Cabinet launches Industry Sustainability Program

There are great opportunities for industry in the Netherlands to produce cleanly and reduce its negative impact on the living environment. To achieve this, the government will take more control and ensure more cohesion between the various initiatives. The government is therefore introducing a National Program on Sustainable Industry. 

Working towards clean industry and preventing companies from leaving

Production must be cleaner and less harmful to the environment, and raw materials must ultimately be reused. The government thinks it is important that companies make this transition here in the Netherlands. That is good for the climate, but also for the competitiveness of the Netherlands.

Industry will also help with energy transition

Industry consumes a lot of energy and therefore plays an important role in the switch to clean energy. Other sectors in the Netherlands also want to use it, for instance for transport. This is only possible if the necessary infrastructure is put in place. Thanks to the industry, that pays off and that infrastructure, the electricity cables and pipelines, is built. That way, the rest of the Netherlands also benefits. It is important that this energy infrastructure is built at a rapid pace.

However, replacing oil and gas for clean electricity and hydrogen will not happen overnight and cannot be done everywhere at once. For example, green energy needs to be stored if more is generated than is consumed at that time. Hydrogen also needs to be made and transported to companies. The Netherlands has five regions where many industrial companies are located together. When adapting networks, the government focuses on these areas first. For industry outside these five geographical clusters, the program will develop a more tailor-made approach, in cooperation with the provinces.

Roadmap

With the introduction of the Industry Sustainability National Program, the government is taking a stronger lead on making industry more sustainable. A steering committee has been set up in which the government, fellow governments, industry and grid operators are represented. The aim is to accelerate by working with government and businesses to better match supply and demand and to take decisions within the entire chain. The program focuses mainly on actually implementing plans in the right way and in the right order.

Rijksoverheid.nl