Performance Ladder as one of the tools to achieve this.
The Civil Engineering sector is one of the sectors with the largest impact on the sustainability of the living environment, due to the use of large quantities of ‘carbon heavy’ materials, and (primary) raw materials. This leads to high environmental impact and high energy consumption with high CO2 emissions, therefore making the potential for sustainability gains equally high.
“The Civil Engineering sector is one of the sectors with the largest impact on the sustainability of the living environment”
Not only is the climate impact of the sector substantial, but the procurement volume of governments in this sector is too. Annually, works in the Civil Engineering sector involve billions of euros. Because of the climate impact, the procurement volume and the (market) share of public contracting authorities in this sector, sustainable procurement is a great way to achieve positive impact in reducing CO2 emissions.
Since 2013, the CO2 Performance Ladder has been applied as a sustainable procurement tool in the Dutch Civil Engineering sector via the Green Deal, alongside three other tools.
Sector-wide agreements and basic instruments
The Green Deal comprises a set of long-term and sector-wide agreements between contracting authorities and contractors: central government, provinces, municipalities, water boards, scientific institutions, construction companies, contractors, consultancies and sector organisations all collaborated to lay down these joint sustainability ambitions.
The aim of the Green Deal is to arrive at uniform basic instruments that unambiguously measure CO2 reduction and circularity in the Civil Engineering sector and can be used by all organisations involved. The core of the Sustainable Civil Engineering approach is the use of four tools to think about sustainability throughout the various phases of a project:
For instance, the CO2 Performance Ladder helps to embed CO2 reduction in contracting authorities’ tenders, while the environmental costs of material use in projects can be mapped using DuboCalc. Thus, the Green Deal offers inspiring examples and tools on how to make sustainability concrete and measurable, scaling up the sustainability of Civil Engineering projects.
Cooperation and standardisation in the market
The Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering has led to more cooperation around sustainability in the sector and to more standardisation in the approach to sustainability in the Civil Engineering sector. CO2 reduction, sustainable use of materials and environmental impact are increasingly becoming business as usual.
The ideas of the Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering are still alive: in 2022, the Manifest Sustainable Civil Engineering 2030 was published setting ambitious targets and a common approach, including the CO2 Performance Ladder. A great example of the power of a sector-wide initiative .
“The Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering has led to more cooperation around sustainability in the sector”
The Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering is a progressive sector initiative that has ensured broad acceptance and application of the CO2 Performance Ladder in the market. Signed in 2013 in the Netherlands, it is a sector-wide approach to integrate sustainability in ground, road and hydraulic engineering projects. It provides how clients and contractors can cooperate to achieve sector-wide agreement to boost sustainability. Its objective: a practical and uniform approach for everyone in the Civil Engineering market to concretise sustainability in projects, with the CO2 Performance Ladder as one of the tools to achieve this.
The Civil Engineering sector is one of the sectors with the largest impact on the sustainability of the living environment, due to the use of large quantities of ‘carbon heavy’ materials, and (primary) raw materials. This leads to high environmental impact and high energy consumption with high CO2 emissions, therefore making the potential for sustainability gains equally high.
“The Civil Engineering sector is one of the sectors with the largest impact on the sustainability of the living environment”
Not only is the climate impact of the sector substantial, but the procurement volume of governments in this sector is too. Annually, works in the Civil Engineering sector involve billions of euros. Because of the climate impact, the procurement volume and the (market) share of public contracting authorities in this sector, sustainable procurement is a great way to achieve positive impact in reducing CO2 emissions.
Since 2013, the CO2 Performance Ladder has been applied as a sustainable procurement tool in the Dutch Civil Engineering sector via the Green Deal, alongside three other tools.
Sector-wide agreements and basic instruments
The Green Deal comprises a set of long-term and sector-wide agreements between contracting authorities and contractors: central government, provinces, municipalities, water boards, scientific institutions, construction companies, contractors, consultancies and sector organisations all collaborated to lay down these joint sustainability ambitions.
The aim of the Green Deal is to arrive at uniform basic instruments that unambiguously measure CO2 reduction and circularity in the Civil Engineering sector and can be used by all organisations involved. The core of the Sustainable Civil Engineering approach is the use of four tools to think about sustainability throughout the various phases of a project:
For instance, the CO2 Performance Ladder helps to embed CO2 reduction in contracting authorities’ tenders, while the environmental costs of material use in projects can be mapped using DuboCalc. Thus, the Green Deal offers inspiring examples and tools on how to make sustainability concrete and measurable, scaling up the sustainability of Civil Engineering projects.
Cooperation and standardisation in the market
The Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering has led to more cooperation around sustainability in the sector and to more standardisation in the approach to sustainability in the Civil Engineering sector. CO2 reduction, sustainable use of materials and environmental impact are increasingly becoming business as usual.
The ideas of the Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering are still alive: in 2022, the Manifest Sustainable Civil Engineering 2030 was published setting ambitious targets and a common approach, including the CO2 Performance Ladder. A great example of the power of a sector-wide initiative .
“The Green Deal Sustainable Civil Engineering has led to more cooperation around sustainability in the sector”
(The article below is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country)
The CO2 Performance Ladder was launched in 2019 in Belgium in the framework of several public works contracts. The intention of this pilot phase is to include the CO2 Performance Ladder in several public tenders in the three Belgian regions as pilot projects, to validate the scheme on the Belgian territory.
For Wallonia, since 2019, an action plan related to sustainable public procurement has been developed. Indeed, Wallonia wishes to encourage each public actor to adopt, at its level, a purchasing policy that will bring added value to society. Particularly by contributing to the fight against climate change. Making public purchasing more sustainable therefore also means integrating environmental clauses into the specifications. To do this, tools are needed, and the CO2 Performance Ladder is one of these tools.
Sylvie Loutz, project manager for sustainable construction at the Sustainable Development Directorate of the SPW (Walloon Public Service) and Cécile Batungwanayo, advisor at the Walloon Air and Climate Agency (AwAC) explain the challenges of the CO2 Performance Ladder and talk about the achievements in Wallonia.
The first steps in Wallonia
Sylvie explains that the first steps were taken in 2017 and the three regions (Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia) in 2019 agreed on the transposition of the Dutch CO2 Performance Ladder to Belgium.
The Ladder was adopted by three ministries, here in Wallonia: the Ministry for Public Works, the Ministry for Climate and the Ministry for Sustainable Development. The CO2 Performance Ladder, used as a clause in public contracts, has the advantage of encouraging companies to reduce their CO2 emissions. Today, this system is supported by the government via the Walloon Recovery Plan, which wants to continue its work on green public procurement and reducing CO2 emissions for Wallonia.
The CO2 Performance Ladder, developed in the Netherlands more than 10 years ago, is a tool that can be used as an environmental clause in public procurement. “This tool, which has already proved its value in the Netherlands, allowed us to easily enter the pilot phase for Belgium,” adds Cécile.
