Amsterdam

in 2020

Sustainable Opportunities,
Sustainable Future
 Amsterdam
in 2020
Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

Contents
Contents 3

Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

Foreword 4

Amsterdam in 2020 6

Trends and developments 10

Opportunities and challenges 14

 Amsterdam

Foreword in 2020
Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

The Municipality is working hard to make Amsterdam a clean, healthy, accessible

and liveable city. Greater attention is being paid to the quality of life, innovation is
becoming increasingly important, and the city has an ambitious climate programme.

Foreword
4 5

Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

Sustainable development is not simply about protecting the environment. Among other things, it also means
taking into account processes of production and consumption, urban and environmental planning, and the
social domain. The city’s unique qualities and its ample supply of knowledge and experience offer an
opportunity for Amsterdam to become the first Dutch city to take a truly integrated approach to sustainable
development, that fits with the development of the whole Metropolitan Area.

The foundations for Amsterdam’s sustainable development have been laid. Sustainability is all about the long
term. The longer the time frame, the greater the uncertainty; uncertainty that depends, above all, on
developments in technology and knowledge about the robustness of our way of life. Due to such uncertainty,
sustainability policy must be, in part, an exploration that is guided by knowledge and a sense of being
responsible for what will happen ‘elsewhere and later’.

Katrien Mulder
This document offers a number of starting points for this exploration. It is linked to other city policy
developments and documents, inspired by a view of the future, and drawing on its vision and expertise.

Job Cohen
beeld
Mayor of Amsterdam
 Amsterdam in 2020
6 7
The City of Amsterdam is working for its future. The Municipality has a vision of
sustainable progress, with sustainable construction and sustainable energy. As a
result, in 2020, Amsterdam will be one of the most sustainable cities in the world.
By 2020, Amsterdam will have become a liveable, accessible, diverse, welcoming
and creative city. A city whose qualities will be cherished and utilised for the benefit
of all. The city’s rich history will blend seamlessly into its hyper-modern infrastructure,
while its street scene will be dominated by pedestrians and cyclists alike.
A compact city with human dimensions
People make up the sustainable power that lies behind Amsterdam: if someone feels at home in a city, they
will treat it with care and feel responsible for it. This is how a clean, economically healthy, safe and diverse city
comes into being; a city where people live, reside, work, play, go out, exercise, and, above all, feel good. In
2020, Amsterdam will be known at the regional, national and international levels as a sustainable, innovative
and creative city. It will have preserved its unique character, as both a compact city with a human dimension,
and as the internationally oriented, economically competitive centre of the Metropolitan Area.
Amsterdam in 2020
Life in Amsterdam will be both good and affordable. Considering its small size, the city will contain many
pleasant quiet and green spaces. Air, soil and water quality will be good. Amsterdam’s residents will live in
the awareness that sustainability is something that can be taken for granted. The city’s waste production will
be minimal, and processing will ensure that the waste that can be recycled is brought back into the production
chain. The percentage of residents who own an electrical car will be high in national terms. Silent electrical
boats will travel the canals. The city’s stench and noise pollution levels will have been greatly reduced. A great
deal of goods transport will be electrically powered, both by road and by water. Homes, offices, commercial
and public buildings will be visibly energy efficient and will produce their own energy (including solar energy),
and wind turbines and wind energy parks will surround the city.
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
A laboratory for sustainable development
The city will serve as a source of inspiration for a wide range of sustainable start-up businesses, as a locus
for sustainable activity, and as a launch pad for innovative products. In this biotope, sustainability will be an
interesting and lucrative theme for commerce, the fashion world, the advertising industry and the financial
sector. In this way, in 2020, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area will comprise an important ‘laboratory for
sustainable development’. Knowledge will be developed and shared by an international innovative network
of sustainable cities, enabling Amsterdam to focus above all on mobility, sustainable energy, and sustainable
finance and banking. The city will also use an innovation-promoting tender policy to stimulate the development
of new sustainable and creative products, including those for the building sector and for roads and works.
In order to achieve this, the Municipality of Amsterdam will have developed the necessary initiatives in timely
fashion, in the spirit of the city’s motto: valiant, resolute and merciful. It will have met challenges and taken
opportunities, put sustainable development at the centre of its long-term vision, and set a good example to
others.
In 2020, Amsterdam will have become the beating heart of a competitive metropolitan region that offers
an attractive way of life; it will be a city for people, the environment, society, and economic growth. A truly
sustainable city of which all its stakeholders can be proud, whether they are residents, administrators,
entrepreneurs or visitors.
 In 2020, Amsterdam will
be distinguished by the
following key qualities:

