As director of Greenhouse Sustainability, the company behind Flori Footprint, Henri Potze has been at the forefront of environmental footprinting in horticulture for years. What started as a niche topic is gaining traction, mostly driven by retailers and regulation.

In greenhouse production of plants and flowers, the Flori Footprint Tool from Greenhouse Sustainability and HortiFootprint Calculator by MPS are currently the only two competing tools, developed in line with the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR). These guidelines, established under the European Commission’s Environmental Footprint initiative, aim to harmonise life cycle assessment (LCA) methods and provide reliable, comparable and verifiable environmental information.

Horti Footprint Event & BON

How do you look back on the first half of 2026? “With pride and gratitude. It's been a remarkable six months, highlighted by the second Horti Footprint Event

After the successful inaugural edition in 2025, expectations were high, but the event exceeded them. We welcomed more participants than last year, bringing together breeders, growers, suppliers, consultants and other stakeholders from across the horticultural supply chain.

Our goal was to stimulate discussion about ESG, carbon footprinting and seek answers as to how businesses can prepare for future sustainability challenges. Judging by the feedback, attendees left inspired and motivated. We strongly believe that collaboration is the only way forward, so we're already inviting interested partners to help organise a third edition.”

Before Greenhouse Sustainability there was Benefits of Nature (BON), which brought together 140 flower and plant growers around sustainability. Looking back, how important was that initiative? “It laid the foundations for where we are today. BON united growers who wanted to improve sustainability together and tackle challenges collectively. At the time, there was no a practical carbon footprint tool available for horticulture. True pioneers include phalaenopsis growers Maurice van der Hoorn and Lennart van der Weijden, who built a large gas-free greenhouse in 2006 and introduced the first biologically grown orchids in 2014, respectively. They, along with many others, were driven by intrinsic motivation to improve sustainability long before it became mainstream. I genuinely admire these trailblazers because they were already very knowledgeable about carbon footprinting, solved many of the early challenges and are ahead of the sustainability curve. Many other growers will follow in their footsteps, some motivated by their own ambitions, while others will act because of customer demands or looming government regulation.”

BON came to an end in 2020, when Covid-19 caused massive disruption. What happened next? “After several years of helping build BON, I founded Greenhouse Marketeers, which later became Greenhouse Sustainability. Whereas BON focused on the sector as a whole, our company concentrates on helping individual businesses calculate their carbon footprint, identify improvement opportunities and communicate their sustainability efforts.”

Business case

Some growers view sustainability reporting as an administrative burden. Has that attitude changed? “The momentum has shifted. Companies increasingly realise they need to prepare before customers start demanding environmental data.

Some retailers, such as IKEA, are already asking suppliers for this information. Government legislation is also becoming more demanding. Look at the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Businesses that start preparing today will be much better positioned when these requirements become mandatory.”

Some growers argue that ESG reporting and footprint calculations create additional costs at a time when businesses are already under financial strain. How do you respond? “Investing in sustainability is easier when business is going well. But calculating your carbon footprint isn't just another administrative exercise. It provides insight. Once you understand where your emissions come from, you can prioritise improvements and often start with relatively simple, low-cost measures. The important thing is to create awareness within your organisation and focus on the low-hanging fruit first.

During our Horti Footprint Event, Marisa van Adrichem from Best Fresh Group gave an excellent example of how to approach this. Start small, involve your colleagues and build from there. That way, you can make a real impact without huge investments."

More and more horticultural companies are adopting Flori Footprint. How is that progressing? “Adoption continues to grow steadily. Several companies have already had their footprint independently validated by ValidIT.

Among them are houseplant growers KP Holland and VDE Plant, rose grower Porta Nova, while tulip grower Tulip NL is preparing to follow. Independent validation gives customers confidence that the reported figures are reliable and comparable.”

Evidence and competitive advantage

Some growers feel carbon footprinting is patronising. How do you convince them of its value? “I actually see it as the opposite. Carbon footprint calculations move the discussion away from opinions and towards facts. Instead of debating sustainability on social media or relying on marketing claims, companies can demonstrate with data what they are actually achieving. That's evidence-based storytelling rather than empty slogans.”

Measuring your carbon footprint is one thing, communicating the results is another. Porta Nova, for example, now uses the tagline We grow premium quality roses with the lowest carbon footprint within the industry. Is there a risk that a carbon footprint becomes a tool for attacking competitors? “I don't see it as attacking competitors. It's about creating a competitive advantage with customers. Companies that can provide reliable sustainability data will increasingly earn a ‘preferred supplier status’ with buyers. Eventually, this will become a licence to operate. If you cannot provide the required environmental data, customers may simply decide not to do business with you.”

How should companies communicate carbon footprint data to customers and consumers? “Our focus is business-to-business. We support companies throughout the horticultural supply chain, both in floriculture and fresh produce, with calculating and improving their environmental footprint. Communicating with consumers is a different challenge altogether. Simply presenting them with CO₂ figures doesn't mean much because most consumers don't know how to interpret those numbers. Communicating sustainability effectively requires a completely different approach than supplying environmental data to professional buyers.”

International position and next steps

Could carbon footprinting eventually disadvantage parts of the Dutch floriculture sector? For example, if people start comparing Dutch-grown flowers with imports from Africa? “I don't expect that in the foreseeable future. The Dutch floriculture sector is actually leading internationally when it comes to carbon footprinting and environmental reporting. We're considerably further ahead than many businesses elsewhere. The challenge now is to maintain that lead. The only way to do so is by continuing to work together and encouraging companies to start early. That's how we keep the Netherlands at the forefront of sustainable horticulture.”

Finally, what's next for Greenhouse Sustainability? “One of our newest developments is PackR8, an online tool that helps horticultural companies assess the environmental impact of their packaging. Beyond measuring packaging performance, it also suggests alternative materials and designs while helping businesses prepare for the European Union's Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Just like Flori Footprint, the aim is to help companies move from compliance to continuous improvement.”