“The CO2 Performance Ladder enables us to stimulate the construction sector in a structural way”
When certification takes place at the company level, certification will reduce the CO2 impact. The advantage of having a company certification is that all offices, other sites and construction sites carried out by the company will lead to a reduction of the CO2 impact. However, certification can also be carried out on a project-by-project basis and this is a good first step. As in the Netherlands, certification of the company or on project level is voluntary.
Indirectly, the CO2 Performance Ladder is also a way to fight against social dumping, as all personnel involved on the construction sites (company personnel or personnel of the subcontractor(s)) are registered with regard to their CO2 footprint.
Sustainable procurement
Within SPW, the Sustainable Development Directorate emphasises sustainable procurement as a key lever for sustainable development, by including various aspects in public procurement clauses. For example, social clauses that promote the integration of people who dropped out of the labour market or providing training. Public authorities can use pre-established standard social clauses for this purpose in tenders. For certain types of public procurement, it is mandatory to add these kinds of social clauses.
In addition, from an ethical point of view, an anti-dumping clause for example, can be included in the tender specifications. As part of sustainable procurement, the aim is also to further develop the environmental aspect. “Like the social clause, we also want to add an environmental clause. In this context, the CO2 Performance Ladder is a good example of an environmental clause we could use. Currently, there are not many environmental clauses that can be added in tenders, it remains a voluntary process,” Sylvie tells us.
Projects applying the CO2 Performance Ladder in Wallonia
11 pilot projects integrating the CO2 Performance Ladder in its clauses have been identified for Wallonia. Some pilot projects have already been implemented and others are in progress or have yet to be launched. Cécile and Sylvie give us some examples.
6 projects are supported by SPW Mobility infrastructure and are located in the Liège, Namur, Lower Sambre and Hainaut regions. “The most advanced of these projects is the Bressoux multimodal zone project, which is located near Liège. The company was committed to and has just obtained its level 3 certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder for the completion of this site in less than a year.”
Other projects were carried out by intermunicipal companies. The first project on the CO2 Performance Ladder in Wallonia was Orientis 3, a mixed economic activity park in Ghislenghien. This project is led by the Territorial Development Agency IDETA. The projects are of different types: road works, quay development works, construction of a building. These are all types of work where the Ladder is used in Wallonia!
Tips for future projects
“The Ladder is an easy system to set up and understand. There are few questions or constraints at the level of public purchasers. Companies generally commit to level 3 of the CO2 Performance Ladder for pilot projects. The number of bids has not changed and the pilot projects already launched also show that the Ladder does not influence the prices of public procurement. So prices vary little between companies committed to the CO2 Performance Ladder and those not. We are still waiting for the final results of the pilot phase in Belgium, but so far the results are already encouraging!”
This article is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country. Want to read more about the results of the pilot phase? You can do so here.
“The Ladder is an easy system to set up and understand. There are few questions or constraints at the level of public purchasers”
(The article below is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country)
The CO2 Performance Ladder was launched in 2019 in Belgium in the framework of several public works contracts. The intention of this pilot phase is to include the CO2 Performance Ladder in several public tenders in the three Belgian regions as pilot projects, to validate the scheme on the Belgian territory.
For Wallonia, since 2019, an action plan related to sustainable public procurement has been developed. Indeed, Wallonia wishes to encourage each public actor to adopt, at its level, a purchasing policy that will bring added value to society. Particularly by contributing to the fight against climate change. Making public purchasing more sustainable therefore also means integrating environmental clauses into the specifications. To do this, tools are needed, and the CO2 Performance Ladder is one of these tools.
Sylvie Loutz, project manager for sustainable construction at the Sustainable Development Directorate of the SPW (Walloon Public Service) and Cécile Batungwanayo, advisor at the Walloon Air and Climate Agency (AwAC) explain the challenges of the CO2 Performance Ladder and talk about the achievements in Wallonia.
The first steps in Wallonia
Sylvie explains that the first steps were taken in 2017 and the three regions (Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia) in 2019 agreed on the transposition of the Dutch CO2 Performance Ladder to Belgium.
The Ladder was adopted by three ministries, here in Wallonia: the Ministry for Public Works, the Ministry for Climate and the Ministry for Sustainable Development. The CO2 Performance Ladder, used as a clause in public contracts, has the advantage of encouraging companies to reduce their CO2 emissions. Today, this system is supported by the government via the Walloon Recovery Plan, which wants to continue its work on green public procurement and reducing CO2 emissions for Wallonia.
The CO2 Performance Ladder, developed in the Netherlands more than 10 years ago, is a tool that can be used as an environmental clause in public procurement. “This tool, which has already proved its value in the Netherlands, allowed us to easily enter the pilot phase for Belgium,” adds Cécile.
“The CO2 Performance Ladder enables us to stimulate the construction sector in a structural way”
When certification takes place at the company level, certification will reduce the CO2 impact. The advantage of having a company certification is that all offices, other sites and construction sites carried out by the company will lead to a reduction of the CO2 impact. However, certification can also be carried out on a project-by-project basis and this is a good first step. As in the Netherlands, certification of the company or on project level is voluntary.
Indirectly, the CO2 Performance Ladder is also a way to fight against social dumping, as all personnel involved on the construction sites (company personnel or personnel of the subcontractor(s)) are registered with regard to their CO2 footprint.
Sustainable procurement
Within SPW, the Sustainable Development Directorate emphasises sustainable procurement as a key lever for sustainable development, by including various aspects in public procurement clauses. For example, social clauses that promote the integration of people who dropped out of the labour market or providing training. Public authorities can use pre-established standard social clauses for this purpose in tenders. For certain types of public procurement, it is mandatory to add these kinds of social clauses.
In addition, from an ethical point of view, an anti-dumping clause for example, can be included in the tender specifications. As part of sustainable procurement, the aim is also to further develop the environmental aspect. “Like the social clause, we also want to add an environmental clause. In this context, the CO2 Performance Ladder is a good example of an environmental clause we could use. Currently, there are not many environmental clauses that can be added in tenders, it remains a voluntary process,” Sylvie tells us.
Projects applying the CO2 Performance Ladder in Wallonia
11 pilot projects integrating the CO2 Performance Ladder in its clauses have been identified for Wallonia. Some pilot projects have already been implemented and others are in progress or have yet to be launched. Cécile and Sylvie give us some examples.
6 projects are supported by SPW Mobility infrastructure and are located in the Liège, Namur, Lower Sambre and Hainaut regions. “The most advanced of these projects is the Bressoux multimodal zone project, which is located near Liège. The company was committed to and has just obtained its level 3 certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder for the completion of this site in less than a year.”
Other projects were carried out by intermunicipal companies. The first project on the CO2 Performance Ladder in Wallonia was Orientis 3, a mixed economic activity park in Ghislenghien. This project is led by the Territorial Development Agency IDETA. The projects are of different types: road works, quay development works, construction of a building. These are all types of work where the Ladder is used in Wallonia!