Amsterdam in 2020
• A good place for every resident
• ‘Made-to-measure mobility’: a low-traffic zone within the Ring A10
• The bicycle as the city’s key mode of transport
• The right functional mix, meeting appropriate environmental standards
8 9

Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

• Sustainable, innovative and creative activity as the city’s calling card
• A focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Sustainable hospitality
• Amsterdam boosts sustainable products and services

• Offering leadership: a climate-neutral municipality

• Energy efficiency and climate-neutral buildings
• A ‘scale leap’ towards sustainable energy
• Electrical transport
 Trends and
developments An integrated approach
The price of fossil fuels is rising, due to the fact that stocks are finite and increasingly difficult to extract.

Trends
Trendsand
Energy delivery is also becoming more uncertain. Moreover, increasing energy consumption is one of the
causes of global climate change. Becoming more energy-efficient is also crucial in order to keep the cost of
living affordable in a city in which energy costs are rising much faster than the basic rent. Economic

& ontwikkelingen
developments, climate and air-quality problems, the scarcity of raw materials and food supply problems are

developments
not isolated issues, and the urgent need for an integrated approach is also perceived at the international level.
Such a situation calls for intensive cooperation between businesses, citizens and experts, and within the
government itself. Measures can often be found that cut more than one way: for example, many measures can
both reduce traffic levels and make traffic less polluting, and also create a better climate, tackle bottlenecks for
air quality and noise pollution, and improve accessibility and opportunities for provision and supply.
10 11

Environmentally-aware and healthy lifestyles

Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

People are becoming more aware of the need for eco-friendly and healthy lifestyles. As a result, social
support is growing for sustainable policy measures, such as reflecting CO2 emissions in pricing. The travel
industry, for instance, reports increasing demand for sustainable and green destinations, as well as for
sustainable travel and stay facilities.
Moreover, consumers and entrepreneurs are attaching increasing value to the sustainable development
of a responsible food system, with more organic and locally produced products, and more efficient food
transportation.

The increasing importance of Europe

The interlinking of key international problems, the resulting change in mentality,
the growing influence of the European Union, the urgent global need to tackle
Europe plays a critical role in sustainable development. More and more environmental regulation is coming
from Europe (for example, relating to air and noise pollution), and this is having a significant influence on
Amsterdam’s sustainable development. The European Union has also made a lot of research funding available
for strengthening innovation.

