With the re-asphalting of a ring road in Ireland, a CO2 Performance Ladder project outside the Netherlands and Belgium was completed for the first time. And with success: the project delivered nothing less than 21 per cent CO2 reduction. The Irish pilot was set up by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), SKAO’s local partner, SKAO itself and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). George Thurley from SKAO and Marianne Ibrahim from IGBC explain how the pilot came about, the impressive results it produced and how the project should create a snowball effect.
For a few years now, SKAO has been actively working to roll out the CO2 Performance Ladder outside the Netherlands and Belgium. From a 2022 feasibility study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Ireland emerged as one of the European countries where the Ladder could potentially be used in public procurement, says George Thurley, who was, among others, involved in the feasibility study on behalf of SKAO. “At the end of this study, we organised a focus group discussion with IGBC to discuss the opportunities and possibilities of implementing the Ladder in Ireland. As they were very enthusiastic about the Ladder, we decided that they would become our local partner in Ireland.”
Such a local partner, according to Thurley, is important in getting parties on board to use the Ladder in their procurement. “IGBC has a strong network and a lot of knowledge within the infrastructure and construction sector in Ireland. At the same time, it is better and more convenient for contracting authorities and organisations seeking certification to be able to communicate with a party from their own country. As a partner, IGBC acts as a link between SKAO and the Irish market and as a coordinator between involved parties.”
IGBC sees the CO2 Performance Ladder as a useful system for the construction and infrastructure sector to contribute to its sustainable procurement ambitions, says Marianne Ibrahim, project manager at IGBC. “The Ladder is a well-established system that contracting authorities can use easily and at no extra cost. Because it has proven its great value as a GPP tool in the Netherlands and Belgium for years, it is also reliable. It is not considered best practice when it comes to sustainable procurement for nothing. For us, therefore, the question was not whether we wanted to help roll out the Ladder in Ireland, but how best to go about it.”
To gain experience and familiarise parties with the Ladder, SKAO and IGBC decided to set up a pilot project with a contracting authority in 2023. Thurley: “In the end, we ended up with TII. They had also been interviewed during the feasibility study, so we had already made contact and knew about their ambitions in terms of CO2 reduction. Through a number of in person and online meetings, we explained how the Ladder works and how TII could implement it in a tender. TII then chose a suitable project for the pilot.
That project involved the resurfacing of an 11.5-kilometre motorway in Kildare, with an estimated contract value of four million euros. Using the Ladder in the tender document, bidders could receive a notional discount on the tender price depending on their level of ambition. Ibrahim: “As none of the parties were yet certified, they had to indicate the level at which they wanted to be certified. They were given three months after the conclusion of the works to meet the requirements of this level.”
As it was a first project with the Ladder in Ireland, TII opted for a sub-contract within a larger framework agreement, to which only a handful of companies could respond, says Ibrahim. “So, there were five parties who could bid. The reason TII chose this is that they could then properly explain to the parties exactly what the Ladder means, why they chose it and what it means for the companies. In any new market, it’s very important to make sure the potential suppliers understand what is being asked of them, and what the benefits are. The consultation session was remarkably successful. All parties were positive and had ambitions to get certified at level 3 or 4.
In the end, the project was awarded to Jons Civil Engineering, which had bid at level 4. In summer 2024, the company successfully carried out the project in three months. And not unimportantly with significant emission reductions. Jons managed to emit a total of 21 per cent less CO2 than the expected emissions. The savings were achieved thanks to energy-efficient execution, the choice of sustainably produced asphalt and savings of 165 tonnes from raw materials and 126 tonnes related to equipment, among other things.
Due to the success of the pilot, TII has decided to apply the Ladder in other tenders over the next four years, including two framework agreements, each worth between €30 million and €60 million. According to Ibrahim, the success is also inspiring the rest of the market. “We have already held talks with several contracting authorities that are interested, such as Irish Rail. It really helps enormously that with the pilot we have shown that tendering with the Ladder actually leads to significant CO2 reduction and works well in the Irish context. Often parties need evidence from their own context before they change tack. At IGBC, we are busy with webinars, events, and training sessions to further promote the Ladder. We hope for a snowball effect. Also, for the industry. Companies now see that you can win a tender with certification.”
Ibrahim expects to encounter some challenges in the coming years. “There’s plenty of experience with the Ladder across Europe, and it’s a proven tool, but for many Irish stakeholders it’s still new, and it takes time to feel comfortable with a new tool. Most people and organisations learn by doing! The experience of TII shows that in practice it is easier than expected, so we’re hopeful that other procurers will have the same experience. As IGBC we’re available to support procurers in their journey. The first steps have now been taken, but much more is needed. What would help tremendously is if the public sector would more actively encourage the use of the Ladder in public procurement. We can promote the Ladder from IGBC, but ultimately you want the sector itself to embrace and propagate the tool.”
Finally, what is the main lesson learned by SKAO from the first tender with the Ladder outside the Netherlands and Belgium? Thurley: “Mainly that the system also works in other countries and is relatively easy to implement. If you are familiar with ISO standards, the Ladder is not that much different. By far the most work was in the lead time, between the first contact and the implementation of the project. But that also makes sense. You have to bring the right people and parties together, explain how everything works and what the benefits are, and then make sure the Ladder can be included in a tender. But by doing this more often, including in other countries, this process will get faster and faster. Ireland is the latest proof of the power of the Ladder.”
For more information, read the IGBC Case study.
With the re-asphalting of a ring road in Ireland, a CO2 Performance Ladder project outside the Netherlands and Belgium was completed for the first time. And with success: the project delivered nothing less than 21 per cent CO2 reduction. The Irish pilot was set up by the Irish Green…
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