News 24 May 2018 News from SKAO
Parent company of Bruynzeel Kitchens slashes carbon emissions with CO2 Performance Ladder
DKG Holding, the organization behind the successful Dutch kitchen brands Bruynzeel Kitchens and Keller Kitchens, recently obtained a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder at level 3. With this accomplishment, the company is the first in its branch that makes use of the management system to improve its efforts of reducing carbon emissions. The kitchen manufacturer aims to be a frontrunner in sustainability.
CO2 neutral manufacturer of kitchens
With a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder, DKG Holding has the means to structurally reduce its carbon emissions. The company experiences this as a milestone, according to Sjoerd Gombert, coordinator of quality and environment at DKG. “The certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder shows that reducing carbon emissions is not a one-off action, but a continuous effort that is ingrained in our company policy”, he says. “As a market leader, we consider it an obligation to bring corporate social responsibility to the attention of our target groups. The management and direction of DKG has therefore decided to include the CO2 Performance Ladder in the company strategy. We wish to distinguish ourselves from our competitors when it comes to sustainability. This is why we are the first and only kitchen manufacturer in Europe that produces kitchens in a CO2 neutral fashion.”
DKG aims to reduce 70 percent of its carbon emissions in 2019 compared to 2015. This goal is based on the amount of kitchen cupboards that the company produces. In order to achieve this ambition, the organization has developed a multi-year plan. The company commits to actively monitoring its carbon emissions resulting from various business activities. Based on the carbon monitor, DKG says to take concrete measures that diminish the CO2. An example of a concrete measure that DKG has already taken towards CO2 reduction is the generation of green electricity by means of solar panels. The remaining demand for electricity in the offices of DKG will be supplied with 100 percent green wind energy from the Netherlands.
“We also make use of a biomass incinerator to process our saw waste”, says Gombert. “The heat that comes from the incinerator is being used to heat the factory building. The carbon emission that results from this process is then compensated via the initiatives of Trees for All and Climate Neutral Group. These are trustworthy organizations that focus on mitigating the effects of climate change.” Furthermore, DKG is developing a sustainable vehicle leasing policy. All cars that the kitchen manufacturer leases from 2020 onwards should be electric. The current standard of lease cars is adjusted to vehicles that emit less carbon per kilometer.
A sustainable alternative for each market segment
The kitchen manufacturer is the organization behind the Dutch brands Bruynzeel Kitchens and Keller Kitchens. With these brands, DKG does not only actively operate within the B2C market, but also within the B2B market. B2B customers of DKG consist of construction companies and financial concerns, among others. “Our clients are construction concerns that make use of certification systems such as BREEAM, ISO-norms, FSC and the CO2 Performance Ladder. These companies request their suppliers to also implement sustainable practices in their management and projects. As a market leader, we would like to contribute to sustainability and set the right example.” Next to that, DKG collaborates alongside housing corporations and investors that require DKG to continuously work on sustainability. A substantial part of DKG’s revenues is generated by B2B clients, that value sustainability instruments such as the CO2 Performance Ladder, claims Gombert.
The coordinator quality and environment at DKG notices that sustainability is becoming more and more important in the B2B market. In terms of the consumer market, the kitchen manufacturer also takes measures to promote its sustainable practices. “There are many opportunities for widely used materials to be replaced by sustainable alternatives”, says Gombert. “At the same time, it also forms one of our biggest challenges, considering the great variety of items we produce. We also have to adjust our ambitions towards sustainability to what is already available on the market. Another great opportunity is to make our sustainable products more appealing to consumer markets. This is why we carry a line of products created with sustainable materials as an alternative to each consumer market segment we operate in.”
“We expect that sustainability will play an even bigger role in the market. With our current initiatives and the implementation of the CO2 Performance Ladder, we have started the journey prematurely”, Gombert continues. “Through these developments we will continue to seek more opportunities towards CO2 reduction and our regular product lines will gradually be transformed to sustainable alternatives.”