Reducing CO2 means more customers? The CO2 Performance Ladder can help
Maastricht Bereikbaar sets the bar high on reducing CO2 in regional traffic flows, for example by advising construction companies on more efficient logistics. Does the market make greater steps forward if sustainable building companies have a head start in attracting companies? Stichting Klimaatvriendelijk Aanbesteden & Ondernemen (SKAO) foundation has the answer.
The foundation manages the CO2 Performance Ladder – the Dutch sustainability instrument that helps companies related to the building industry to reduce their CO2 emissions and costs. Organizations that get certified in accordance with the ladder recoup their investment through lower energy costs, savings on material use, and innovation gains. Additionally, certified companies can receive a nominal advantage on the tender price from municipalities and other governmental institutions if they use the CO2 Performance Ladder as part of the tendering process.
Speeding up sustainability
Maastricht Bereikbaar recently organized an informative meeting where employees of the Province of Limburg, the municipalities of Heerlen, Sittard-Geleen, Maastricht, and Valkenburg; and the housing associations Servatius and Woonpunt were informed by Stichting Klimaatvriendelijk Aanbesteden & Ondernemen (SKAO) foundation on using the CO2 Performance Ladder in tenders. Currently, the CO2 Performance Ladder is not regularly used for tenders, while it could be a method to accelerate further efforts to increase sustainability. ‘Local and regional governments are large-scale sources of employment. Construction is a good example of this. Together, housing associations and governments represent the majority of construction assignments within the region. And the person paying the piper calls the tune. Therefore, municipalities can use their purchasing policy to play a major role in the way construction is performed in the region.’
A growing movement
‘Give companies an advantage in tenders if they invest in conducting sustainable business,’ argues Maud Vastbinder. On behalf of the SKAO foundation, she supervises projects in which companies convert their sustainable performance into a certificate. “In the coming years, the Belgian authorities will also experiment with using the CO2 Performance Ladder in their tenders. If the results are positive, the ladder will also become the standard for our neighbours in Belgium. Because many companies in the region are already making their business operations more sustainable, this can be done quickly if contracting authorities support it.’
CO2 Performance Ladder meeting in Roermond
On Thursday 24 October, the SKAO foundation, together with a number of other organizations, will organize the next meeting for government employees on the topic of the CO2 Performance Ladder in Roermond. For more information and registration, visit https://www.skao.nl/home_en.