Sustainability in procurement
Together with all other water authorities, we face the challenge of combating climate change. We are already experiencing the effects of climate change, such as longer periods of drought on the one hand and intense rainfall on the other. HHNK therefore wants to contribute to reducing climate change by working in a sustainable manner. The environmental goals we pursue are laid down administratively in the organization's climate policy. You can read more about this in On the road to climate neutrality.
CO2 Performance Ladder
Through our purchasing and tendering activities, we aim to involve the market in achieving our sustainability goals. One of the tools we use to this end is theCO2 Performance Ladder; see CO2 Performance Ladder for more information.
Clean and Emission-Free Construction
HHNK is a major client in the construction sector. The entire construction sector faces the collective challenge of taking steps towards sustainable construction. With the programme and Emission-Free Construction programme , we are working together to reduce emissions of nitrogen,CO2, and particulate matter. Together with all other water authorities, HHNK has signed the SEB Covenant, in which parties have made agreements on the joint implementation of the SEB Roadmap. We endorse the basic level in the Roadmap, which sets the bar slightly higher for all types of construction equipment (mobile machinery, vehicles, and vessels). The government has the role of client or initiator in this regard.
In all our market approaches in the civil engineering sector, the basic level set out in the SEB Roadmap is the minimum level that market parties using construction equipment must meet. Where possible, we challenge the market to carry out the work with cleaner equipment, in which case we use the SEB Roadmap as an award criterion and give a registration advantage to bidders who can use cleaner equipment if required at that time.
For more information, see Clean and emission-free construction.
The Performance Ladder for Social Entrepreneurship (PSO)
Encouraging labor participation among vulnerable groups in society is an essential part of socially responsible purchasing and commissioning (MVOI). HHNK therefore wants to contribute to this through its procurement and tendering activities. That is why, where possible, we apply the Performance Ladder for Social Entrepreneurship (PSO) tool from PSO-Nederland to our tenders. In doing so, we influence our contractors to apply Social Return and offer people from vulnerable groups extra opportunities on the labour market. This is a different way of applying Social Return than is customary at many other government organizations such as municipalities: it is not a requirement but an award criterion. We ask bidders whether they are prepared to express an ambition level on the PSO ladder, which consists of five levels, from Aspirant status to frontrunner (level 3). PSO-Nederland uses this to measure an organization's social contribution and compares it with organizations of the same size. Organizations that make an above-average social contribution are placed on a higher step of the PSO ladder. Organizations that aspire to a certain step but do not yet make an above-average social contribution are eligible for Aspirant status.
We assign a score or a fictitious discount on the registration fee to each ambition level. The effect is similar to that of the CO2 Performance Ladder instrument.
Please note that the winning bidder must achieve its ambition level within one year of the contract being awarded, and proof of this must be provided in the form of a certificate from PSO-Nederland at the level specified at the time of enrolment. This is therefore a requirement. Failure to fulfill this promise may result in a penalty.
An important positive effect for a company that has a PSO certificate is that it can gain an advantage with other contracting authorities that use the building block method to fulfill their social return obligations. Using the building block method, the supplier can put together a package of social value to meet the desired Social Return obligation. In many cases, a PSO certificate may be sufficient to meet part (or sometimes all) of that obligation.