UTRECHT, 6 April 2010 – Strukton Rail has achieved level 5 on the Dutch ProRail CO2 performance ladder. After VolkerRail, Strukton Rail is the second company to reach the highest rung of the CO2 ladder, which recognises that the company does responsible business.

Since December 2009, ProRail has rewarded service providers in the Netherlands that operate in an environmentally responsible manner. ProRail evaluates this by means of the so-called CO2 performance ladder, a measuring instrument that reflects the extent to which companies:

• have insight into their own carbon footprint
• take measures to reduce their CO2 emissions 
• take the initiative to reduce the CO2 emissions in the supply chain

The better a company meets these requirements, the higher it stands on the CO2 performance ladder.

In November 2009, Strukton Rail achieved level 4 on the ladder. The certificate for level 5 took effect on 31 March 2010. Last year, Strukton Rail reduced its CO2 emissions in the Netherlands by 6% based on 2008 levels. That is 4% more than the target, which was a reduction of 2%. To this end, Strukton Rail set up an energy reduction programme. In addition, the company has taken initiatives in the rail sector. Strukton Rail works with several NGO's including the Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment, Urgenda and VNM in order to limit both its own CO2 emissions as well as those of the entire sector.

Sustainability, and CO2 reduction as a part of this, is becoming more and more important. Strukton Rail’s target for 2010 – just as for all of Strukton – is to reduce CO2 emissions in the Netherlands by 2% with respect to 2009 emissions levels. This year, the company is focussing on five themes in particular:

• Cleaner and smaller fleet of leased cars
• More use of the NS Business Card
• Purchase of green energy
• Less energy consumption by data centre
• Paper reduction

In order to achieve level 5, it is important that a company encourages its principal suppliers to recognise their CO2 emissions. ‘It was crucial to have our suppliers’ cooperation for us to achieve level 5, so we are very pleased to find that that cooperation exists’, says Frank van Buuren, head of Purchasing at Strukton Rail. ‘Of course, it isn’t just important for us, but for the entire sector. After all, sustainability can’t be achieved alone; it’s something you achieve by working together.’

Since late October 2009, Strukton Rail’s principal suppliers in the Netherlands have had access to a special purchasing portal. In addition to ProRail’s CO2 performance ladder requirements, the portal displays the Strukton Sustainability Statement, with which Strukton Rail underlines the ambition to achieve a sustainable purchasing process together with its strategic suppliers and partners.