|
|
|
|
|
Cosun news
| 11/30/2006 |
| Cooperation delivers more CO2 rights |
| |
Cosun has joined forces with other smaller energy consumers in the Calimero group to make sure its voice is heard among the large energy consumers when CO2 emission rights are allocated. The cooperation is already paying dividends.
The VNO-NCW employers organisation was invited by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment to take part in the negotiation of the allocation of CO2 emission rights in the Netherlands. Ronald Kalwij, Cosun’s environmental coordinator, was directly involved in the process.
“The first round was held several years ago and it didn’t work out well for smaller consumers such as Cosun. We simply weren’t heard. As a result, many companies were allocated fewer rights than they actually deserved. We had to take a different approach.”
This led to the formation of the Calimero group. Together, the group’s members are nearly as big as the other participating industries. Big enough for their own seat at the negotiating table. But they have to work together; otherwise the big consumers will play the little ones off against each other.
The Calimero companies are now involved in the negotiations directly and they have successfully introduced a calculation method that does justice to the interests of small consumers.
Kalwij: “There is a lot of know-how and experience in the Calimero group and we have already worked out several creative solutions that would not occur to the big companies so quickly. Because we have to cooperate amongst ourselves within the Calimero group, our overriding ambition is to seek a fair allocation. The government really appreciates our approach. The other participants have to admit that unity gives us a stronger voice. And a more constructive say in the negotiations.”
<<< back |
|
|
|
|
|