25 frequently asked questions about mandatory CO2 reporting

25 frequently asked questions about mandatory CO2 reporting

  • 31 March 2023
1 What does mandatory CO2 reporting entail?

As an employer, you now have to start tracking and reporting your employees' CO2 emissions. This applies both to commuting and all business trips. The measurement and reporting requirement applies to any organisation with 100 or more employees, and takes effect on 1 July 2024.

2 Why measure and report CO2 specifically on mobility?

With the introduction of this measure, the government aims to gain a better understanding of CO2 emissions from work-related passenger mobility, which accounts for as much as 20% of total CO2 emissions. The government has deliberately placed the responsibility for this on employers.

3 Why are employers being asked to report CO2 measurements?

CO2 emissions must be drastically reduced. This is one of the key pillars of the Climate Accord presented by the government in 2019. Through a package of measures, the government aims to reduce total CO2 emissions by 49 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990. The ‘Work-Related Personal Mobility CO2 Reduction Decree’ (Besluit CO2-reductie Werkgebonden Personenmobiliteit) is one of the measures included in this package.

4 How many companies will need to report these figures?

In the Netherlands, 0.5% of all employers have 100 employees or more. In total, this includes about 8,000 companies, employing around 60% of all employees in the Netherlands.

5 Which employees should I include in the reporting?

All salaried employees with a contract of at least 20 hours per month.

6 What to report

A report must be submitted annually on the total number of commuter kilometers and business kilometers travelled by employees.

You must record:

  • Total mileage
  • Travel modes used
  • Fuel type

Note that this includes both employee-owned and company cars.

7 Should I include distances travelled abroad in the report?

No, you should only include travel that occurs within the Netherlands.

8 How do I report trips involving multiple modes of transport?

To simplify matters, you add up the total distance travelled across all modes and record this total under the transport category in which the greatest distance was travelled.

9 What will be done with the report?

For the first three years, the government will examine the total reports. From 2026, there may be a limit imposed on emissions per company. That depends on whether the overall report shows that companies are on track.

If a limit is set per company, that means a company cannot exceed it without possibly incurring a fine. So a sustainable mobility policy is not optional. This is currently all the information we have on this topic.

10 Who should the data be reported to?

You report your figures directly to the government. The government provides a digital platform, developed by RFO, where you can upload the requested information.

11 Who monitors the reporting?

Monitoring is carried out by the Environmental Service (Omgevingsdienst), which looks at your compliance with reporting requirements and the underlying data/evidence.

12 What happens if I don't report?

It is likely that you will be asked to do so, or be fined.

13 What can I do to reduce CO2 emissions from mobility?

Take actions that encourage less travel, different travel and cleaner travel.

You can do this, for example, by:

  • Electrifying your fleet
  • Granting lease cars only if really necessary for the job
  • Providing fewer or no parking spaces at the office
  • Implementing an attractive bike plan or leased bike scheme
  • Including home working or hybrid working in your company policy
  • Providing a home working allowance
  • Offering 100% reimbursement of public transport trips and permitting first class travel when crowded
  • Facilitating online meetings and smarter working
  • Offering greater reimbursement for bicycle kilometres than car kilometres
  • Allowing car use only if public transport and cycling are not an option
14 Which measures have the most impact if I want to reduce CO2 emissions on mobility?

You will need to use a combination of measures. Most emissions come from car kilometres, which you can reduce and replace with cleaner kilometres (bicycle, public transport, electric). Above all, see what you can do to reduce CO2 emissions from commuting. That's about 85% of your total emissions over mobility.

15 When will the mandatory CO2 reporting requirements come into effect?

1 July 2024. The law was originally intended to take effect earlier, but the start date has been pushed back to 1 July 2024.

16 When is the first report due?

1 July 2025. Reporting is then submitted for the previous year (starting 1 July 2024).

17 How do I compile all the data I need to report?

You can collect this yourself from your records. Consider annual statements for lease cars, public transport season tickets, mobility services and mileage claims. You can fill in missing data, for example, by sending out an employee survey.

The disadvantage of collecting the data from different sources is that it quickly becomes cumbersome, not to mention the administrative hassle. Besides, it’s not enough to simply collect data. Where do you record it? How do you keep it up to date? And how can you make adjustments? Fortunately, there are solutions to this, including the XXImo platform.

18 How to minimise your administration burden

Make sure you have the data available via one digital platform as much as possible. This will make a significant difference. If you record all journeys and modes of transport in one place, all journeys, including the required reporting data, will be automatically logged.

19 What can XXImo do for me?

XXImo offers the following benefits and more:

  • One platform with one convenient app for all employees
  • Access to all sustainable travel modes
  • Recording of all business and commuting trips
  • Administration of travel and home working allowances
  • Simple modules for flexible mileage recording
  • A dashboard offering 24/7 insight into mobility
  • Government requirement-compliant reporting
  • Communication plan and best practices
  • PCI-DSS certified with data quality and privacy assured
20 How do I encourage employees to submit and maintain their data?

Make it as easy and attractive as possible.

  • Provide a handy app and access to sustainable forms of travel
  • Link fees to registration
  • Provide incentives for sustainable travel
  • Work with 'sustainable travel' ambassadors
  • Use internal communication to share objectives and successes

Show impact of each person’s travel behaviour on CO2 emissions

21 Is it possible to record employee journeys without a web/app solution?

It is precisely to minimise the administrative burden and make sustainable travel as easy as possible that the web/app solution is needed.

22 What does the reporting mean for employee privacy?

When the government drafts regulations, respecting employee privacy is a key requirement. Employers only report totals for the whole organisation, not per individual.

23 Should I also report mileage for modalities without CO2 emissions?

Yes, you include all mileage in the report, including zero-emission forms of transport such as bicycles.

24 I would like to discuss the scheme in more detail, is that possible?

Yes, certainly. If you would like more information, contact XXImo for a chat.

25 Has the scheme been finalised yet?

No, new infomation is still becoming available. We will keep you up to date on the latest changes.