Over the next few years, the Utrecht University Centre for Public Procurement (UUCePP) will conduct research into the CO2 Performance Ladder as a procurement instrument, and more broadly into the application of certificates in procurement. Effects, possibilities and impossibilities will be investigated from both economic and legal perspectives.

The CO2 Performance Ladder is a CO2 management system consisting of different levels, with the higher levels going beyond the company and covering emissions in the wider business chain and sector. According to their position on the ladder, certified companies receive an award advantage in the tendering process, in the form of a discount on their tender price. The contracting authority or client determines the amount of the advantage.

UUCePP's study is part of a major project coordinated by the Foundation for Climate-Friendly Procurement & Business (SKAO). SKAO, together with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and ICLEI Europe, will support European countries in implementing the CO2 Performance Ladder in Europe, with the aim of accelerating CO2 reduction by promoting sustainable procurement.

• dr. Ruben Nicolas
• Jihwan Ryu
• dr. Vitezslav Titl

• dr. S. (Sergio) Espana Cubillo
• prof. dr. Niels Bosma
• dr. Karin Geuijen
• drs. Martijn Arnoldus MA
• Arjan van Dorsselaer

• prof. dr. T. de Moor
• prof. dr. C. Hummels
• dr. M. Hogestijn

Following World War II, globalisation and market liberalisation triggered a period of unprecedented growth. Recently, these trends appear to reverse, whereby globalisation and corporations started to pose challenges for liberal democracy, social cohesion and environmental sustainability.

DemoTrans is an impact-driven Horizon Europe research project that will provide theoretically and empirically robust recommendations on how to reinvigorate democratic governance by improving the accountability, transparency, effectiveness and trustworthiness of rule-of-law based institutions and policies. Moreover, it will provide robust recommendations on strengthening democratic governance through the expansion of active and inclusive citizenship empowered by the safeguarding of fundamental rights, thus showing pathways to a secure, open and democratic European society.

• dr. Vitezslav Titl
• Pelle Berkhout MA
• Marly Tatiana Celis Galvez MSc
• Emilie Wojcieszynski
• dr. Anne Rainville

This project is the first systematic effort to create an evidence base about when, how, for what purposes, and with what implications the Dutch (local) authorities resort to purchasing data from the private sector to make evidence-based decisions addressing societal challenges.

• Sofie de Wilde de Ligny MA
• dr. M.T. (Mirko) Schaefer
• dr. Iryna Susha