Improving energy and carbon management in construction and civil engineering companies—evaluating the impacts of the CO2 Performance Ladder

Abstract

In the Netherlands, the CO2 Performance Ladder has been introduced as an energy management programme to facilitate continuous energy efficiency and carbon performance improvement in non-industrial sectors. This paper addresses the question: ‘What is the impact of the CO2 Performance Ladder on improving energy and carbon management and reducing CO2 emissions in construction and civil engineering firms’. The research was based on interviews, descriptive analysis of energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction measures and quantitative analysis of CO2 emission reductions. The research results indicate that the CO2 Performance Ladder has improved various energy management practices at administrative level, while internalization of energy management practices at lower levels in the organization has just gradually started. Companies have implemented a wide range of new energy efficiency and CO2 emission reduction measures. However, most measures only affected supporting business processes instead of companies’ core processes. About 30–50 % of these measures have been identified as additional. Green electricity purchasing and the adoption of behavioural measures were particularly stimulated. The annual CO2 emission reduction rate due to energy efficiency improvement and fuel switching amounted to 3.2 %/year (2010–2013). First estimates suggest that about 1.0–1.6 %/year of these CO2 emission reductions can be attributed to the CO2 Performance Ladder. However, these figures should be handled with caution because of various uncertainties. Overall, we conclude that, driven by the potential competitive advantage in contract awarding, the CO2 Performance Ladder has been responsible for improving energy management and enhancing CO2 emission reduction among construction and civil engineering firms, which most likely would not have been achieved otherwise.