Tips for future projects
“The Ladder is an easy system to set up and understand. There are few questions or constraints at the level of public purchasers. Companies generally commit to level 3 of the CO2 Performance Ladder for pilot projects. The number of bids has not changed and the pilot projects already launched also show that the Ladder does not influence the prices of public procurement. So prices vary little between companies committed to the CO2 Performance Ladder and those not. We are still waiting for the final results of the pilot phase in Belgium, but so far the results are already encouraging!”
This article is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country. Want to read more about the results of the pilot phase? You can do so here.
“The Ladder is an easy system to set up and understand. There are few questions or constraints at the level of public purchasers”
(The article below is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country)
Belgium is the first country outside Dutch borders to deploy the CO2 Performance Ladder. Belgian stakeholders are currently busy experimenting in a pilot phase. What is involved in successful implementation of a procurement tool like the CO2 Performance Ladder? Steven Declercq of Embuild Flanders, trade association for the Belgian construction sector, shares his opinion with us.
“Sustainability and CO2 neutrality are prominent on the agenda in Belgium these days,” says Declercq. “That is undeniably where we are heading, also in the construction sector.” Declercq is an environmental law and environmental policy advisor at Embuild Flanders, which represents some 10,000 companies in the Belgian construction sector.
“In relation to the CO2 Performance Ladder, we mainly take on an educational role. We make the procurement instrument known to our supporters and inform them about it,” Declercq said. Last year, for instance, Embuild co-organised a webinar series on the Ladder, which attracted around 150 procurement authorities and contractors.
A promising instrument
Embuild Flanders itself first came into contact with the CO2 Performance Ladder through consultancy firm CO2Logic and ADEB-VBA (representing the largest construction companies in Belgium), which are chiefly responsible for the creation of the pilot phase in Belgium. “They wanted to bring the Ladder to wide attention among construction companies. We helped with that,” says Declercq.
“We embrace the CO2 Performance Ladder and see it as a promising tool to make sustainability an integral part of procurement”
“In addition, it can help companies calculate and map their own CO2 emissions. After all, that is the first threshold you have to cross but many companies still find that difficult.”
Pilot phase in Belgium
The pilot with the CO2 Performance Ladder is currently in full swing, with the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels governments on board. The Ladder was and is being used in twenty-five tenders, with companies certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder enjoying a (fictitious) award advantage. To ensure that Dutch companies do not have an advantage, a reward is only granted up to and including level 3 on the Ladder during the pilot phase.
In addition, the pilot focusses on projects with a minimum value of EUR 5.5 million. This way, smaller companies are also taken into account. These simply have less time and money available than large companies to get certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder more quickly. To avoid this competitive advantage, the Ladder will initially only be experimented with for large projects, with a minimum value of 5.5 million euros.
Declercq sees the pilot phase, and the strategic choices made within it, as a good development.
“It is important to slowly get familiar with this kind of instrument. To first learn lessons and identify possible pitfalls”
Engaging and enthusing small businesses
Declercq notices that the construction industry is interested in the CO2 Performance Ladder. At the same time, most construction companies in Belgium are taking a wait-and-see approach for the time being: “They are first waiting to see which way the wind blows. First, contracting parties have to fully embrace it and use it in tenders. Only then will you get companies excited about it.”
What else is needed to roll out the CO2 Performance Ladder more widely and successfully, including after the pilot phase? According to Declercq, in the next phase it is above all important to involve and enthuse small(er) companies: “Large companies have the overhead to get started with this kind of tool. And they employ people who are used to dealing with quality systems like the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
“For smaller construction companies, that’s less the case. They have much less time, fewer resources and people to work with this,” he continues. “Their first impression about this kind of instrument is therefore often that it mainly involves a lot of extra work and effort. It is therefore important to make the threshold for them as low as possible.”
Highlighting the benefits and success stories
But how do you do that? It may be an open door, but Declercq recommends implementing instruments like the CO2 Performance Ladder in the most customer-friendly way possible: “Keep it comprehensible. And perhaps more importantly: highlight the benefits. What’s in it for them? In the current energy crisis, for example, saving energy can be an important motive to start working with the CO2 Performance Ladder. After all, it makes you more aware of your energy consumption and puts you in a better position to pick low-hanging fruit in terms of energy saving.”
In addition, Declercq recommends sharing the stories of small companies that have already achieved certification on the CO2 Performance Ladder: “How did they do it? Did it take them a lot of time and effort? What has it brought them, in terms of energy savings and winning contracts?”
“Highlight those success stories, of small companies that are reaping the benefits. That way, you will also win others over”
It’s up to contracting parties
But ultimately it has to come from the contracting parties, Declercq expects. Companies simply need the incentive from tenders to get started. His advice to other countries that want to get started with the CO2 Performance Ladder: “Ultimately, the right people on the contracting side have to embrace it and take substantial steps in the right direction. Then it can start flying.”
This article is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country. Want to read more about the results of the pilot phase? You can do so here.
(The article below is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country)
Belgium is the first country outside Dutch borders to deploy the CO2 Performance Ladder. Belgian stakeholders are currently busy experimenting in a pilot phase. What is involved in successful implementation of a procurement tool like the CO2 Performance Ladder? Steven Declercq of Embuild Flanders, trade association for the Belgian construction sector, shares his opinion with us.
“Sustainability and CO2 neutrality are prominent on the agenda in Belgium these days,” says Declercq. “That is undeniably where we are heading, also in the construction sector.” Declercq is an environmental law and environmental policy advisor at Embuild Flanders, which represents some 10,000 companies in the Belgian construction sector.
“In relation to the CO2 Performance Ladder, we mainly take on an educational role. We make the procurement instrument known to our supporters and inform them about it,” Declercq said. Last year, for instance, Embuild co-organised a webinar series on the Ladder, which attracted around 150 procurement authorities and contractors.
A promising instrument
Embuild Flanders itself first came into contact with the CO2 Performance Ladder through consultancy firm CO2Logic and ADEB-VBA (representing the largest construction companies in Belgium), which are chiefly responsible for the creation of the pilot phase in Belgium. “They wanted to bring the Ladder to wide attention among construction companies. We helped with that,” says Declercq.
“We embrace the CO2 Performance Ladder and see it as a promising tool to make sustainability an integral part of procurement”
“In addition, it can help companies calculate and map their own CO2 emissions. After all, that is the first threshold you have to cross but many companies still find that difficult.”
Pilot phase in Belgium
The pilot with the CO2 Performance Ladder is currently in full swing, with the Flemish, Walloon and Brussels governments on board. The Ladder was and is being used in twenty-five tenders, with companies certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder enjoying a (fictitious) award advantage. To ensure that Dutch companies do not have an advantage, a reward is only granted up to and including level 3 on the Ladder during the pilot phase.
In addition, the pilot focusses on projects with a minimum value of EUR 5.5 million. This way, smaller companies are also taken into account. These simply have less time and money available than large companies to get certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder more quickly. To avoid this competitive advantage, the Ladder will initially only be experimented with for large projects, with a minimum value of 5.5 million euros.
Declercq sees the pilot phase, and the strategic choices made within it, as a good development.
