Implemented by: Municipality of The Hague / Den Haag
The municipality of The Hague in the Netherlands has chosen to integrate sustainability, climate change, and energy policy into all aspects of the local government’s activities and policies, rather than creating a large sustainability department. Sustainability policy is implemented through various units, such as the housing department and the mobility department, while the small sustainability team focuses on cross-department collaboration. By involving ‘sustainability ambassadors’ in The Hague’s neighbourhoods, the sustainability issue is also put on the agenda among the citizens. By involving sustainability ambassadors’ in The Hague’s neighbourhoods, the sustainability issue is also put on the agenda among the citizens. The key objective in the end is to convert The Hague as energy neutral by 2040. For now, The Hague aims to be in line with the national and EU targets. The Hague currently also aims to serve as expertise center for municipalities in the Haaglanden conurbation region (in essence to help smaller municipalities that often only have one person responsible for sustainability).
NEEDS ADDRESSED:
• the government hasn't any programme in place to carry out energy efficient renovations on at least 3% of the buildings they own and occupy by floor area
(Art. 5)
• the wider public sector doesn't purchase energy efficient buildings, products and services at national level (Art. 6)
• no EE policy public sector strategic goals with defined targets at national level
(Art. 3)
