Portugal officially launched the CO₂ Performance Ladder on 15 October 2026. The event in Lisbon concluded a two-year national pilot and marked the start of its application in actual procurement procedures. LIPOR, the intermunicipal waste management organisation for the Porto region, announced that it would include the Ladder in an upcoming public procurement procedure.
The pilot focused on aligning the Ladder with the Portuguese context, building a network and ecosystem, and strengthening public procurers’ knowledge. A legal analysis by Universidade Católica Portuguesa confirmed that the Ladder can be used as an award criterion under Portuguese public procurement law, provided that the applicable legal requirements are met. The CO₂PL START training programme was also organised three times, and a strategic council comprising experts in procurement, law and certification was established.
LIPOR intends to use the Ladder for a procurement procedure for the continuous supply of cleaning products and supplies. The procedure is expected to start by January 2027 at the latest. Aliados Consulting is supporting LIPOR with the procurement documents, including the award criteria and contract provisions, and is organising a webinar for LIPOR’s suppliers.
The next phase in Portugal will involve supporting the first procurement procedures, gathering lessons learned and strengthening cooperation with contracting authorities. According to the source, the Ladder is now also being introduced in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
