ROTTERDAM, 20 March 2025 – Rotterdam's sustainable building strategy is set to become a blueprint for nationwide implementation following a conference that brought together stakeholders from across the country.
Image: Aldermen, market parties, and investors from across the Netherlands gathered at the Duurzaam Doorbouwen conference to accelerate the transition to Paris Proof construction. Photography: Rhalda Jansen.
Rotterdam's sustainable building strategy gains national attention
On 19 March, the "Duurzaam Doorbouwen" (Sustainable Building Continuation) conference took place, an initiative led by Rotterdam's alderman Chantal Zeegers (Climate, Building and Housing). The event gathered aldermen, representatives from market parties, and investors from across the Netherlands to work towards a unified approach to sustainable construction in the country. The proposed City Deal Toekomstbestendige Gebiedsontwikkeling (City Deal on Future-Proof Area Development) served as the guiding framework for discussions, marking a significant step towards concrete agreements and collaboration between municipalities, market parties, and housing corporations.
Rotterdam as a frontrunner in sustainable construction
The conference was based on the Plan van Aanpak Duurzaam Doorbouwen (Sustainable Building Continuation Plan), developed by the municipality of Rotterdam in collaboration with Platform Ontwikkelaars Rotterdam (POR). This plan aims to provide sufficient affordable and sustainable housing, which is crucial for ensuring the city’s resilience.
The strategy involves new construction, renovation, and the sustainable transformation of existing buildings, with cooperation from market parties and housing corporations. The focus areas of the plan include:
- Reducing CO2 emissions from construction materials
- Circular design and construction
- Emission-free construction
- Climate adaptation
- Enhancing biodiversity
Alderman Zeegers highlighted the importance of cooperation:
"The construction sector is facing significant changes. By working together on solutions now, we can prevent being caught off guard in the future. The energy and engagement shown at this conference demonstrate a strong commitment to building sustainably. Now is the time to translate that ambition into concrete agreements. With the City Deal Duurzame Gebiedsontwikkeling, we are joining forces with governments, market parties, and housing corporations to establish a uniform approach and accelerate the transition to Paris Proof building."
City Deal: a national collaboration for sustainable development
During the Dag van de Stad (City Day) in November 2024, Alderman Zeegers, representing the G4 cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht), advocated for adopting this strategy nationwide through the City Deal Duurzame Gebiedsontwikkeling. This initiative resulted in a declaration of intent in which governments, market parties, and corporations committed to knowledge sharing and collaboration.
The City Deal aims to prepare the construction sector for stricter European regulations, such as the EU Taxonomy. The focus will be on finding ways to construct Paris Proof and affordable housing that complies with EU guidelines.
Conference programme and outcomes
The Duurzaam Doorbouwen conference featured a combination of plenary presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. Participants joined themed sessions designed to share knowledge on sustainable building methods, explore impact and performance insights, and examine practical applications and projects.
Additionally, the conference addressed the impact of European regulations such as the EU Taxonomy on the Dutch construction sector. During the working sessions, participants analysed key challenges and explored potential solutions.
Towards a unified City Deal
The outcomes of the conference will shape the development of the City Deal Duurzame Gebiedsontwikkeling. The objective is to establish concrete results and agreements, which are scheduled to be signed at the VNG Congress and the PROVADA real estate fair in June 2025. The broad support expressed during the conference underscored the urgency of embedding sustainable construction principles in both policy and practice. Over the coming months, the discussed workstreams will be further developed in close cooperation between governments and market parties.
