Van Houtum is the first company in the Netherlands to have passed the certification process for the NEN-EN 16001 energy standard. This confirms once again that our energy management system complies with the strictest European standards and that we systematically save on energy and related costs.

Reducing energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency are among the top priorities set out by the European Union. These targets are driven by the ever increasing price of oil, climate change and Europe's dependence upon (unstable) oil and gas producing countries. In December 2008, the EU presented a large package of energy and climate measures with three main targets for 2020:
• 20% reduction of greenhouse gases;
• 20% utilization of renewable fuels;
• 20% increase in energy efficiency.

The European NEN-EN 16001 standard sets out the requirements which an energy management system must comply with. “In broad terms, energy management works out in concrete terms how energy efficiency in the production process is to be structurally improved,” explains project coordinator Ronald Kok. “It helps us save energy and reduce costs. The standard is very much in line with the structure of the ISO 14001 standard, which is why we were able to integrate it into our existing environmental management system fairly easily. The method itself is based on the formulation of concrete energy policy and targets, and it enables us to realize improvements in an ongoing fashion.”

The successful certification process confirms once again that we are a leader in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR). “An effective energy policy is no more than logical,” says Ronald. “The production and processing of hygienic paper products requires a great deal of energy. Accordingly, we have been tracking and recording our energy consumption for years, and have been increasing our energy efficiency wherever possible. Such a policy is not only good for the environment but also for our bottom line!”

“Van Houtum has implemented quality targets and standards throughout the organization,” adds Ronald. “We have been very proactive in implementing CSR policy and targets. It is therefore no surprise that our efforts have been recognized and rewarded by the market via various awards and certifications.”

The structural implementation of our CSR policy is confirmed by the following certifications:
• 1995 – ISO 9001 Quality management system
• 1998 – ISO 14001 Environmental management system
• 2005 – OHSAS 18001 HSE management system
• 2010 – NEN-EN 16001 Energy management system
• 2010 – ISO 26000 CSR guidelines