URGENDA - A Dutch Garden of Sustainability Experiments

How do we prevent the Netherlands from stagnating, sinking, congesting and flooding? How to prevent the Netherlands from falling apart, segregating and how to keep it manageable?

The Netherlands face an enormous social and physical challenge. This challenge asks for a transition towards sustainability. How can we transform our country in such a way that it becomes resilient to climate and water, while also being clean and beautiful, safe and accessible?

Let's transform the Netherlands into an experimental garden for sustainable development. We need a sustainability movement that can exert societal pressure to kick off and continue a transition!

We plead for:

  • Founding a sustainability platform (Urgenda-arena)
  • Developing visions of a sustainable country, that inspires and focuses all involved
  • Connecting as many parties and initiatives involved in sustainability as possible
  • Starting five "icon" projects

And we will take concrete action, to reach the aims listed below.

A list of goals and actions to make the Netherlands sustainable a.s.a.p., such as:

  • 50% of all companies are actively involved in corporate sustainability (within 4 years)
  • Every Dutch person has an individual CO2-budget (within 4 years)
  • A 1000 CO2-neutral streets in the Netherlands (within 5 years)
  • A 100 experiments in the field of sustainable and long-term health care (5 years)
  • There is Master Polder Plan which attributes a purpose to every polder (10 years)
  • All entertainment is sustainable in terms of energy, materials and food (10 years)
  • The first "floating city" for 10.000 people is realised (15 years)
  • All Wadden Islands are transformed into sustainable islands (20 years)
  • All Dutch roofs have a function in heath conservation & energy production (20 years)
  • Holland has the cleanest energy provision in Europe (25 years)
  • The Netherlands are resilient to climate and water (25 years)
  • Holland provides the most advanced public transport system of Europe (25 years)
  • All construction firms are transformed into socially responsible companies (30 years)
  • The Dutch landscape is clean, beautiful, rich in contrast and colourful (30 years)

If you agree, please fill out this form.