Image Edwin van Eis

climate change, intensifying cooperation and sharing of knowledge in order to
deal with these problems, and a changing role for government as a result. All of
these important developments will shape Amsterdam’s sustainable opportunities
in the coming years.
A national spearhead for sustainable development
The Dutch government has voiced its ambition to link Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to innovation,
thereby integrating sustainability into the daily activities of citizens and businesses. In order to achieve social
goals relating to sustainable development, it is important for businesses to adopt a daring, strategic approach
that focuses on far-reaching innovations. The key is to link economic development with new, smart
technologies, in a way that adds to the quality of life for current and future generations.
 Sustainable purchasing is a key issue for the government. Every year, the combined governmental authorities
(state, provincial, local, and the district water boards) spend more than 40 billion euros on the purchasing of
goods, works and services. Sustainable governmental purchasing can give a significant boost to the market for
sustainable goods, services and works. The authorities have set themselves clear targets in this respect: in 2010,
100 per cent of government purchasing will be sustainable, while local authorities are striving to reach targets of
75 per cent in 2010 and 100 per cent in 2015.
The strategic importance of raw materials
As raw materials become scarcer, their strategic importance is growing. Cradle-2-Cradle (C2C) offers a solution
to this problem, in the form of a limitless circular system that prevents waste. Above all, C2C is about smart
manufacturing and construction.
12
A city at the heart of the metropolitan area
Amsterdam wants to further develop as the heart of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area. In addition to this,
Amsterdam aims to become a sustainable ‘top city’.
Energy transition is crucial
It is expected that the global agreements made at the international climate conference in Copenhagen in
December 2009 will support Amsterdam’s climate targets, and will perhaps even lead to an intensifying and
acceleration of existing plans or projects. The Municipality aims to have reduced its CO2 emissions by 40 per
cent in 2025 (compared with 1990 levels). In achieving this reduction, an important role will be played by energy
transition, shifting from traditional energy sources to sustainable ones, sustainable energy generation, and the
efficient use of fossil fuels.
The Dutch energy supply is becoming increasingly decentralised, above all as a result of the use of sustainable
energy sources such as thermal storage and wind and solar energy. Smaller players (such as windmill associations)
are focusing on local and regional generation. These developments demand much more flexibility from the
network, both at the national level and in Amsterdam. Small-scale, decentralised energy generation will likewise
lead to less dependence on infrastructure organisations, giving the citizen more control as a result.
More cooperation and knowledge sharing
Cooperation is intensifying at the national and international levels, and existing knowledge about sustainable
development is being shared. The Municipality of Amsterdam is participating in various international cooperative
ventures, including the ICLEI, an international cooperative network of local governmental authorities that focuses
on sustainability; Eurocities, a network of about 130 large European cities, which shares knowledge about sustainable
Trends
Trendsand
societies that promote a good quality of life for their citizens; the Clinton Climate Initiative; and Connected Urban
Development. By means of active lobbying and participation in international networks, Amsterdam receives sufficient
annual funding for strengthening sustainable consumption and production, both in the city and in the surrounding area.
& ontwikkelingen
Amsterdam also hosts international sustainability congresses, such as the Triple Bottom Line Investing and Global
developments
Reporting Initiative. The city is ranked in the top five for the European Green Capital Award.
In addition, there is intensive national-level cooperation and sharing of knowledge on the development and
application of new sustainable concepts for urban development, involving other cities and regions, the ‘G4’
municipalities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht), and other important environmental services.
13
Cooperation is also being encouraged within the city, such as during the ‘Week van de Vooruitgang’ (the Dutch
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
version of European Mobility Week), Car-Free Sunday, and during ‘Sustainable Amsterdam’, which features joint events
held by businesses, educational institutions and the Municipality, and an awareness-raising campaign to heighten the
visibility of sustainable development in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam has a strong knowledge infrastructure, including authoritative research institutions, two universities,
and a number of vocational training programmes. The City of Amsterdam is increasingly sharing its own expertise.
The University of Amsterdam is considering integrating sustainability into its training programmes, for instance,
while sustainable development might also become an integral part of the education provided by colleges of higher
vocational education and regional training centres. The Municipality can utilise the knowledge and research
opportunities provided by this sector to make the local and regional economies even more sustainable.
The government’s changing role
With a new government in place, transparency and broad cooperation are playing a more central role. The authorities
are increasingly focusing on creating favourable environments, rather than setting conditions, and more cooperation
with citizens and businesses is being sought at both the local and the national levels. The City of Amsterdam wants to
lessen the burden on the business community, and is working to reduce bureaucracy and to develop clear, consistently
enforced rules. Within Amsterdam’s progressive approach to environmental maintenance, prevention takes precedence,
while repression is the last resort. The City of Amsterdam’s own annual report and its sustainability report are
increasingly functioning as the city’s ‘calling card’; in addition to fulfilling an evaluative role with an international impact,
these reports boost existing efforts to achieve targets. This promotes liveability, safety, and trust in the government.
 Opportunities and
challenges
14
In Amsterdam, there are many opportunities for sustainable development of the
city: opportunities for the City itself, and also for its residents, entrepreneurs, and
visitors. The time is ripe for the many pilot studies that have been undertaken in the
city to be elevated to the level of daily practice. The city carries sufficient weight
to stimulate businesses to innovate and produce in sustainable ways. Sustainability
must move from niche to mainstream.
Opportunities and challenges
15
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
Sustainable development does not happen automatically. The need to provide a good quality of life for
Amsterdam’s current residents and for future generations presents the City of Amsterdam with a number
of challenges:
• the quality of life
• a sustainable economy and stimulating innovation
• energy transition
Cooperation and setting a good example
The city authorities will need to show leadership and spirit, as the Municipality’s actions will have a crucial
impact on the speed and manner with which opportunities are realised. By taking a considered, intensive
and structured approach, the Municipality will ensure that sustainable development becomes more than just
an attractive phrase, but rather becomes its policy leitmotif, its core business, a basis for cooperation, and an
international calling card for Amsterdam.

