CO₂ Performance Ladder

Since 2020, Willy Naessens' construction-related companies have been mapping their CO2 emissions (SKAO). This covers direct scope 1 and 2 emissions.

Bron: https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-1-and-scope-2-inventory-guidance

This year, we are again publishing our 2020-2023 progress report and action plan on our website. Here, we would like to highlight a few issues. 

If we look at all the companies that were already included in the inventory in 2020, we find that our emissions fell by as much as 9.6%. This is despite the growth of these companies (e.g. full new 10,000 m² Alu department at the head office site and the expansion of Concreton with a full 8,000 m² reinforcement workshop). The target of 7.5% (2.5% per year) was thus comfortably achieved.

However, besides the organic growth of the Willy Naessens Group, there is also growth through acquisitions and additional activities. Moreover, the figures of the Food division were previously not included. To get a better overall picture, it was therefore decided to include all companies within the Willy Naessens Group in our data from 2023 onwards. We see that total emissions increased by 14.9%.

In order to still be able to measure our progress, it was therefore decided to relate our CO2 to sales. To avoid price increases leading to a distorted picture, the turnover was recalculated to the reference year 2020 according to the consumption index. We note that compared to 2020, a 22% decrease was realised. 

These excellent results were achieved by switching to green electricity wherever possible. We are also increasingly relying on heat pump technology to air condition our offices and are working on the electrification of the vehicle fleet.
In the future, the Willy Naessens Group will continue its efforts to reduce its footprint. To this end, the Group will continue to focus mainly on the following points:

• Purchase of green electricity combined with an expansion of the capacity of self-generated solar energy.
• Where possible, move away from fossil fuels for air conditioning.
• Further electrification of the vehicle fleet. In the Food division, a number of electric delivery vans were even purchased for delivery to customers. 
• Modernising a number of concrete production sites.
• Reduce emissions on site by working as much as possible with an electrical connection on site (whether or not in combination with batteries). Combining power groups with batteries can also allow emissions to be reduced on site. As part of this, the first electric assembly cranewas also purchased within the group.
• Investigating the feasibility of using alternative fuels (biodiesel, HVO, etc.)
• Monitoring idling of equipment on site.

In this way, everyone within the Willy Naessens Group is doing their bit for a sustainable future.