Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of the coming decades, including for companies. On the basis of our social function as a multidisciplinary engineering firm, we implement sustainable entrepreneurship practices in various ways.
In addition to many one-off initiatives, we are committed to reducing our CO2 emissions through a variety of actions, both in our projects and in our business operations. The CO2 Performance Ladder is also the appropriate instrument for mapping our emissions inventory and working with clients on CO2 reduction.
The CO2 Performance Ladder is an initiative of the Stichting Klimaatvriendelijk Aanbesteden & ondernemen (Foundation for Climate Neutral Procurement and Enterprise), which was created to encourage companies to act in a CO2 conscious manner, primarily in the areas of energy conservation, efficient use of materials and use of renewable energy.
The CO2 Performance Ladder is a CO2 management system that comprises five levels. Up to and including level 3, an organization works on the emissions within its own organization (and all projects). From levels 4 and 5 onwards, CO2 emissions in the chain and sector are also included.
In 2022, SBE achieved level 3 on the ladder. We aim to move to level 4 on the CO2 Performance Ladder in 2025.
The requirements for the CO2 Performance Ladder are divided into 4 perspectives:
Emissions over the past few years were mapped and translated into a CO2 footprint to gain insight into our CO2 emissions. These reports include our various energy flows and consumption within our office buildings.
To date, we have not had any projects with a CO2 award advantage.
SBE has set the following targets to reduce CO2 emissions, based on the CO2 emissions inventory:
*By switching to renewable energy in the Sint-Niklaas office, we aim to achieve a 50% reduction in scope 2 emissions in 2025 compared to 2021. However, we expect an increase in electricity consumption in the coming years because the share of electric cars in our fleet will only increase. The consumption (in kWh) of our employees who charge at home is considered gray electricity, which will greatly increase scope 2 emissions.
We are taking the following measures to achieve these goals.
More information on this topic is available in the document “plan of approach, incl. reduction goals”.
We make our CO2 efforts visible and accessible both internally and externally. This ensures that not only our own employees but also other companies, clients, partners and suppliers have an accurate picture of our ambitions.
We create support and awareness of CO2 emissions through our internal communication channels. We highlight our efforts and goals at least twice a year.
Wherever possible, we draw attention to sustainability and CO2 awareness through this website and our social media channels.
O2he sector initiatives in which SBE participates are explained in more detail in the document Overview of Initiatives, which is also available on SBE’s SKAO page.
Do you have any questions about our CO2 emissions or tips on how to reduce our CO2 emissions? Do not hesitate to contact us: we would be happy to help!
As part of our compliance with the CO2 Performance Ladder and in the context of transparent communication regarding our sustainability efforts, we publish various sustainability documents on our website. Here you can find our carbon footprint, emission reduction goals, and energy management action plans, among other information
Each CO2 Performance Ladder certified institution is audited annually by an independent and accredited certifying body.
As a certified organization, SBE can therefore guarantee that we are using an operational CO2 management system for our organization and our projects that is also reviewed annually in terms of ambitions, reduction and continuous improvement.
Curious about what’s happening in the field of sustainability within SBE? Or which sustainable projects we are involved in?
Do you have questions about our CO2 emissions or tips to reduce our carbon footprint?
Don’t hesitate to contact us, we are looking forward to help you!