Sustainable development means having a vital city with a good quality of life, both
for the city’s current residents and for future generations; a safe city that has clean air,
sufficient green space, and clean soil and water; a city that remains accessible and
affordable, and in which noise pollution stays within the limits. Quality of life lies at
the heart of a sustainable Amsterdam.
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A good place for every resident
Ninety-four per cent of Amsterdam’s residents enjoy living in the city. Amsterdam wants to build more climate-neutral
homes in order to meet housing needs in the Amsterdam region, while post-war neighbourhoods will be renovated. To
a greater extent than previously, the aim will be to create compact, mixed environments, in which spaces for living will
be mixed with those for work and services. The buildings in which people work will have healthy climates. Large green
projects in and around the city will add to the city’s liveability, air quality and attractiveness.
‘Made-to-measure mobility’: opting for low traffic levels within the Ring A10
Despite having more small and hybrid vehicles, it is still expected that polluting car use and car ownership will grow
in the region (to a lesser extent within the Ring A10 than beyond). In the Air Quality Action Plan, a number of measures
have already been taken to improve air quality. The search is on to limit the car’s impact on the city so as to preserve
liveability and accessibility, for example by restricting traffic in the city. Other alternatives include improving public
transport and cycling facilities, providing more park and ride facilities, and boosting car-share schemes.
In addition to extending and improving the public transport network in both the city and the surrounding area,
attention will be paid to increasing comfort and ease of use.
The Personal Travel Assistant (PTA), which is a unique individual online navigation system, offers travel advice based
on timetables and the GPS positions of passengers and public transport vehicles, and responds to queries about
departure times, disembarking locations, connections, travel times, and alternative travel plans. The PTA gives
passengers more control and certainty over the course of their journeys, improving the quality of public transport
service provision, and thereby increasing the competitiveness of public transport relative to that of the car.
Opportunities and challenges
17
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
Bikes have overtaken cars
The City of Amsterdam has made great efforts to promote greener means of transport, and
successfully. The citizens now prefer bicycles over cars.
With roughly 750,000 residents, Amsterdam is the biggest city of Holland and part of the great
metropolitan area ‘Randstad’. The Dutch are fond of biking, and Amsterdam has always been a popular
city for cycling. And now bikes have overtaken cars! Studies show that in the period 2005 to 2007
residents used their bicycle an average of 0.87 times a day and their car 0.84 times. Approximately
three out of four of Amsterdam residents own a bicycle, and bicycles are the most commonly used
means of transport.
The city provides the framework
Over the last thirty years, the municipal authority of Amsterdam has worked hard on encouraging
bicycle use by providing cycle paths and lanes; bicycle and pedestrian friendly roads and an extensive
network of parking facilities for bicycles. The main bicycle routes through the city are part of the
‘Hoofdnet Fiets’ bicycle network. A complex network of bicycle routes through the entire city, which
ensures all of Amsterdam is safely and comfortably accessible by bicycle.

