The CO₂ Performance Ladder gives French public buyers a practical way to reward suppliers that reduce their CO₂ emissions. Resah, a central purchasing body for the French healthcare sector, was one of the first French public buyers to use it in a live tender. Its experience shows how the Ladder helps buyers involve their whole supplier base in decarbonisation, including smaller organisations.
The CO₂ Performance Ladder is both a procurement instrument and a CO₂ management system. Public buyers use it to reward suppliers that measurably reduce their emissions. The Ladder has been used in the Netherlands for more than 15 years and is also applied in other European countries, such as Belgium, Ireland and France.
A natural fit with responsible purchasing
Resah has a formal policy for socially and environmentally responsible procurement, set out in its Responsible Purchasing Scheme (SPASER). It has also held the Relations Fournisseurs & Achats Responsables (RFAR) label since 2021. For Resah, the Ladder fits this policy well because it looks at the direction a supplier is taking.
“The CO₂ Performance Ladder aligns perfectly with this approach. It values progress trajectories rather than only initial positions. It allows us to engage our entire supplier ecosystem in a realistic decarbonisation dynamic.”
Resah
Many CO₂ criteria in tenders look at a supplier’s current emissions. That approach can exclude organisations with a high CO₂ footprint today, even when they are working hard to reduce it. The Ladder rewards a credible reduction pathway, which gives these organisations a fair chance to compete.
How the Ladder works in a tender
Organisations certify on one of three Steps. Each Step represents a greater ambition in reducing CO₂ emissions. In a tender, the buyer rewards that ambition with an award advantage: the higher the Step, the greater the advantage. In the Netherlands, this is usually a notional discount on the bid price. In France, SKAO’s partner Asea advises buyers to use a points system in the evaluation instead, based on an initial legal study and in line with French case law.
Independent, accredited certification bodies audit the certified organisations. This means the buyer does not need in-house CO₂ expertise to check suppliers’ claims. Suppliers choose the Step that suits their situation and ambition, which makes the Ladder accessible to organisations of every size. Small organisations are also eligible for certain exemptions. In the Netherlands and Belgium, around 75% of certified organisations are SMEs.
One instrument among several
Resah does not rely on a single tool to reduce the CO₂ footprint of its purchases. It selects its approach per market.
“We adapt tools and activate levers based on market typology, industrial sector, and other factors structuring our purchasing strategy.”
Resah
In some tenders, Resah uses criteria on energy efficiency or logistics that directly lower the footprint of the contract. In others, it works with contract clauses and progress plans during the execution phase. The Ladder adds to these measures by rewarding a supplier’s organisation-wide reduction effort. That makes it easy to combine with other criteria a buyer already uses.
Resah’s first Ladder tender
Resah has included the Ladder in five tenders: asbestos removal works, catering and three maintenance contracts. Its first Ladder tender covered decontamination and asbestos removal. Five of the nine bidders responded to the Ladder criterion with a commitment to version 4.0 of the Ladder, and a contractor was selected to carry out the work. At the time of the award, the bidders were not yet certified and had not yet chosen between certifying their organisation and submitting a project statement. For a market where the Ladder was still new, that was an encouraging start. It showed that French suppliers were ready to take part.
A clear message to suppliers
Resah is explicit about what it expects from its suppliers. The focus is on a credible plan and steady progress.
“We don’t expect companies to be perfect, but to set themselves a credible, structured trajectory, aligned with regulatory and societal expectations. Efforts are shared across supply chain actors, and we are convinced that collective commitment is essential to address this worldwide challenge.”
Resah
This matches what the Ladder has shown over many years. Research shows that certified organisations reduce their CO₂ emissions twice as fast as average. Resah sees a clear benefit for suppliers who start now:
“Those who commit today will strengthen their resilience and future performance.”
Resah
Part of the French pilot
Since 2024, Asea, a specialist in sustainable procurement and SKAO’s partner in France, has led the rollout of the Ladder in France. Asea works in a consortium with OBsAR, the French association for responsible purchasing, and the contracting authorities RTE and UGAP. Together they are adapting the Ladder to the French context. Asea also had the legal basis examined and showed that using the Ladder is fully in line with French procurement law and the EU Public Procurement Directives.
Resah is in good company. In 2024, La Poste, RTE and UGAP published the first French tenders using the Ladder, and more public buyers have followed since. The buyers involved share their experiences in a community of practice coordinated by Asea. Read more about the roll-out in France.
“Resah’s first tenders show that French suppliers are ready to work with the Ladder. Our aim is to help more public and private buyers take the same step, with a tool that is practical and proven.”
Jenny Bourhis, Director of Asea
What other public buyers can learn
Resah’s experience offers useful lessons for buyers elsewhere in Europe. The Ladder can be introduced alongside criteria a buyer already uses, so it does not require a new procurement strategy. Independent certification keeps the workload for the buyer low. A message that rewards progress encourages suppliers of all sizes to take part, which helps buyers reach their own climate targets through their supply chain.
Find out more about the CO₂ Performance Ladder in France, or see how you can use the Ladder in your own tenders.
First published at the European Comission public buyers community: Building Resilience Through Collective Decarbonization: Resah’s testimonial on the CO₂ Performance Ladder.