It is essential to focus on the acceleration of new developments and technologies that reduce carbon emissions in order to realise climate neutral infrastructure. This is one of the most important findings of the research ‘On the road to climate neutral infrastructure in the Netherlands’ conducted and published by SKAO and the Technical University of Delft (TU Delft). So which sustainable innovations actually contribute to climate neutral infrastructure in the Netherlands?
What started out as a smartphone app that warns motorists of traffic jams, road constructions and different weather circumstances, expanded to a mobility app that stimulates sustainable commuting behavior through gamification. The opportunities to reduce carbon emissions through this method are therefore massive. The app, named ‘TimesUpp’, is developed by the Dutch company Innovactory, that recently obtained a certificate on the highest level of the CO2 Performance Ladder. The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO) spoke to the founding fathers of this smart mobility app and discovered the opportunities to cut back carbon emissions in the mobility sector by means of gamification.
The Dutch road construction company KWS Infra worked alongside the transportation concern Vrijbloed Transport to develop the first electric truck including electric crane. The road constructor aims to make use of the electric truck in one of its road construction projects.
What is the relation between carbon management and the circular economy? SKAO and Utrecht University have researched circular economy developments and how the CO2 Performance Ladder can stimulate a circular economy.
The Dutch parking company Egis Parking Services (EPS) manages a total chain of approximately 2.400 parking machines, 180.000 parking licenses and fiscal enforcement of 150.000 paid parking spaces in Amsterdam. EPS does these activities with the implementation and development of digital innovations. The parking company recently obtained a level 4 certificate of the CO2 Performance Ladder. With this, EPS strives towards a sustainable future by reducing as much carbon emissions as possible with the help of the Ladder.
The Dutch distributor of biofuels Den hartog delivers the biodiesel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) to sludge processing plant in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant. Depending on how much HVO is used in a fuel mix, the biodiesel can lead to CO2 emissions savings of 89 to 100 percent, claims Den Hartog.
The Dutch municipality of Barneveld has recently obtained a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder at level 3. With this, Barneveld is the second municipality in the Netherlands after Renkum with a certificate on the Ladder. The certification on the CO2 management system is a concrete step for the Dutch municipality to reduce its CO2 emissions and become carbon neutral.
The Dutch province of Zuid-Holland has opened its first CO2 negative road. The road N211 is localized between the cities of The Hague and Poeldijk. The province has commissioned construction concern BAM Infra to develop the sustainable and CO2 negative road. The company has provided the piece of infrastructure with 20 different sustainable innovations that save energy and carbon emissions. The province has said to repeat this approach of sustainable innovations in all of its infrastructure projects and wishes to share knowledge and experience on sustainable infrastructure with other governments.
The Dutch freight transportation company Van der Stelt has the ambition to continuously develop in sustainability and CO2 reduction. For this, the organisation is certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder. By implementing the CO2 management system, Van der Stelt monitors its carbon emissions, structurally cuts back CO2 and was awarded a project in which the CO2 Performance Ladder plays an essential part. Arjan Rademaker, manager of operations at Van der Stelt, explains more about the developments within the company.
Rasenberg Infra, a subsidiary of construction and civil engineering company Strukton, has placed asphalt in the Dutch city of Breda that consists of 97 percent reused materials. The so-called Greenfalt is made of reused asphalt and recycled railway materials. These reused materials are processed in every layer of the asphalt road. A higher percentage of reused materials in asphalt can lead to the reduction of carbon emissions. This conclusion is based on prior research conducted by the Technical University of Delft (TU Delft) in collaboration with SKAO.
From Wednesday 3 till Friday the 5th of October, the EcoProcura took place in the Dutch city of Nijmegen. During this international conference on sustainable procurement, SKAO has done several presentations on the CO2 Performance Ladder. There was plenty of interest from international parties to make use of the instrument for sustainable procurement.
The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) released a report on Monday the 8th of October, which states that policy makers all over the world must aim at limiting global warming to 1,5 °C instead of 2 °C. A global temperature rise of 2 °C instead of 1,5 °C means a greater negative impact on plants, animals and people. It could also lead to irreversible consequences.
Sweco has been certified at the highest level of the CO2 Performance Ladder since 2011. With the insights gained from the CO2 Performance Ladder, the engineering consultancy agency has taken practical measures in their policy on mobility to reduce as much carbon emissions as possible. SKAO spoke with Arthur Zantinge, sustainability specialist at Sweco, about the lessons learned and the challenges that the agency faces to achieve its climate goals.
The Dutch organisation Wierda Hybrid Technologies is developing the world’s first full electric concrete mixer. Wierda Hybrid Technologies presented an operational prototype of this concrete mixer during the international fair of commercial vehicles, IAA, in the German city of Hannover.
From October 3rd till 5th, the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (in Dutch: SKAO) will present the CO2 Performance Ladder during EcoProcura in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. EcoProcura is a conference for public procurement in which policy meets practice and where professionals gather to share innovations and experiences that contribute to sustainable procurement. With its presence at EcoProcura, SKAO aims to introduce the CO2 Performance Ladder as a means to accelerate sustainable procurement in various European countries.
