To become a healthy, green and resilient city for today’s citizens and future generations, Amsterdam needs to act faster. The plan “Our City of Tomorrow” presents the approach to combat the climate crisis and accelerate sustainability to be completely climate neutral by 2050. What awaits the city in the field of sustainability between now and 2026?
A necessary acceleration
Much is already happening to prepare Amsterdam and its citizens for climate change and to become sustainable. Yet despite all the efforts, Amsterdam is not on track. Climate change is happening more quickly than expected, and so the city needs to accelerate to make sure its targets can be achieved.
Amsterdam climate goals
2030
- All traffic within the ‘A10’ ring road is emission free
- Operations of the municipal organisation are entirely sustainable
- 80% of the energy used by households comes from solar and wind energy
- Use of raw materials is reduced by 50%
- CO2 emissions are reduced by 60% compared to 1990
2040
- Natural gas is completely phased out
- All suitable roofs are being utilised for generating solar energy
2050
- The city is fully prepared for climate change (it is ‘climate adaptive’)
- The city is fully climate neutral, with no CO2 emissions
- Circular economy principles are fully implemented
The city cannot do this alone
To mitigate the effects of climate change, the city needs to be proactive and collaborate with citizens, housing corporations, schools, businesses and the national government. Together, the greatest impact can be achieved; travelling by bike or public transport, separating household waste, taking shorter showers, and repairing clothes and appliances. People who would like to be more sustainable or environmentally friendly can count on support from the municipality, in the form of advice, subsidies or loans.
Everybody is included!
Amsterdam ensures that all citizens can take part and that they can benefit from energy-saving measures. The city invests in and for the people that need it most. The city prioritises the insulation of the homes that are in the poorest state and whose occupants are the most vulnerable. The city creates fair and real opportunities in a changing labour market and invests in the technical training needed to reach climate neutrality.
Whenever possible, the municipality sets a good example itself. The municipal administration procures items and services are as sustainable as possible and its own buildings are becoming resilient to climate change. As an active shareholder, the city pushes for sustainability measures at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, AEB (Amsterdam waste management company) and the Port of Amsterdam.
The transition to a sustainable city
To achieve the energy-efficient, healthy, green and resilient city, Amsterdam is operating 3 ‘transition routes’:
- The energy transition: moving towards sustainable energy
- The green transition: towards a green, healthy city
- The circular transition: towards a circular economy
The transition is based on the existing plans, such as the Amsterdam Climate Neutral Road Map (city vison 2050), the Heating Transition Vision, the Green Vision and the Amsterdam Circular Strategy.
Website link to the action plan: Our City of Tomorrow (PDF, 7,1 MB)
Author and picture credits: Municipality of Amsterdam