Sustainable Delfland

The CO₂ Performance Ladder helps organizations to map out and reduce their CO₂ emissions. Delfland has set itself the goal of being energy neutral by 2025 and climate neutral by 2050. Director Pieter Janssen of Delfland: “In our policy for sustainable purchasing, we already grant award advantages to contractors who are certified in accordance with the CO₂ Performance Ladder. It was therefore a logical step for us to also apply this method within our own organization. This leads to a better dialogue with market parties about the options for reducing CO₂ emissions.”

Delfland’s CO₂ footprint is 14,000 tons, with the main emissions being 7,090 tons of biogas consumption at the wastewater treatment plants, 3,894 tons of electricity consumption and 1,633 tons of natural gas consumption. The water board will be working on the following CO₂ reducing measures: making the purchase of electricity more sustainable, converting biogas to green gas and supplying the gas network as a sustainable fuel source for the transport sector, making the vehicle fleet electric and investing in solar energy and wind energy. “We also help initiators to use aquathermy (residual heat from wastewater treatment and surface water) as a measure for the energy transition, to heat homes sustainably.”

Toine Poppelaars, board member of Dutch Water Authorities (UVW): “The water authorities see the CO₂ Performance Ladder as a powerful tool for making the sector more sustainable. It is good news that the Delfland water authority, in addition to Hollands Noorderkwartier water authority, has now also obtained this certification. Currently, five other water authorities are also on their way to certification via a certification process. More water authorities will follow in 2021. ”

About the CO₂ performance Ladder

The CO₂ Performance Ladder has become a leading sustainability instrument in the Dutch market in recent years. Encouraging organizations to do something about CO₂ reduction themselves, that is the idea behind the CO₂ Performance Ladder. Organizations such as the KNVB, Capgemini, Heijmans, Pure Energie and a large number of governments have now been certified for the CO₂ Performance Ladder.

Annemiek Lauwerijssen, manager of the Climate-Friendly Procurement & Business Foundation (SKAO): “The CO₂ Performance Ladder has set in motion an enormous movement. It is good to see that also more and more governments are enthusiastically getting started with certification as part of their exemplary role and practice what you preach. We congratulate the Delfland water authority with this great milestone!”