On Thursday 27 September, local authorities met in Barnevelds town hall to gain more knowledge about the CO2 Performance Ladder and how this management instrument contributes to achieving climate ambitions. Among other things, the municipalities of Winterswijk, Berkelland and the Climate Association Foundation announced during the meeting that they are going to work with the CO2 Performance Ladder.
Sustainability is a hot topic for most organisations. For this, businesses develop policies and ambitions after which they are implemented in daily operations. However, the translation of sustainability policies to practices leaves room for improvement. Thus concludes Niels van Geenhuizen, Global Sustainable Solutions Leader at Arcadis. “The CO2 Performance Ladder allows us to put sustainability on the map. Now it’s time to follow up with actions and turn sustainability into business.”
When it comes to mobility, many organisations have high ambitions to make use of more electric vehicles and zero emission engines. An example of this is the engineering agency Royal HaskoningDHV that aims to transform their lease fleet to 100 percent electric by 2021. But what happens to mobile tools and equipment used in construction sites? What are the challenges and opportunities for electrification in the construction site of the future?
Following three earlier successful operations, the Rabobank and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are launching an expanded EUR 250 million “impact loan” for SMEs in the Netherlands. So far, nearly 300 environmentally-conscious businesses in the Netherlands have already benefitted from advantageous lending conditions of the EIB-backed impact loans with the Rabobank.
The Dutch provincial states of Gelderland has recently adopted a motion to obtain a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder. This means that the province is ready to put plans into actions and achieve its ambition to reduce 49 percent of its carbon emissions by 2030. “A government that is serious about its climate policy cannot escape the responsibility to reduce its own carbon emissions. This is where the CO2 Performance Ladder will assist us”, says Titus Visser, fraction member of the political party PvdA within the provincial states of Gelderland.
The Dutch health insurance company VGZ is the first of its kind to be certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder. The organization has been certified for level 3 of the CO2 management system. Frank van der Leest, facility and location manager of VGZ, has received the certificate. In the past year, the health insurer managed to reduce 2 percent of its carbon emissions.
The Dutch meat processer Vleesbedrijf Bolscher has recently been certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder at level 3. The company is the first in its kind to obtain a certificate on the Ladder. Bolscher notices that consumers are becoming more aware of their eating habits and opt for meat products that are produced and processed in a sustainable manner. The meat products should also adhere to high standards of animal welfare. Bolscher also expects that meat consumption will decline. A certificate on the Ladder therefore serves as a motivation for the company to remain active in CO2 reduction and sustainable processing of meat.
The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water State has assigned consultancy firm SGS Search to conduct a research on the decrease of carbon emissions as a result of the ban on plastic bags in shops. Since January of 2016, the Dutch government banned the use of plastic bags in shops. The research results state that the ban on plastic shopping bags in the Netherlands has led to a reduction of 26 kilotons of carbon emissions. As a consultancy firm, SGS Search actively works at reducing their own CO2 with the help of the CO2 Performance Ladder.
The Dutch construction company Rutte Groep and the circular networking organization New Horizon Urban Mining have launched the world’s first installation that distills and reclaims cement from old concrete materials.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) acquires level four of the CO2 Performance Ladder. On Tuesday the 29th of May, state secretary Stientje van Veldhoven received the certificate. Read the article below for the (photo) impression of the certification ceremony.
State secretary Stientje van Veldhoven, of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, calls upon other governments to actively reduce carbon emissions.
The Hague, 29th of May, 2018 – The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) has been certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder at level 4. On Tuesday the 29th of May 2018, state secretary Stientje van Veldhoven received the certificate. In the past eight years, the energy consumption of I&W has dropped by one third of the total energy consumption.
The Dutch water authority Scheldestromen, located in the Province of Zeeland, has recently implemented that CO2 Performance Ladder as a procurement instrument. The manner in which the organization includes both internal as well as external stakeholders in its efforts towards sustainability, is innovative and effective. In this article, Scheldestromen shares its ambitions and motivations to make use of the procurement instrument to realize sustainable infrastructure.
DKG Holding, the organization behind the successful Dutch kitchen brands Bruynzeel Kitchens and Keller Kitchens, recently obtained a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder at level 3. With this accomplishment, the company is the first in its branch that makes use of the management system to improve its efforts of reducing carbon emissions. The kitchen manufacturer aims to be a frontrunner in sustainability.
After seven years of being in the board of the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), chairman Patrick Buck is retiring. The former director of projects at Dutch railway concern ProRail was involved at the very start of the CO2 Performance Ladder and recalls how it all began. Now that society and businesses realize the importance of sustainability and carbon emissions reduction, the former director sees a great future ahead for the Ladder as the ultimate CO2 management system of the Netherlands.
The Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO), in collaboration with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), is carrying out the project ‘On the road to climate neutral infrastructure in the Netherlands’. The ongoing project started in the spring of 2017. A great part of this project is a research on the possibilities of a climate neutral infrastructure sector. The study is completed and the research report recently published.