“It is important to slowly get familiar with this kind of instrument. To first learn lessons and identify possible pitfalls”
Engaging and enthusing small businesses
Declercq notices that the construction industry is interested in the CO2 Performance Ladder. At the same time, most construction companies in Belgium are taking a wait-and-see approach for the time being: “They are first waiting to see which way the wind blows. First, contracting parties have to fully embrace it and use it in tenders. Only then will you get companies excited about it.”
What else is needed to roll out the CO2 Performance Ladder more widely and successfully, including after the pilot phase? According to Declercq, in the next phase it is above all important to involve and enthuse small(er) companies: “Large companies have the overhead to get started with this kind of tool. And they employ people who are used to dealing with quality systems like the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
“For smaller construction companies, that’s less the case. They have much less time, fewer resources and people to work with this,” he continues. “Their first impression about this kind of instrument is therefore often that it mainly involves a lot of extra work and effort. It is therefore important to make the threshold for them as low as possible.”
Highlighting the benefits and success stories
But how do you do that? It may be an open door, but Declercq recommends implementing instruments like the CO2 Performance Ladder in the most customer-friendly way possible: “Keep it comprehensible. And perhaps more importantly: highlight the benefits. What’s in it for them? In the current energy crisis, for example, saving energy can be an important motive to start working with the CO2 Performance Ladder. After all, it makes you more aware of your energy consumption and puts you in a better position to pick low-hanging fruit in terms of energy saving.”
In addition, Declercq recommends sharing the stories of small companies that have already achieved certification on the CO2 Performance Ladder: “How did they do it? Did it take them a lot of time and effort? What has it brought them, in terms of energy savings and winning contracts?”
“Highlight those success stories, of small companies that are reaping the benefits. That way, you will also win others over”
It’s up to contracting parties
But ultimately it has to come from the contracting parties, Declercq expects. Companies simply need the incentive from tenders to get started. His advice to other countries that want to get started with the CO2 Performance Ladder: “Ultimately, the right people on the contracting side have to embrace it and take substantial steps in the right direction. Then it can start flying.”
This article is about the pilot phase in Belgium. This phase has now been successfully completed and the CO2 Performance Ladder is being implemented structurally in the country. Want to read more about the results of the pilot phase? You can do so here.
Jacqueline Cramer knows all about socially responsible procurement. As Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, she laid the foundations for sustainable public procurement by public authorities. And as board member of the Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), she was closely involved in the success of the CO2 Performance Ladder after her ministerial term. She is convinced that the Ladder will also be successful abroad: “The success factors in the Netherlands will also apply abroad.”
Cramer has always stressed the importance and necessity of sustainable public procurement: “It is an essential steering instrument to encourage the market to become more sustainable and innovative,” she says. On top of that, the public sector in the Netherlands purchases tens of billions of euros worth of products and services every year. From office chairs to water treatment plants. Couple environmental requirements to those purchases and the sustainable impact can be huge.
Sustainable public procurement was therefore one of Cramer’s main spearheads during her term as minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (2007-2010). For instance, she put an ambitious target on the agenda: 100% sustainable procurement by 2015. Unfortunately, this target was not achieved, but Cramer did lay the foundation for a more sustainable procurement policy in the Netherlands. Under her supervision, for instance, procurement criteria were formulated for 55 product groups, which are still used today.
“Main goal was to get people moving. That worked. More sustainable procurement policies got off the ground and important steps were taken”
Incentive to become more sustainable
Still, far from all governments today are seizing their purchasing power to encourage sustainability in the market. Procurement policy is still too non-committal in this respect. A pity, thinks Cramer. “Municipalities can embrace it, but also just brush it aside,” she says. “As long as there is no obligation, reward or other incentive, things will continue to move a bit slower than you hope.”
So when Cramer first came across the CO2 Performance Ladder, she was immediately enthusiastic. After all, the Ladder did offer such an incentive, in the form of the fictitious award advantage. And Cramer was impressed by what this triggered in the market.
“I immediately saw the CO2 Performance Ladder as an important instrument, especially for the construction sector. This is a highly regulated market, where everything is laid down in norms, standards, regulations, you name it. All those regulations make sustainability and innovation difficult,” Cramer said.
“The CO2 Performance Ladder offered a way to get the market moving”
Distinctive
And it succeeded. Despite the fact that the CO2 Performance Ladder was launched in economically difficult years (when sustainability was still mainly seen as expensive), the tender instrument managed to grow year on year. According to Cramer, this was because the Ladder fits perfectly with the construction sector’s sensitivities . “Construction companies are eager to finish high on the Ladder. On the one hand because the fictitious discount in tenders is very interesting for them. On the other, because they don’t want to lag behind their competitors. Standing out from your competitors has always been essential in the construction industry. Previously, construction companies mainly distinguished themselves on time and budget, but thanks to the CO2 Performance Ladder, sustainability was suddenly added.”
In addition, when the CO2 Performance Ladder was developed, the industry was really listened to. The tendering instrument came about in consultation and it was possible for the industry to criticise and suggest corrections. “That greatly increased acceptance of the Ladder,” says Cramer. “The sector did not feel that something was imposed on them, but experienced the Ladder as something of their own.”
Insight and roadmap
Anyone who starts working with the CO2 Performance Ladder can quickly achieve level 3 or 4 certification. And the costs associated with that are almost always less than what you can get in return. That too is an important reason for the success, says Cramer: “Getting in is relatively easy, the threshold is low. But once you get involved, you automatically orient yourself based on what else is possible. And you can do this in your own time and at your own pace. That, of course, is particularly attractive for companies.”
Another important advantage of the CO2 Performance Ladder is that it requires companies to map out their CO2 footprint and provides the tools to reduce it. That was certainly quite progressive in the early stages, says Cramer: “That often proved to be a real eye opener for companies (‘Oh, are our emissions there!?’). The Ladder allows them to map their emissions without being called to task about it. And it provides them with the possible routes to sustainability, but companies can choose for themselves how and at what pace they take them.”
Cramer does expect the CO2 Performance Ladder to face a significant challenge in the coming years. “The construction sector is innovating and there are all kinds of sustainable initiatives coming up, such as the Dutch Concrete Agreement,” she says. “All these different initiatives should not work against each other or get in the way, but rather strengthen each other. All these different initiatives and interests must therefore be coordinated well in the coming years.”
Not one on one
The big question, of course, is: will the above advantages also have value abroad? Cramer expects so. “The construction sector is highly regulated in other countries too, for example. And there, too, the sector faces a huge sustainability challenge. Then an instrument like the CO2 Performance Ladder is more than welcome. It gives market parties the impetus to start working on sustainability and CO2 reduction, without them feeling that it is being imposed on them.”
Cramer does caution that each country is different, with its own social, cultural and political context. “So don’t adopt the CO2 Performance Ladder one-to-one, but take into account things like national procurement policies, the political context and the wishes of the business community.”