18
Roofs turn green
Green roofs have a positive impact on the watersystem, the urban environment, the internal
environment in buildings, air quality, biodiversity and amenity. Vegetation on the roof means less heat
in summer and less cold in the winter. Vegetation on the flat roofs of shops and businesses in city
blocks provides a substantial increase on the living environment.
A green roof consists of at least three layers: a repeated root layer, a layer of substrate (ground) and
low vegetation (plants). There are different types of green roofs and every roof is not suitable for all
types of green roofs. Much depends on the sunlight, the strength of the roof and the roof pitch.
Amsterdam and several City districts encourage the creation of green roofs. In 2008 citizens started
‘the Network Green Roofs’. Purpose of the Network is to speed up the construction of green roofs in
new and existing situations. Amsterdam now has more than 30 green roofs.
Opportunities and challenges
The bicycle as Amsterdam’s dominant mode of transport
Amsterdam is already the world’s premier ‘cycling city’: around 350,000 people cycle on a daily basis, and the
bicycle is the city’s most-used means of transport. Cycling is an important element of the healthy and
sustainable lifestyle advocated by Amsterdam’s residents. A realistic, internationally-appealing ambition for
2014 is for Amsterdam to be known and valued as the most bicycle-friendly city in the world, by optimising the
provision of cycling facilities in the city. This will also provide an opportunity to promote the city and its unique,
sustainable cycling infrastructure on the global stage.
The right mix
19
Amsterdam is a compact city, with every square metre being used for some purpose or other. During the
coming years, Amsterdam will become more compressed and densely built. Between 2010 and 2030, some
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
150,000 homes will be built in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, of which 60,000 will be built in Almere,
50-70,000 will be built in Amsterdam, and 20,000 in Haarlemmermeer. This already compact city will thus
certainly become even more compact in future, but it will also remain liveable and accessible. As a guiding
principle, Amsterdam will comply with established norms for water, soil and air pollution, and for exposure to
noise, stench, radiation, and hazardous substances. Such conditions add an extra sustainable quality to the city,
and – with a timely, integrated approach – will also contribute to Amsterdam’s spatial planning processes.
Sustainability will play an important role in these new areas. Among other things, the broad vision will cover
energy efficiency, eco-friendly construction, air quality, noise levels, and external safety. Sustainability will thus
go hand-in-hand with quality: the use of high-quality materials and facilities will not only serve to protect the
environment in the long-term, but will also contribute to a good living environment in the short-term.
Considering the city’s many competing functions, creative solutions will need to be found: above all, for
land-use for sustainable energy products such as thermal storage and district heating and cooling. The solution
can be found both above ground level, through ‘taking to the air’ (‘green’ and energy-efficient roofs (solar
panels and small wind turbines) and windmills), and below ground level, through the greatest possible
utilisation of existing mains pipes and sewerage systems.
The presence of a garden in a city is a rare and valuable commodity. In a number of places, soil quality does
not yet comply with all norms for use as ornamental gardens. A catch-up in quality standards is thus needed in

this area, mainly in the oldest part of the city and in (former) commercial locations. Amsterdam is striving to achieve
area-appropriate soil quality that is in line with use.
The development of a new national, area-appropriate policy on groundwater quality and use for thermal storage, and
on the use of subsoil for construction and infrastructure (expected mid-2010), provides Amsterdam with an opportunity
to legally establish the use of space for rainwater drainage and water storage. In this way, water storage facilities,
which are usually in private hands, will retain their function for the foreseeable future.
Amsterdam has a variety of green spaces, both within the city and in the surrounding area. Parks, sports fields,
allotments, public gardens and large green spaces are at most a 15-minute cycle ride away from residential areas.
20
Green space is important for air quality, climate control, and above all, for recreation. The number and utility of green
spaces plays an important role in determining people’s decisions about where to live. For this reason, green space also
has an important economic dimension.
Preserving green spaces makes the city and the region more attractive, and is important for educating people about
nature and the environment, for information, and for social goals such as health, participation, education and the local
economy. Despite the city’s compact size, many peaceful spaces can be found in and around Amsterdam. Preserving
quiet zones and extending these restful oases as far as possible will make for a better of quality of life for the city’s
residents.
Opportunities and challenges
Further stimulating the integrated sustainability approach will have a
positive effect on Amsterdam’s image as a sustainable business location,
and thereby on employment and prosperity. Concentrating knowledge
and creativity in the city will create opportunities, such as for integrated
chain management. In smart manufacturing and building, attention is
paid to the entire production and consumption chain. In this way, business
processes, techniques and products in the chain are optimally tuned to 21
one another, and redeveloped as necessary.
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
Sustainable, innovative and creative industry as the city’s calling card
Amsterdam is already known worldwide as a sustainable city. Forty-four per cent of Dutch companies listed
in the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index have a head office in Amsterdam (including ABN AMRO, Akzo
Nobel, Fortis, Heineken, ING, Philips Electronics, and Wolters Kluwer). In addition, one of the cradle-to-cradle
approach’s founders will shortly open a new office here, which is good for the city’s sustainable image. In
2009, Amsterdam was ranked as the sixth most popular European business location, after London, Paris,
Frankfurt, Barcelona, and Brussels. The title ‘sustainable city’ makes Amsterdam more attractive as a business
location, thereby increasing the value of the city’s land.
Amsterdam sits at a key juncture in the global ICT infrastructure, and therefore has a large ICT sector.
Improving the energy efficiency of the city’s data centres does not merely make a positive contribution to
reducing CO2 emissions. At the same time, it also has a positive impact on data centres’ business costs.
Green IT goes further than making the ICT sector more efficient; it also widens its scope. ICT makes
processes smarter, and as such plays an important role in transforming mobility patterns, fitting sustainable
sources of energy into existing energy systems, and making our homes and offices more efficient.

