News 17 July 2018 News from SKAO
VGZ health insurer certified for the CO2 Performance Ladder
The Dutch health insurance company VGZ is the first of its kind to be certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder. The organization has been certified for level 3 of the CO2 management system. Frank van der Leest, facility and location manager of VGZ, has received the certificate. In the past year, the health insurer managed to reduce 2 percent of its carbon emissions.
VGZ aims to contribute to sustainable development and places a high priority on conducting business while being aware of the impact on climate change. Climate awareness is therefore an important part of the health insurer’s business policy. For this reason, the office buildings of VGZ are located near public transportation facilities and equipped with installations to save energy consumption. The health insurer is looking for opportunities to install solar panels along with other organizations located near their office buildings. Furthermore, employees of VGZ can decide upon their time and place to work, in order for them to save upon traveling time and kilometers. The health insurance company also acts upon a sustainable policy for mobility. This means that VGZ stimulates its employees to make use of public transportation instead of leased cars. The health insurer aims to continuously improve its contribution to climate goals. The annual mapping of its CO2 footprint offers VGZ the opportunity to monitor its emissions and to steer on concrete measures that reduce carbon emissions. With this, VGZ aims to build and maintain sustainable business operations.
CO2 Performance Ladder
The CO2 Performance Ladder is an instrument that helps organizations to structurally reduce their carbon emissions within the organization, projects and business sector. Organizations that are certified on the CO2 Performance Ladder receive an award advantage during tenders. The system is used as both a CO2 management system as well as sustainable procurement instrument.
The CO2 Performance Ladder is developed and owned by the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO).
Gijs Termeer, manager of the Foundation for Climate Friendly Procurement and Business (SKAO): “It is fantastic that VGZ is the very first health insurer in the Netherlands to receive a certificate on the CO2 Performance Ladder. We welcome the fact that more and more companies in the Netherlands are making serious efforts to reduce their carbon emissions with the help of the CO2 Performance Ladder.”
Frank van der Leest, facility and location manager of VGZ: “VGZ continuously works towards ensuring that healthcare is both accessible and affordable for now and the future. That is our most important social mission. It means that our organization needs to focus on the future. In order to do that, we must actively reduce our carbon emissions. It is an essential part of our mission.”