“I am convinced that the success factors in the Netherlands will also apply in other countries”
Jacqueline Cramer knows all about socially responsible procurement. As Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment, she laid the foundations for sustainable public procurement by public authorities. And as board member of the Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), she was closely involved in the success of the CO2 Performance Ladder after her ministerial term. She is convinced that the Ladder will also be successful abroad: “The success factors in the Netherlands will also apply abroad.”
Cramer has always stressed the importance and necessity of sustainable public procurement: “It is an essential steering instrument to encourage the market to become more sustainable and innovative,” she says. On top of that, the public sector in the Netherlands purchases tens of billions of euros worth of products and services every year. From office chairs to water treatment plants. Couple environmental requirements to those purchases and the sustainable impact can be huge.
Sustainable public procurement was therefore one of Cramer’s main spearheads during her term as minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (2007-2010). For instance, she put an ambitious target on the agenda: 100% sustainable procurement by 2015. Unfortunately, this target was not achieved, but Cramer did lay the foundation for a more sustainable procurement policy in the Netherlands. Under her supervision, for instance, procurement criteria were formulated for 55 product groups, which are still used today.
“Main goal was to get people moving. That worked. More sustainable procurement policies got off the ground and important steps were taken”
Incentive to become more sustainable
Still, far from all governments today are seizing their purchasing power to encourage sustainability in the market. Procurement policy is still too non-committal in this respect. A pity, thinks Cramer. “Municipalities can embrace it, but also just brush it aside,” she says. “As long as there is no obligation, reward or other incentive, things will continue to move a bit slower than you hope.”
So when Cramer first came across the CO2 Performance Ladder, she was immediately enthusiastic. After all, the Ladder did offer such an incentive, in the form of the fictitious award advantage. And Cramer was impressed by what this triggered in the market.
“I immediately saw the CO2 Performance Ladder as an important instrument, especially for the construction sector. This is a highly regulated market, where everything is laid down in norms, standards, regulations, you name it. All those regulations make sustainability and innovation difficult,” Cramer said.
“The CO2 Performance Ladder offered a way to get the market moving”
Distinctive
And it succeeded. Despite the fact that the CO2 Performance Ladder was launched in economically difficult years (when sustainability was still mainly seen as expensive), the tender instrument managed to grow year on year. According to Cramer, this was because the Ladder fits perfectly with the construction sector’s sensitivities . “Construction companies are eager to finish high on the Ladder. On the one hand because the fictitious discount in tenders is very interesting for them. On the other, because they don’t want to lag behind their competitors. Standing out from your competitors has always been essential in the construction industry. Previously, construction companies mainly distinguished themselves on time and budget, but thanks to the CO2 Performance Ladder, sustainability was suddenly added.”
In addition, when the CO2 Performance Ladder was developed, the industry was really listened to. The tendering instrument came about in consultation and it was possible for the industry to criticise and suggest corrections. “That greatly increased acceptance of the Ladder,” says Cramer. “The sector did not feel that something was imposed on them, but experienced the Ladder as something of their own.”
Insight and roadmap
Anyone who starts working with the CO2 Performance Ladder can quickly achieve level 3 or 4 certification. And the costs associated with that are almost always less than what you can get in return. That too is an important reason for the success, says Cramer: “Getting in is relatively easy, the threshold is low. But once you get involved, you automatically orient yourself based on what else is possible. And you can do this in your own time and at your own pace. That, of course, is particularly attractive for companies.”
Another important advantage of the CO2 Performance Ladder is that it requires companies to map out their CO2 footprint and provides the tools to reduce it. That was certainly quite progressive in the early stages, says Cramer: “That often proved to be a real eye opener for companies (‘Oh, are our emissions there!?’). The Ladder allows them to map their emissions without being called to task about it. And it provides them with the possible routes to sustainability, but companies can choose for themselves how and at what pace they take them.”
Cramer does expect the CO2 Performance Ladder to face a significant challenge in the coming years. “The construction sector is innovating and there are all kinds of sustainable initiatives coming up, such as the Dutch Concrete Agreement,” she says. “All these different initiatives should not work against each other or get in the way, but rather strengthen each other. All these different initiatives and interests must therefore be coordinated well in the coming years.”
Not one on one
The big question, of course, is: will the above advantages also have value abroad? Cramer expects so. “The construction sector is highly regulated in other countries too, for example. And there, too, the sector faces a huge sustainability challenge. Then an instrument like the CO2 Performance Ladder is more than welcome. It gives market parties the impetus to start working on sustainability and CO2 reduction, without them feeling that it is being imposed on them.”
Cramer does caution that each country is different, with its own social, cultural and political context. “So don’t adopt the CO2 Performance Ladder one-to-one, but take into account things like national procurement policies, the political context and the wishes of the business community.”
“I am convinced that the success factors in the Netherlands will also apply in other countries”
An indispensable piece of the CO2 Performance Ladder’s success is accreditation. This is because it ensures that companies are certified properly and fairly. In the Netherlands, the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) takes care of that. But what exactly does accreditation entail? And why is it important for successful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder?
The Netherlands has countless organizations that conduct market surveillance in one way or another. Think of laboratories that test products. Or inspection companies that check whether materials and installations meet the safety requirements specified. But also certification bodies, which assess whether companies deserve a certain certificate. These are all organizations that look at companies, processes and products with an impartial view and also assess them. Supervisors, in other words.
Supervision of supervisors
But who supervises the supervisors? That is why accreditation bodies were created. European laws and regulations stipulate that each country must have one accreditation body. In the Netherlands, this is the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA). “We monitor (among other things) the independence, competence and consistency of market supervisors,” explains Casper van Erp, lead assessor at the RvA. “Do they do the same thing for every company? Do they do it independently? Do they account for it? And can everyone appeal to the conclusions they draw? If everything is in order, the RvA issues an accreditation, for example, to a certification body,” he continues.
“That shows that the body in question meets the requirements and is allowed to certify for a certain scope”
Accreditation and the CO2-Performance Ladder
The RvA therefore also plays an important role for the CO2-Performance Ladder. After all, it accredits the institutions that award certificates on the Ladder. The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO in Dutch, the manager and owner of the Ladder) and the RvA therefore worked closely together from the beginning. “It was a logical choice by SKAO to outsource supervision of certifying bodies to the RvA,” said Van Erp. “We can do that more efficiently and effectively because we are used to it and have a lot of experience with it.”
The RvA also indirectly accredited the norm behind the CO2-Performance Ladder, he continues, “We accredit companies that certify to a certain standard. But in order to do that, we must first assess whether the standard in question is suitable for certification.”
Setting the bar equally high for everyone
In other words, the RvA took a critical look at the CO2-Performance Ladder. But what requirements must such a standard meet? According to Van Erp, two things are important: Is the standard clear? And is it interpreted in a similar way by everyone? There should be no confusion or room for personal interpretation at all.”
“The criteria that companies have to meet must be crystal clear. The bar must be exactly the same height for everyone”
“That can be quite difficult,” he continues. “So too with the CO2-Performance Ladder. For example, when is a company ambitious in terms of sustainability? How do you define that? SKAO handled that very carefully.”