The average CO2 emissions of European passenger cars has increased by 0,4 percent in 2017 compared to the year before. This was reported by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
Due to economic growth and a rising population, the demand for construction and infrastructure equally rises. These construction works require raw materials, such as sand and gravel, that are becoming more scarce on land. For this reason, more and more of the required raw materials are being sourced from the bottom of the sea. At the same time, offshore wind farms are being built at rapid speed to meet the demands for renewable power. This makes it more challenging to dig up the raw building materials from the sea, because the sea surfaces become crowded. DC Dreding, the Belgian dredging and sand extraction company, has the ambition to turn these dilemma’s into opportunities.
The Dutch advisory and engineering agency Movares values a sustainable and healthy living environment. The company therefore actively seeks to minimize the environmental impact of its business. To downsize the environmental impact of its activities, Movares creates opportunities to align sustainable goals with project outcomes and practices what it preaches. Thanks to the firm’s efforts to minimize its impact on the environment, Movares managed to develop a business policy that led to the lowest carbon footprint of all the large engineering agencies of the Netherlands.
Sustainable bicycle lanes made from fibers from recycled toilet paper, repurposed old tires within low-carbon asphalt mixtures and recycled asphalt roads. For the Dutch construction company Roelofs, sustainability is no longer just a thought; the company is certified on the highest level of the CO2 Performance Ladder. However, the challenge of sustainability for Roelofs lies in preserving CO2 reduction despite economic growth.
Reducing carbon emissions in your organization and projects can be challenging. By implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder, conducting business while contributing to a sustainable environment will become an opportunity rather than a challenge. You reduce CO2, which means you’ll reduce energy and costs: a win-win situation! Curious to know more about what the Ladder can do for your organization? Check out the videos of certification and procurement with the CO2 Performance Ladder!
A feasibility assessment of the CO2 Performance Ladder has found in favour of the scheme being developed and implemented in Australia.
The Dutch company Rensa, wholesaler of goods such as heating installations and air ventilation systems, has started with a pilot project to make use of the biofuel HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) in January of this year. The organization has 45 trucks of which 5 are currently suitable for the use of the biofuel, that consists of 80 percent diesel and 20 percent HVO. This leads to a carbon emissions reduction of 17,8 percent. To accelerate the transition towards sustainability, the wholesaler realizes that reducing their carbon emissions alone is not sufficient.
The Dutch Central Bureau for the Statistics (CBS) concluded in a research that the carbon emissions of the Netherlands were down by 2,2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to the same period of the year before. At the same time the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Netherlands has increased by 2,9 percent in Q4 of 2017. According to the CBS, the reduction in CO2 was made possible by less energy generated from coal power plants, among other things.
The Dutch automatization and engineering agency Soltegro has recently obtained a certificate of the CO2 Performance Ladder on level 5, the highest level. Soltegro says they have raised the bar when it comes to sustainability, which is why the Ladder is a perfect fit for their organisation. However, the agency notices that commissioning parties should make a greater contribution in the transition towards a sustainable economy.
Weverling Groenproviders, of the Dutch city of Monster, is a company that is active in the field of planting and maintenance of greenery in urban areas. Think of green rooftops, gardens and trees near roads and streets. By implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder, the company structurally reduces its carbon emission and works towards sustainability. In the near future, Weverling aims to generate more revenues, while at the same time, causing a minimum amount of CO2 emissions.
Sustainable and socially responsible procurement should not only be the responsibility of the procurement or purchasing department of an organization. In order to make a strong and lasting impact on the supply chain and on the business sector, the whole organization must be involved in the practice of sustainability. For this reason, the international guideline ISO 20400 has been developed. What is the ISO 20400? And how can organizations re-enforce their contribution to a green economy by using both the ISO 20400 and the CO2 Performance Ladder?
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) consist of 17 objectives that according to the United Nations ‘will make the world a better place by 2030’. These SDG’s concern issues such as the fight against climate change, poverty, and the development of sustainable cities. How can organizations contribute to these goals? And how does the CO2 Performance Ladder play its part?
For the Dutch construction company Martens en Van Oord, sustainability is an essential part of business. The company implements the CO2 Performance Ladder as an answer to a growing market demand of sustainability practices and CO2 reduction. However, in order to win the battle against climate change, more concrete action needs to be taken. In this interview, Madeleine Schenk, team leader KAM (Quality, Business and Environment) at Martens en Van Oord, talks about the ladder and sustainable practices that tackle climate change.
Preventing rail disruptions instead of repairing them. This sounds like the future. However, the Dutch company InTraffic brings prevention a step closer to the present with Big Data. The software system that the ICT firm developed, enables the Dutch railway operator ProRail to discover the cause of disruptions to the railway infrastructure. Thanks to Big Data solutions, ProRail can undertake action to prevent potential disruptions.
With the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder, TBI Infra aims to conduct its business in a sustainable and ecological fashion. The Dutch construction company reduced its CO2 emissions by 35 percent within three years. Due to measures of CO2 reduction, TBI Infra has managed to gain award advantages in certain projects. Jeroen Ritzer – van Dinther, coordinator of Sustainability at TBI Infra, talks about his experiences with the CO2 Performance Ladder and how the management system has to be integrated within the project and the company.
