The Council’s ambition is to contribute to accelerating the necessary transitions within the broad domain of the physical human environment. More particularly, the Council wishes to focus its advice on the energy transition, promoting sustainable accessibility, the transition to a circular economy, sustainable agriculture and nature development, and further strengthening urban regions. Because these challenges are closely interconnected, most advisory reports published by the Council will transcend the boundaries of the four government departments responsible for the physical domain (the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality).
The following topics have been included in the Council’s Work Programme for 2018-2019:
- Convergence of transitions within regions, with the South-Western Delta as a case in point
- Energy transition in the built environment
- Tourism and recreation in relation to the human environment
- Digitisation of policies on the human environment
- Central government management of construction output
The Council has recently started an unsolicited advisory project to examine the potential roles of the central government in realising the transition to a sustainable economy, and the appropriate relationship between government and the private sector in that process. The Council will focus on the energy-intensive industry as a case study on account of the scope of the transition challenge and the potential socio-economic impact.