Accreditation across the border
The CO2 Performance Ladder is poised to expand to more countries. What does that mean in terms of accreditation? Will it be different in each country? “Not in principle,” says Van Erp. “All accreditation bodies in Europe are members of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and have to meet the same standards and requirements. We also check and assess each other on a regular basis, so in principle companies within the EU are accredited in the same way everywhere.”
In other words, if France were to implement the CO2 Performance Ladder, the same steps would be taken there in terms of accreditation as in the Netherlands. But accreditation beyond European borders will also proceed in much the same way, Van Erp expects. Indeed, accreditation bodies worldwide are members of the International Accreditation Forum. “In any case, there will be many similarities,” he said.
Van Erp also considers it not unlikely that at some point the CO2 Performance Ladder will be accepted by accreditation bodies at the European or even international level. “There are procedures for that and there are already examples of standards and schemes accepted at that level. Then they are applicable in new countries at once.”
Increasing trust
According to Van Erp, accreditation is an indispensable part of the Ladder’s success, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Indeed, it is a means of increasing confidence in companies, services and products.
“More and more logos, trademarks and certificates show how well companies are doing in certain areas. But because of that quantity, there is a danger that such labels will no longer be taken seriously,” he says. “Accreditation can prevent that.”
“We check the companies behind them on their independence, competence and consistency, so that we can say: you can trust that”
An indispensable piece of the CO2 Performance Ladder’s success is accreditation. This is because it ensures that companies are certified properly and fairly. In the Netherlands, the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) takes care of that. But what exactly does accreditation entail? And why is it important for successful implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder?
The Netherlands has countless organizations that conduct market surveillance in one way or another. Think of laboratories that test products. Or inspection companies that check whether materials and installations meet the safety requirements specified. But also certification bodies, which assess whether companies deserve a certain certificate. These are all organizations that look at companies, processes and products with an impartial view and also assess them. Supervisors, in other words.
Supervision of supervisors
But who supervises the supervisors? That is why accreditation bodies were created. European laws and regulations stipulate that each country must have one accreditation body. In the Netherlands, this is the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA). “We monitor (among other things) the independence, competence and consistency of market supervisors,” explains Casper van Erp, lead assessor at the RvA. “Do they do the same thing for every company? Do they do it independently? Do they account for it? And can everyone appeal to the conclusions they draw? If everything is in order, the RvA issues an accreditation, for example, to a certification body,” he continues.
“That shows that the body in question meets the requirements and is allowed to certify for a certain scope”
Accreditation and the CO2-Performance Ladder
The RvA therefore also plays an important role for the CO2-Performance Ladder. After all, it accredits the institutions that award certificates on the Ladder. The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO in Dutch, the manager and owner of the Ladder) and the RvA therefore worked closely together from the beginning. “It was a logical choice by SKAO to outsource supervision of certifying bodies to the RvA,” said Van Erp. “We can do that more efficiently and effectively because we are used to it and have a lot of experience with it.”
The RvA also indirectly accredited the norm behind the CO2-Performance Ladder, he continues, “We accredit companies that certify to a certain standard. But in order to do that, we must first assess whether the standard in question is suitable for certification.”
Setting the bar equally high for everyone
In other words, the RvA took a critical look at the CO2-Performance Ladder. But what requirements must such a standard meet? According to Van Erp, two things are important: Is the standard clear? And is it interpreted in a similar way by everyone? There should be no confusion or room for personal interpretation at all.”
“The criteria that companies have to meet must be crystal clear. The bar must be exactly the same height for everyone”
“That can be quite difficult,” he continues. “So too with the CO2-Performance Ladder. For example, when is a company ambitious in terms of sustainability? How do you define that? SKAO handled that very carefully.”
Accreditation across the border
The CO2 Performance Ladder is poised to expand to more countries. What does that mean in terms of accreditation? Will it be different in each country? “Not in principle,” says Van Erp. “All accreditation bodies in Europe are members of the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and have to meet the same standards and requirements. We also check and assess each other on a regular basis, so in principle companies within the EU are accredited in the same way everywhere.”
In other words, if France were to implement the CO2 Performance Ladder, the same steps would be taken there in terms of accreditation as in the Netherlands. But accreditation beyond European borders will also proceed in much the same way, Van Erp expects. Indeed, accreditation bodies worldwide are members of the International Accreditation Forum. “In any case, there will be many similarities,” he said.
Van Erp also considers it not unlikely that at some point the CO2 Performance Ladder will be accepted by accreditation bodies at the European or even international level. “There are procedures for that and there are already examples of standards and schemes accepted at that level. Then they are applicable in new countries at once.”
Increasing trust
According to Van Erp, accreditation is an indispensable part of the Ladder’s success, both in the Netherlands and internationally. Indeed, it is a means of increasing confidence in companies, services and products.
“More and more logos, trademarks and certificates show how well companies are doing in certain areas. But because of that quantity, there is a danger that such labels will no longer be taken seriously,” he says. “Accreditation can prevent that.”
“We check the companies behind them on their independence, competence and consistency, so that we can say: you can trust that”
Dutch railway operator ProRail first put the CO2 Performance Ladder on the market in 2009, but a year and a half later the Ladder was transferred to the Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement & Business (SKAO). The foundation opted for accreditation, making independent scheme management and third-party verification the cornerstones of both the CO2 Performance Ladder and SKAO as an organisation. Director Gijs Termeer and project manager Maud Vastbinder discuss the benefits.
Although ProRail developed the CO2 Performance Ladder, it did not take long before other contracting authorities in the Netherlands, such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, also wanted to use it. This was possible, but under two important conditions. First, the CO2 Performance Ladder had to be brought in line with European procurement legislation. Second, the instrument should be managed by an independent foundation.
Independent scheme management: an art in itself
Why was setting up a foundation so important in the first place anyway? Vastbinder explains: “ProRail wanted to roll out the CO2 Performance Ladder more widely and make it available to the whole market, but if the Ladder remained ProRail’s tool, that became more difficult. It is not their core business to manage such a system and you can’t do that on the side. Scheme management is an art in itself. To guarantee the quality of the CO2 Performance Ladder, an independent organisation was needed that would focus entirely on managing and developing the instrument.
Therefore since March 2011 SKAO has been the owner and manager of the CO2 Performance Ladder. SKAO is an independent foundation without financial or political interests, but with an enormous drive to make a positive impact.
