CO₂ Performance Ladder

What CO₂ Performance Ladder does

The CO₂ Performance Ladder is a certification scheme and decarbonisation management system owned and managed by SKAO (Stichting Klimaatvriendelijk Aanbesteden & Ondernemen), a non-profit foundation headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands. Founded in 2008 by ProRail and transferred to SKAO for independent governance, the Ladder serves a dual function: it is both a structured CO₂ management system that organisations climb through progressively stringent requirements (three Steps under version 4.0, replacing five levels under version 3.1) and a procurement instrument that gives certified organisations a financial award advantage (a fictitious price discount on contract value) in public tenders. The scheme is accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) under reference S571 and by BELAC in Belgium, both under ISO 17021-1, with version 4.0 mandatory for Dutch and Belgian procurement from January 2027.

The underlying technology is a WordPress-based multilingual web platform (English, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese, Irish) with an integrated self-serve certification portal ("My CO₂ Performance Ladder") where organisations register, upload documentation, and manage certifications. Version 4.0 introduced an interactive digital handbook environment, dual market-based and location-based accounting for green grid electricity, expanded scope to include Scope 3 value chain emissions and Other Influenceable Emissions (OIE), and a mandatory Climate Transition Plan. Audits and certifications are performed exclusively by independent accredited certification bodies (CBs), which form the operational channel for the scheme.

SKAO monetises the Ladder primarily through annual membership contributions paid by certificate holders, tiered by organisation size or turnover from €65 to €6,000 per year. Initial and surveillance audit fees (approximately €3,000-€4,000 initial and €1,500-€2,500 annual) flow to the accredited CBs rather than to SKAO. The customer base spans two primary segments: government and public procurement authorities (national ministries, provinces, municipalities, water authorities, transport agencies) that mandate or incentivise the Ladder in tenders, and contracting-side organisations (primarily construction, infrastructure, and engineering firms such as Willemen Infra, Dura Vermeer, Arcadis, Colas Ireland, and FCC) that seek certification to win public contracts. More than 8,000 organisations hold certificates and more than 300 contracting authorities use the scheme, with active expansion into France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom alongside the established Netherlands-Belgium base.

Name

CO₂ Performance Ladder

Legal name

Stichting Klimaatvriendelijk Aanbesteden & Ondernemen

Website

https://co2performanceladder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The CO₂ Performance Ladder is a Dutch-developed CO₂ management and green procurement certification scheme owned by SKAO, serving 8,000+ certified organisations and 300+ public contracting authorities across seven European countries by combining CO₂ reduction requirements with a tender award-advantage mechanism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Certification

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Benchmarking, Ratings & Stakeholder Reporting Portals (Scorecards, Dashboards) (EUABAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audit-Ready Controls, Assurance & Compliance Workflow Tools (CSRD/SEC/ISSB) (EUABAEAG), Carbon Accounting, Verification & Registry Services (MRV, Audits, Certification) (IMAMAJAE), Supply Chain (Scope 3) Emissions & Supplier Engagement Platforms (EUABAEAE)

Keywords

• Carbon management certification
• Green public procurement
• Sustainability certification scheme
• CO2 reduction framework
• Emissions management system