Sustainable tourism
Increasingly, hotel guests appreciate a climate-friendly stay. These responsible consumers deliberately look for
a hotel that offers the best price, quality and service, while still respecting the environment. A hotel can set
itself apart in environmental terms and at the same time offer increased comfort, because sustainability and
comfort go hand in hand. Some steps, such as the installation of a roof garden, provide hotels with a
sustainable image and offer something extra to their guests.
Energy costs form an increasingly large component of a hotel’s operating costs. These costs can be reduced
through additional investment in energy-saving measures, and this type of investment can be recovered in just
a few years. In 2007 a campaign was launched aimed at encouraging the number of hotels n Amsterdam with a
‘Green Key’ environment certificate. By the end of 2008 a considerable number of the larger hotels are
participating. The city offers hotels a special Menu for Sustainable Hotels. The menu provides hotel owners,
project developers and other clients with some easily applicable, sustainable and energy-saving measures,
which can be incorporated into the construction plans of new hotels. And in 2008 a dialogue was started with
restaurant owners to study the feasibility of the introduction of a quality label for restaurants.
Opportunities and challenges
In addition to very large companies, relatively small and young businesses in all areas of the economy
(above all the manufacturing sector, followed by the construction industry and other sectors) are frequently
frontrunners when it comes to sustainability. Such companies are characterised by their focus on innovative
products, services and management. Approximately one third of businesses in the Amsterdam Metropolitan
Area are consciously making their products, services or management more sustainable. At a rough estimate,
these businesses jointly represent approximately 25 per cent of the region’s economic volume. Sustainability
has therefore become an important economic issue, and in view of rising energy prices, also presents
businesses with a competitive opportunity: consuming less means lower costs. This focus stimulates
innovation and new product development, for example in the area of electrical transport technology.
23
The clustering of innovative power in the business community, knowledge institutions, (creative) industries
Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future
and government, via new forms of cooperation, strengthens the city’s sustainable character. These talent-
rich, committed forms of cooperation will play a definitive role in shaping Amsterdam.
A focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
SMEs need to save energy if they wish to remain competitive. SMEs, which are responsible for
approximately 25 per cent of Amsterdam’s CO2 emissions, are already working with the Municipality to
reduce their emissions. Optimising operational management is essential. By adopting more integrated chain
management, Amsterdam’s SMEs can capitalise – in increasingly innovative and flexible ways – on new
developments and markets, and fulfil key roles in the furthering of sustainable development and the local
economy.
SMEs play a key role in the Cabinet’s vision of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development.
They can capitalise on new developments and markets in innovative and flexible ways. SMEs usually draw in
people from the immediate environment, meaning that they are closely linked to the local communities and
neighbourhoods in which they are based.
The recently founded EnergieLoket (‘Energy Office’) for hotels, shops, restaurants, offices and business
premises is helping to lessen the energy-related burden on businesses. As a result, profitable saving
measures have made energy efficiency accessible and applicable, while delivery, installation, assembly, and
financing can be taken care of. Used in combination with business scans, extending this concept to uses
 Opportunities and challenges
other than energy and structural embedding can offer sustainable savings (from new lighting to new, large-scale
construction projects), when undertaken at the most appropriate investment moment.

Sustainable hospitality
City marketing is becoming increasingly important to Amsterdam’s economy. Amsterdam is facing a number of good
opportunities for marketing its sustainable facilities as a commercial and tourist magnet. Amsterdam RAI was the first
European exhibition and convention venue to be awarded bronze status by Green Globe, the international
sustainability quality mark for the exhibition industry. Much attention is being given to making the hotel industry
more sustainable. Sustainable tourism can be made more visible, by focusing industry promotion on keywords such as
24 25
environmentally friendly, innovation, trendy, progressive, and quality. An urban environment that offers access to nature
is also a distinguishing feature that carries weight in the competitive international market.

Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

Amsterdam as a launching customer for sustainable products and services
Amsterdam is one of the frontrunners in the area of sustainable purchasing. Developments such as the smarter
utilisation of the market and more sustainable tendering processes offer opportunities for strengthening this position.
As a ‘launching customer’, Amsterdam is in a position to challenge the business community to develop innovative
sustainable products and technologies, and to let the power of innovation do its work. The social impact can be
evaluated, along with financial results and the impact on the environment.
Delegating the task of saving energy
In Amsterdam, there are between 15,000 and 20,000 small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), such as
bakeries, production companies, hotels, offices and many others. The SMEs are an economic motor, a
motor that does not pollute. An SME programme is given shape in a broad framework of cooperation
between parties from government and business.

In cooperation with several financial institutions and energy companies, a concept is being developed
that will make it easier for companies to benefit from energy savings. For example, a business that
requires a new lighting installation will not have to invest in this installation itself; it will repay the
financed amount from the savings on its energy bill. This concept will be tested in the near future and
– if successful – will be structurally included in the other projects and expanded.

SMEs are responsible for approximately 25% of total CO2 emissions in Amsterdam. The size of the
accommodation and the type of activity are good indicators of the CO2 emission. Important items are
lighting, heating, refrigeration, apparatus for kitchens, production and offices, air-conditioning and
climatisation.

Energy transition can be achieved in Amsterdam by means of applying already-
existing measures on a larger scale: extending the district heating and cooling
grids, undertaking energy-saving home renovations, generating energy from
waste, and using solar energy and wind turbines. In addition to small-scale
housing projects (such as the ‘Zon op je dak’ [‘Sun on your roof’] project),
a number of large-scale projects will also be realised, such as wind energy parks,
26 extending the district heating grid, and more thermal storage and solar energy
projects. Agreements will also be needed, for example in the form of contracts
with businesses, housing associations, and social institutions.
Setting a good example: a climate-neutral municipality by 2015
Amsterdam has set itself the target of reducing its CO2 emissions by 40 per cent by 2025 (in comparison with 1990
levels). The Municipality of Amsterdam, which is responsible for approximately five per cent of emissions, aims to
become a climate neutral organisation in 2015; that is, it will not affect the balance of CO2 in the atmosphere (by
keeping emissions of greenhouse gases to a minimum, and compensating for those emissions that do occur).
Energy efficiency and climate-neutral buildings
Amsterdam’s Municipality, inhabitants and business community face measures relating to energy efficiency and
sustainable energy facilities. These measures constitute part of the New Amsterdam Climate initiative. For Amsterdam,
energy efficiency is not only crucial from an environmental perspective, but also for keeping the cost of living
affordable. Greater energy efficiency can be achieved via the large-scale realisation of climate-neutral homes and
commercial and industrial buildings, and by making existing buildings more energy efficient (homes, and also shops,
business premises and schools). From 2015 onwards, all new Municipality constructions will be climate-neutral.
Opportunities and challenges
27
Amsterdam in 2020 Duurzame
Whispering waters of Amsterdam canals
Amsterdam’s waterways are being reduced to a bare whisper with the recent introduction of electric
boats. Boaty is one of a handful of green-minded entrepreneurs to rent out battery-powered boats that
literally tip toe along the water. These boats can be charged with renewable electricity at no extra cost
Sustainable
to the environment. Amsterdam city hall is actively encouraging the use of boats using cleaner energy,
granting new permits for hard-to-come-by mooring spaces.
kansen,
Opportunities,
Mobility and means of transport ranging from cars, buses and scooters to cruise ships are
duurzameSustainable
approximately responsible for one third of the total CO2 emissions in Amsterdam. In order to
determine which technologies, concepts, approach and forms of cooperation are the most successful
toekomst Future
various projects will be initialized focusing on sustainable ways of transport and the infrastructure
required to realise them.
100% sustainable deliveries
The city offers a financial arrangement for the additional costs of electric vehicles. Amsterdam is further
involved in a pilot project of the government to lower parking fees for electric transportation. And
there are special parking places where electric cars can recharge and parking is cheaper. Recently, the
first products have been delivered with a durable, 100% electric vehicle.