Third-party verification: the importance of accreditation
Shortly after SKAO was founded, the decision followed to have the CO2 Performance Ladder certification scheme accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA). “How can you trust that a CO2 footprint or a claim of climate neutrality is correct? Is an in-house assessment sufficient? We don’t think so. Decarbonisation – the reduction of harmful emissions – is too important to just be able to make big claims, especially if the certification is accompanied by award advantage in tenders,” says Vastbinder. “What you want to avoid at all costs is that clients and contractors start doubting the quality of the data and the usefulness or functioning of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
“Third-party verification ensures that a certificate holder is assessed every year by an expert and independent organisation”
“By accrediting a certification scheme, you have secured the quality and process of assessment. Accrediting literally means: giving confidence.” In a nutshell: the CO2 Performance Ladder certification scheme is accredited by the RvA. Certificate holders are assessed each year by an independent auditor, employed by one of the 14 certifying bodies (Conformity Assessment Bodies). The National Accreditation Body (the RvA in the Netherlands and Belac in Belgium) in turn supervises those institutions. This creates a layering of checks and balances, thus guaranteeing the quality and independence of (and confidence in) the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Verifiable and traceable
But accreditation brings more benefits. “When you are accredited, you have a lot of things settled right away. I am talking about both the CO2 Performance Ladder scheme and the scheme manager SKAO,” says Termeer. “What it comes down to (in a general sense): you can have all kinds of great ideas to get the market moving, but for the CO2 Performance Ladder to work really well, every requirement must be testable and its control traceable.”
“To give an example: we can ask companies to communicate regularly about their CO2 reduction efforts, but what does ‘regularly’ mean?” adds Vastbinder. “Is that weekly? Annually? You have to specify that, otherwise it is not verifiable. Then you run the risk of companies being assessed differently by each auditor, while a level playing field is indispensable.” In other words, certification should be fully testable. Accreditation helps to ensure this in advance and to prevent encountering problems or ambiguities in practice.
Termeer: “Auditors have to be able to show why they approve something, that’s what it’s all about. That was sometimes quite difficult for us. After all, SKAO stands for things like ambition, sustainability, CO2 awareness. To translate those ideas into something that is fully verifiable and traceable, without losing its ‘soul’, is no easy task. That has been a very steep learning curve, but we succeeded together with all our partners.”
All stakeholders represented
Independent scheme management requires that all stakeholders are represented and have a say in the development of the Ladder. SKAO approaches this in different ways, both formally and informally. Firstly, the foundation has an independent board, responsible for SKAO’s strategy, organisation and finances. The Central College of Experts (CCvD), consisting of both contracting authorities and contractors, is also responsible for operational scheme management and the development of the Ladder and requirements in the CO2 Performance Ladder Handbook. The Technical Committee is made up of auditors from certifying bodies and advises the CCvD in turn on the interpretation of the Ladder and the method of certification. Last but not least: the Procurement Advisory Board, consisting of representatives of major contracting authorities, advises on procurement law.
In this way, all stakeholders are represented, such as certificate holders, contracting authorities and experts. This is important for several reasons, says Termeer: “You want the CO2 Performance Ladder to connect seamlessly with the certificate holders’ everyday realities. You can only achieve that with extensive involvement from the market. We can come up with all kinds of ideas, but what do they mean in day-to-day practice? In order to address that, it is indispensable that the market is closely involved in the development of the Ladder.”
In addition, that involvement helped enormously in creating support for the CO2 Performance Ladder, adds Vastbinder: “Stakeholders are allowed to give their opinions on the content of the Ladder and they are really listened to.”
“The instrument really came about in consultation. As a result, acceptance of the Ladder was very high right from the start and we were able to roll it out much faster”
Constant improvement
After the accreditation process, SKAO was rock solid as an organisation. But of course there was no question of sitting back. After all, the foundation is also responsible for the growth and (substantive) development of the Ladder. And that’s no easy task, says Termeer: “We are constantly monitoring what could be improved, through all kinds of channels. Every year, for instance, we organise roughly thirty meetings with stakeholders to discuss possible improvements. And we investigate within our own organisation what possibilities there are. But external factors, such as policy developments, also play a role. Time and again, this produces a huge list of areas for improvement.”
“We test these – what are the ’must-haves’ and the ‘nice to haves’? – and submit them to our stakeholders,” Termeer continues. “That may sound like a challenge, but in the entire history of SKAO, almost all changes have been implemented with consensus from all stakeholders in the Central College of Experts. It only came to a vote once. We are quite proud of that.” SKAO then implements the chosen changes and, after a while, tests the waters again. “In this way, we hope to establish a watertight and future-proof system,” says Termeer. “The trick here is to stay just ahead of the crowd. After all, you want to stimulate companies to get moving. But your ambitions shouldn’t be too far ahead of the market, or people will just drop out.”
That recurring process of improvement has already produced several versions of the CO2 Performance Ladder Handbook over the years. Version 1 laid the important foundation of five levels and four perspectives (insight, reduction, transparency and participation). Version 2 marks the important step to a fully-fledged CO2 management system, in line with European procurement legislation. With Version 2.1 came the independent accreditation (by the RvA) under ISO 17021 (for management systems). Version 3 brought the Ladder further in line with international (ISO) standards and turned its focus on more ambitious emission reductions in supply chains (scope 3 emissions). Version 4 of the handbook is (expected) to be published in 2024, with the most important development being the mandatory focus on organisations’ carbon neutrality, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
The power of scheme management
Another important task for SKAO is sharing knowledge about the CO2 Performance Ladder with the market on a constant basis. For example, by means of events, webinars, research and best practices. “Precisely because we have built a track record of professionalism, the market demands and expects a lot from us,” explains Vastbinder. “That’s a big positive. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved within a relatively short time. Very few people find scheme management interesting, but if you get it, you can achieve an awful lot with it,” she concludes. “You can make an important contribution to that as a scheme manager.”
“The CO2 reduction measures that companies take, the collaborations and initiatives that emerge in the supply chain”
Dutch railway operator ProRail first put the CO2 Performance Ladder on the market in 2009, but a year and a half later the Ladder was transferred to the Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement & Business (SKAO). The foundation opted for accreditation, making independent scheme management and third-party verification the cornerstones of both the CO2 Performance Ladder and SKAO as an organisation. Director Gijs Termeer and project manager Maud Vastbinder discuss the benefits.
Although ProRail developed the CO2 Performance Ladder, it did not take long before other contracting authorities in the Netherlands, such as the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, also wanted to use it. This was possible, but under two important conditions. First, the CO2 Performance Ladder had to be brought in line with European procurement legislation. Second, the instrument should be managed by an independent foundation.
Independent scheme management: an art in itself
Why was setting up a foundation so important in the first place anyway? Vastbinder explains: “ProRail wanted to roll out the CO2 Performance Ladder more widely and make it available to the whole market, but if the Ladder remained ProRail’s tool, that became more difficult. It is not their core business to manage such a system and you can’t do that on the side. Scheme management is an art in itself. To guarantee the quality of the CO2 Performance Ladder, an independent organisation was needed that would focus entirely on managing and developing the instrument.
Therefore since March 2011 SKAO has been the owner and manager of the CO2 Performance Ladder. SKAO is an independent foundation without financial or political interests, but with an enormous drive to make a positive impact.