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. SKAO Annual Membership Fees: Annual contribution paid by certificate holders to SKAO. Fee scales based on organisation size or turnover, ranging from €65 to €6,000 per year. This is the primary recurring revenue stream that funds the foundation's operations, standard maintenance, and international expansion.
2. Certification Body Audit Fees: Independent accredited certification bodies (CBs) charge fees for initial audits (approximately €3,000–€4,000 one-off) and annual surveillance audits (approximately €1,500–€2,500 annually). These fees are paid directly to CBs, not to SKAO.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The CO₂ Performance Ladder is a certification scheme and CO₂ management system operated by SKAO that drives decarbonisation through public procurement. Organisations achieve certification at progressively demanding levels (five levels under version 3.1, three Steps under version 4.0), and certified bidders receive a financial award advantage in tenders issued by contracting authorities. It serves simultaneously as a procurement instrument and an organisational carbon management system aligned with ISO 17021-1, ISO 9001/14001/50001 and CSRD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CO₂ Performance Ladder Certification (version 3.1) Accredited CO₂ management certification for organisations across all sectors, structured around five levels (1–5) of progressively demanding requirements covering energy management, CO₂ reduction and value-chain emissions. Certified organisations receive a financial award advantage (BPKV) in public tenders issued by contracting authorities in the Netherlands and Belgium.
• CO₂ Performance Ladder 4.0 Certification Updated accredited CO₂ management certification framework organised in three Steps instead of five levels, with expanded scope covering Scope 3 value-chain emissions and Other Influenceable Emissions (OIE), a mandatory Climate Transition Plan, and CSRD alignment. Available for certification from July 2025.
• Accredited Certification Body Audit Services Audits and certificate issuance performed by independent accredited Certification Bodies (CBs) under SKAO authorisation. CBs conduct the initial certification audit (one-off, approximately €3,000–€4,000), annual surveillance audits (approximately €1,500–€2,500), and three-yearly recertification audits, all accredited by the Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA) or BELAC under ISO 17021-1.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certified companies reduce CO₂ by 3.2% per year, twice the national average of 1.5% per year (University of Utrecht research, 2010–2013)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HIER Climate Foundation (HIER Klimaatstichting)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe secretariat of SKAO is provided by the HIER Climate Foundation, a Dutch NGO that supports individuals, energy cooperatives, municipalities, and businesses in the energy transition. HIER organises board meetings, CCvD sessions, working groups, communication, website management, presentations, and research support for the CO₂ Performance Ladder.
• Dutch Accreditation Council (RvA)coreOthersRvA provides formal accreditation for the CO₂ Performance Ladder certification scheme under reference S571, confirming compliance with ISO 17021-1 for management system certification. Certificates bearing the RvA mark are accepted in almost all countries worldwide.
• BELAC (Belgian Accreditation Body)coreOthersBELAC provides formal accreditation for the CO₂ Performance Ladder in Belgium, confirming that the certification scheme meets international standards for management system certification under ISO 17021-1.
• Nederlandse Vereniging van Systembeheerders (VvS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSKAO is a member of the Dutch Association of Certification Scheme Managers (VvS), which promotes professional and transparent management of certification schemes in the Netherlands.
• Central College of Experts (CCvD) — RepresentativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-stakeholder body including representatives from ProRail, Rijkswaterstaat, Bouwend Nederland, Techniek Nederland, water boards, and Belgian organisations (Embuild/VBA, Service Public de Wallonie, Flemish Government). Manages daily operations and maintains the certification programme through consensus-based governance.
• International Coordinators (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, UK)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal coordinators in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom support the implementation of the CO₂ Performance Ladder in their respective markets, adapting the system to local procurement contexts and regulatory frameworks.
• Accredited Certification Bodies (CBs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSKAO-authorised certification bodies are accredited by RvA or BELAC and are the sole parties permitted to issue CO₂ awareness certificates. They conduct initial, annual, and recertification audits for organisations seeking the Ladder certificate.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EcoVadis: EcoVadis operates a sustainability ratings platform used by procurement teams to score suppliers on environment, labor, ethics and sustainable procurement. It directly competes with the CO₂ Performance Ladder as a procurement-facing scoring instrument for supplier decarbonisation.
• B Lab / B Corp Certification: B Lab certifies companies on social and environmental performance via a tiered assessment that gives certified companies reputational and commercial advantages. The ladder structure and 'award advantage' mechanism are structurally similar to the CO₂ Performance Ladder's level/Step framework.

Broad incumbents

• BREEAM: BREEAM is a widely-adopted sustainability certification for buildings and infrastructure projects. While it focuses on built assets rather than organisational carbon management, it overlaps with the Ladder in public infrastructure tenders and contracting authority award criteria.
• Green Building Council / LEED (USGBC): LEED is the dominant global green building certification with strong adoption in public and private construction procurement. It competes for share-of-mind as a procurement-side sustainability award criterion in international tenders where the CO₂ Performance Ladder is also expanding.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): CDP runs the global disclosure system for climate, water and forests used by investors and procurement. It overlaps with the Ladder on corporate carbon disclosure and supply-chain engagement but at a broader, globally-incumbent scale rather than procurement award-criterion focus.

Emerging players

• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi): SBTi validates corporate emissions reduction targets against climate science and is increasingly referenced in procurement criteria. It overlaps with v4.0's Scope 3 and climate transition plan components, positioning as both a complement and competitor for carbon management standard adoption.
• Climate Neutral Now (UN): UN Climate Neutral Now certifies organisations on three steps of climate action (measure, reduce, offset) under UNFCCC. The stepped structure and global UN endorsement mirror the Ladder's approach and represent a UN-branded alternative in international markets.

Others

• GHG Protocol: GHG Protocol provides the underlying corporate and Scope 3 emissions accounting standards that the Ladder's v4.0 emissions requirements map to. As the foundational accounting layer, it shapes any carbon certification scheme and represents an ecosystem dependency rather than a direct competitor.
• ISO (ISO 14001 / ISO 50001 management system certifications): ISO 14001 (environmental) and ISO 50001 (energy) are the baseline management system standards the CO₂ Performance Ladder aligns with and explicitly references. They are complementary rather than substitutive but represent the standards ecosystem the Ladder must continually map against.

Regional players

• PAS 2080 (BSI Carbon Management in Infrastructure): PAS 2080 is the British Standards Institution's carbon management standard for infrastructure projects. It targets the same UK infrastructure procurement market where the CO₂ Performance Ladder is actively expanding, creating a regional competitor in the Ladder's newest international market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CO2PerformanceLadder
• Instagraminstagram.com/co2performanceladder
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/co2-performance-ladder

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CO₂ Performance Ladder