a.s.r. real estate and Climate Cleanup Foundation launch partnership to certify CO₂ storage

Hybrid timber office building The CubeHouse receives carbon credits

At the Provada, a Dutch real estate fair, a.s.r. real estate and the Climate Cleanup Foundation announced their partnership to certify CO₂ storage. The CubeHouse is the first building from the ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund to receive carbon credits through the Open Natural Carbon Removal Accounting (Oncra) initiative. The partnership was officially signed today in the presence of Jan-Willem Kos, asset manager offices at a.s.r. real estate and Sven Jense, Director of the Climate Cleanup Foundation.

The CubeHouse, a hybrid timber office building currently under construction, is located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Zuidas district. By using timber in its construction, The CubeHouse addresses the urgent need to reduce CO₂ emissions in the building sector. 

Partnership for transparent CO₂ storage
Open Natural Carbon Removal Accounting (Oncra) will certify the CO₂ storage in The CubeHouse’s timber structure. About 75% of the load-bearing structure is made of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), resulting in a net storage of 2,662 tons of CO₂. This marks a significant step toward future-proof, low-carbon construction. Oncra’s certification ensures transparent, verifiable, and scientifically grounded reporting of CO₂ storage, supporting a.s.r. real estate’s mission to develop sustainable real estate.

“With our Paris Proof roadmap, we are actively reducing CO₂ emissions during building operations. The next step is to reduce emissions during the construction phase. Through our collaboration with Oncra, we can transparently record and report the CO₂ storage of buildings like The CubeHouse,” said Pieter Vandeginste, fund director of the ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund.

Sven Jense of the Climate Cleanup Foundation added: “The CubeHouse demonstrates how buildings can transform from CO₂ sources into CO₂ storage sites. We are proud to certify this exemplary project.”

Pioneering sustainable office innovation
The CubeHouse spans 16,600 m² and features sustainable energy and water systems. Solar panels on the roof and façade generate over 138,000 kWh annually, covering 80% of the building’s energy needs. Heating and cooling are provided via an aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) system, and rainwater is collected for toilet flushing and irrigation.

Designed by renowned New York architecture firm SO–IL with a focus on well-being, the building holds BREEAM Excellent and WELL Gold certifications. Green interior spaces, known as “breathe spaces,” offer areas for meeting, working, and relaxing. The site includes a spacious, covered bicycle parking facility and is entirely car-free.

The CubeHouse will become the new headquarters for BNP Paribas and Arcadis. The development is led by G&S&, construction is conducted by Visser & Smit Bouw, and a.s.r. real estate has acquired the building for the ASR Dutch Mobility Office Fund.

About Oncra
Oncra (Open Natural Carbon Removal Accounting) is a project by the Climate Cleanup Foundation that provides science-based, open methodologies for measuring and certifying biobased and circular carbon storage. Oncra aims to enable reliable carbon removal accounting in alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement and supports nature-based and biobased climate solutions globally.