Third-party verification: the importance of accreditation
Shortly after SKAO was founded, the decision followed to have the CO2 Performance Ladder certification scheme accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA). “How can you trust that a CO2 footprint or a claim of climate neutrality is correct? Is an in-house assessment sufficient? We don’t think so. Decarbonisation – the reduction of harmful emissions – is too important to just be able to make big claims, especially if the certification is accompanied by award advantage in tenders,” says Vastbinder. “What you want to avoid at all costs is that clients and contractors start doubting the quality of the data and the usefulness or functioning of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
“Third-party verification ensures that a certificate holder is assessed every year by an expert and independent organisation”
“By accrediting a certification scheme, you have secured the quality and process of assessment. Accrediting literally means: giving confidence.” In a nutshell: the CO2 Performance Ladder certification scheme is accredited by the RvA. Certificate holders are assessed each year by an independent auditor, employed by one of the 14 certifying bodies (Conformity Assessment Bodies). The National Accreditation Body (the RvA in the Netherlands and Belac in Belgium) in turn supervises those institutions. This creates a layering of checks and balances, thus guaranteeing the quality and independence of (and confidence in) the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Verifiable and traceable
But accreditation brings more benefits. “When you are accredited, you have a lot of things settled right away. I am talking about both the CO2 Performance Ladder scheme and the scheme manager SKAO,” says Termeer. “What it comes down to (in a general sense): you can have all kinds of great ideas to get the market moving, but for the CO2 Performance Ladder to work really well, every requirement must be testable and its control traceable.”
“To give an example: we can ask companies to communicate regularly about their CO2 reduction efforts, but what does ‘regularly’ mean?” adds Vastbinder. “Is that weekly? Annually? You have to specify that, otherwise it is not verifiable. Then you run the risk of companies being assessed differently by each auditor, while a level playing field is indispensable.” In other words, certification should be fully testable. Accreditation helps to ensure this in advance and to prevent encountering problems or ambiguities in practice.
Termeer: “Auditors have to be able to show why they approve something, that’s what it’s all about. That was sometimes quite difficult for us. After all, SKAO stands for things like ambition, sustainability, CO2 awareness. To translate those ideas into something that is fully verifiable and traceable, without losing its ‘soul’, is no easy task. That has been a very steep learning curve, but we succeeded together with all our partners.”
All stakeholders represented
Independent scheme management requires that all stakeholders are represented and have a say in the development of the Ladder. SKAO approaches this in different ways, both formally and informally. Firstly, the foundation has an independent board, responsible for SKAO’s strategy, organisation and finances. The Central College of Experts (CCvD), consisting of both contracting authorities and contractors, is also responsible for operational scheme management and the development of the Ladder and requirements in the CO2 Performance Ladder Handbook. The Technical Committee is made up of auditors from certifying bodies and advises the CCvD in turn on the interpretation of the Ladder and the method of certification. Last but not least: the Procurement Advisory Board, consisting of representatives of major contracting authorities, advises on procurement law.
In this way, all stakeholders are represented, such as certificate holders, contracting authorities and experts. This is important for several reasons, says Termeer: “You want the CO2 Performance Ladder to connect seamlessly with the certificate holders’ everyday realities. You can only achieve that with extensive involvement from the market. We can come up with all kinds of ideas, but what do they mean in day-to-day practice? In order to address that, it is indispensable that the market is closely involved in the development of the Ladder.”
In addition, that involvement helped enormously in creating support for the CO2 Performance Ladder, adds Vastbinder: “Stakeholders are allowed to give their opinions on the content of the Ladder and they are really listened to.”
“The instrument really came about in consultation. As a result, acceptance of the Ladder was very high right from the start and we were able to roll it out much faster”
Constant improvement
After the accreditation process, SKAO was rock solid as an organisation. But of course there was no question of sitting back. After all, the foundation is also responsible for the growth and (substantive) development of the Ladder. And that’s no easy task, says Termeer: “We are constantly monitoring what could be improved, through all kinds of channels. Every year, for instance, we organise roughly thirty meetings with stakeholders to discuss possible improvements. And we investigate within our own organisation what possibilities there are. But external factors, such as policy developments, also play a role. Time and again, this produces a huge list of areas for improvement.”
“We test these – what are the ’must-haves’ and the ‘nice to haves’? – and submit them to our stakeholders,” Termeer continues. “That may sound like a challenge, but in the entire history of SKAO, almost all changes have been implemented with consensus from all stakeholders in the Central College of Experts. It only came to a vote once. We are quite proud of that.” SKAO then implements the chosen changes and, after a while, tests the waters again. “In this way, we hope to establish a watertight and future-proof system,” says Termeer. “The trick here is to stay just ahead of the crowd. After all, you want to stimulate companies to get moving. But your ambitions shouldn’t be too far ahead of the market, or people will just drop out.”
That recurring process of improvement has already produced several versions of the CO2 Performance Ladder Handbook over the years. Version 1 laid the important foundation of five levels and four perspectives (insight, reduction, transparency and participation). Version 2 marks the important step to a fully-fledged CO2 management system, in line with European procurement legislation. With Version 2.1 came the independent accreditation (by the RvA) under ISO 17021 (for management systems). Version 3 brought the Ladder further in line with international (ISO) standards and turned its focus on more ambitious emission reductions in supply chains (scope 3 emissions). Version 4 of the handbook is (expected) to be published in 2024, with the most important development being the mandatory focus on organisations’ carbon neutrality, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
The power of scheme management
Another important task for SKAO is sharing knowledge about the CO2 Performance Ladder with the market on a constant basis. For example, by means of events, webinars, research and best practices. “Precisely because we have built a track record of professionalism, the market demands and expects a lot from us,” explains Vastbinder. “That’s a big positive. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved within a relatively short time. Very few people find scheme management interesting, but if you get it, you can achieve an awful lot with it,” she concludes. “You can make an important contribution to that as a scheme manager.”
“The CO2 reduction measures that companies take, the collaborations and initiatives that emerge in the supply chain”
Independent scheme management and third party verification
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The early initiators – Patrick Buck (ProRail), Jan Hendrik Dronkers (Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) and Nico de Vries (Royal BAM Group) – reflect on the development of the Ladder. What are the key success factors and what is required to successfully implement the CO2 Performance Ladder?
An explanation in 10 minutes.
The essentials in 4 minutes.
Franky Van den Berghe and Dirk Christianen from Willemen Infra show us around at their asphalt plant in Belgium. How does Willemen Infra reduce its carbon emissions by using the CO2 Performance Ladder?
To prepare Amsterdam for major climactic changes the CO₂ Performance Ladder is a guiding principle in Amsterdam’s public procurement. Amsterdam and its partners show us how they work with the Ladder. Over the last 14 years, the CO₂ Performance Ladder has developed into a key Green Public Procurement (GPP) tool and the number one CO₂ management system in the Netherlands and Belgium. To support the implementation of the CO₂ Performance Ladder across Europe, our testimonials represent a selection of stories and examples from the history of the Ladder since 2009. They collect the lessons we have learned: what is needed to successfully implement the Ladder, and what benefits does it bring?
Micheál O’Connor, Senior Procurement Executive at Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) talks about his experience implementing the Ladder into their procurement process.
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