Sustainable schools
Amsterdam has 190 primary schools and 28 schools for special primary education where approximately 60,000
pupils are given lessons every day. In total, these schools own nearly 300 buildings and 170 gymnasiums. Based
on the condition of many of these buildings and their technical installations, and considering the possibilities to
manage energy and behaviour, it is absolutely clear that the consumption of gas and electricity can be reduced.
The indoor climate at primary schools is poor, and at many schools up to 40% can be saved on energy.
Therefore Amsterdam is committed to improving its primary schools and introduced a pilot project in one of
the City districts. A unique aspect is the financing construction for the integrated package of measures for
energy savings and improving the indoor environment. The approach that ultimately emerges from the pilot
project has become the standard for a multiyear renovation programme. The multiyear plan gives measures
that can be realised quickly, such as fine-tuning the central heating system and stipulates when the buildings
will be renovated for energy savings and when the indoor climate will be improved.
While the buildings are being improved, the primary schools will be encouraged to anchor the themes of
climate, energy and sustainability in the lesson programme. This program is not only good for the climate but
will enhance the learning performance of the pupils and leads to less sickness and absenteeism.
Opportunities and challenges
A ‘scale-leap’ towards sustainable energy
Amsterdam aims to become the Dutch frontrunner in the development of smart energy grids, by means of
which, for example, an energy balance can be achieved at the district level. In a climate neutral district, energy
use and decentralised energy production are kept in balance through the use of local energy storage and
exchange via the energy grid. Amsterdam aims to take the lead on sustainable energy activities at a local and
regional level. Moreover, as an investor, the Municipality wants to boost certain options, such as wind and solar
energy.
Regional agreements will be needed, owing to the fact that in the short term, sustainable energy production
cannot occur entirely within the city’s borders. By 2025, Amsterdam wants to meet a third of its energy needs
using locally-produced sustainable energy. By this point, techniques that are already under development will 29
have broken through, such as electrical transportation, the large-scale application of solar energy, micro-
Amsterdam in 2020 Duurzame
cogeneration plants, and the further development of one-way grids into smart grids.
Amsterdam embraces electrical transport
The cleaner and quieter a device is, the better. The large-scale introduction and stimulation of electrical
transport will make a key contribution to the quality of life in Amsterdam. It will also stimulate innovation and
Sustainable
activity in areas such as development, design, assembly, and recharging- and battery technologies.
kansen,
Opportunities,
duurzameSustainable
toekomst Future
 Amsterdam
in 2020
Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

Opportunities and challenges

The key issues that have been addressed in this exploration arise in part from
the following municipal objectives:

• targets in the Amsterdam Environmental Policy Plan 2007-2010 relating to the following themes:
air, noise, climate, sustainable consumption and production, soil, green space and water;
• specific targets in the Climate Programme (2008), the Air Quality Action Plan (2006) and

Colophon
the Noise Action Plan (2008):
• in 2025, CO2 emissions will have been reduced by 40 per cent, as compared with 1990
30 31
(while aiming for a reduction of 70-80 per cent in the long term (2040));
• by 2015, the Municipality will function as a climate-neutral organisation; and from 2015 onwards,

Amsterdam in 2020 Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

all new construction by the Municipality will be climate-neutral;
• in 2025, one third of energy needs will be met by locally-produced sustainable energy;
• compliance with legal norms for particulates in 2010, and compliance with legal norms for
nitrogen dioxide levels by 2015 at the latest;
• reduce background noise in Amsterdam’s most noise-polluted locations, and reduce disturbance
in (potentially) quiet locations. City of Amsterdam
Environmental and Building department
(Dienst Milieu en Bouwtoezicht)
Weesperplein 4
PO Box 922
1000 AX Amsterdam
The Netherlands

Translation: UvA Talen

Design: dsgn.frm
Many people contributed to the process of defining these
opportunities for Amsterdam.

October 2009

Amsterdam in 2020: Sustainable Opportunities, Sustainable Future

can be downloaded at www.dmb.amsterdam.nl