The effectiveness of the CO2-Performanceladder
F.A. Wilbrink · Utrecht University Repository (Utrecht University) · 2012
The goal of this master thesis is to measure the effects of the CO2-Performanceladder. The CO2-Performanceladder is a certification scheme that is used by Dutch public agencies in calls for tenders to stimulate contractors to work on CO2 emission reduction. The certification gives companies an award advantage in a call for tenders. It was investigated to what extent the CO2-Performanceladder had effect on certified companies in terms of impact on business operation, CO2 emission reduction and financial costs and benefits. Seventeen interviews were held with representatives from CO2-Performanceladder certified companies. It was found that the CO2-Performanceladder is an addition to the policy of three quarters of the certified companies. In most cases this addition was in the form of increased CO2 consciousness of the company and its employees in general and/or better structured CO2 management. For about a quarter of the companies the Ladder did not add things to the policy. These mostly large companies stated that their company was already performing on a high level of CO2 management. The companies reduced 10% CO2 emission in 2010 compared to 2009. However, it was found that the impact of a few large emitters on the total emissions was very large. Correction for these large impact s shows that the total CO2 reduction can vary between 6 and 21%. According to the interviewees not all of this reduction was caused by the CO2-Performanceladder. Large companies allocated on average less of their emission reduction to the CO2-Performanceladder than medium and small companies. Consequently, emission reduction purely caused by the CO2-Performanceladder is 0,6 to 5,4% in 2010 compared to 2009. The costs that the CO2-Performanceladder causes for certified companies have been identified. It appeared that man-hours spent internally and external advisory services form the biggest share of the costs. It was also found that the costs increase with company size, but also that the differences between companies with similar sizes are relatively large. Certified companies were not able to quantify their financial benefits. Only a few companies said they had financial benefit from the fictitious discount and about half of the companies had benefits resulting from costs reduction resulting from CO2 reduction measures. Still, more than half of the companies stated that the CO2-Performanceladder has been worth the investments.