Sustainability at ZJA

Future value

In its architectonic designs, ZJA always strives for an optimal combination of functional value, experiential value and future value. To integrate this future value even better into our projects, we have developed a special ZJA sustainability tool that supports us in our efforts. We also continually monitor and measurably improve our own company’s emissions. Not for nothing have we been certified on level 3 of the CO₂ Performance Ladder since last year.

ZJA sustainability toolkit

The ZJA sustainability toolkit is both a reference work and a manual, in which various aspects of sustainable design are dealt with in a coherent and well-organized manner. It has been developed to help the staff of ZJA to understand which principles of sustainability they can apply, so that ZJA designs are both sustainable and high impact. The toolkit makes it easier to integrate sustainable design solutions into the design process at an early stage.

The toolkit offers practical guidance focused on four main themes: Energy, Materials and Circularity, Health and Welfare, and Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate adaptation. It gives designers insight into the impact of specific interventions as regards sustainability, and they can use that knowledge to contribute to a future-proof built environment.

Presentation during themed lunch

Rinze Wassenaar (designer and sustainability expert at ZJA) says, “Last summer we organized a themed lunch with our sustainability team at which we presented the toolkit, and especially how to use it, in an interactive way to all our staff, so that it can be deployed in our projects.”

CO2 performance ladder

ZJA continues to work on making its operations more sustainable, including by reducing its own operational CO₂ emissions. Since 2023 the company has been certified on the CO₂ performance ladder of the SKAO. This certification scheme provides a structured approach to supporting companies in reducing their CO₂ emissions. ZJA registers its CO₂ emissions annually, including scope 1 (direct emissions), scope 2 (indirect emissions via the energy it buys in) and scope 3 (indirect emissions as a result of business trips).

Based on the first calculations in 2022, we formulated reduction measures and reduction goals to reduce ZJA’s CO₂ emissions. Every year we publish a new evaluation of our emissions, with accompanying reduction measures. Our operational CO₂ emissions for 2023 can be found in the below diagram.