Rli 11 May 2023 -
The quality of groundwater and surface water in the Netherlands is poor. Moreover, national and international regulations are not being followed. For example, the European Water Framework Directive sets standards to be achieved by 2027. But this objective is almost certainly no longer feasible, which is harmful to people and nature. Also, legal proceedings can hamper economic activities in the…
Rli 27 March 2023 -
There are significant regional disparities in wellbeing in the Netherlands and these disparities are widening. Government policy should focus on countering undesirable disparities, as compensating for deficits alone is not enough. Investment in long-term regional development is needed throughout the Netherlands. When making policy choices, the government should place the emphasis not only on…
10 February 2023 -
At present, there is far too little sustainable investment in the Netherlands. The financial sector must move faster to change this situation and the government needs to act to ensure the sector actually does so. This is what the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) argues in its advisory report ‘Finance in transition: towards an active role for the financial sector in a…
Rli 7 September 2022 -
Over the coming years, the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) is anticipating a political and public debate on the organisation of our future energy system and the possible role of nuclear energy within it. Decisions in this area will need to be taken diligently and be future-proof to avoid putting the 2050 climate targets at risk. In its advisory report ‘Splitting the atom,…
Rli 18 August 2022 -
Social housing stock needs to expand considerably in the next few years. That’s why central government needs to considerably step up efforts to maximise the performance of housing associations and municipalities. In its advisory report ‘Providing shelter: maximising the performance of housing associations’, presented today to Minister for Housing Hugo de Jonge, the Council for the Environment and…
23 March 2022 -
23 March 2022 – Nature is declining at an alarming rate in the Netherlands. According to the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli), the biodiversity crisis is as serious as the climate crisis. Robust nature is crucial for the quality of life in the Netherlands. People depend on nature for their health, for clean drinking water, for healthy food and for clean air. In its advisory…
2 December 2021 -
Farmers should have prospects for the future within the boundaries of sustainability. To operate their businesses, farmers must have at least the following: clarity about the criteria that their farm must meet, the freedom to determine how they will meet those criteria, and a well-managed system of monitoring and enforcement. Meeting these three conditions will require new government policy. This…
14 October 2021 -
The National Growth Fund (Nationaal Groeifonds) was instituted to raise the Netherlands' future gross domestic product. The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) concludes in its advisory report "Investing in sustainable growth" that this goal can only be achieved by investing exclusively in activities aligned to the transition to a carbon-neutral, low-resource, nature-inclusive…
Rli 10 February 2021 -
In accessibility policy, the focus is too one-sided, concentrating on eliminating traffic congestion and investing in new infrastructure projects. Other solutions, such as spreading traffic throughout the day, digital alternatives or smart urbanisation policies, should be given more consideration in decisions to improve accessibility. Government and parliament could also respond more actively to…
Rli 9 February 2021 -
Digital technology and data use are changing our society in fundamental ways. These changes are having a major impact on the sustainability of our living environment. Although digitalisation and sustainability are inextricably connected, government policy fails to recognise this connection. In its advisory report about ‘digitalisation and the transition towards a sustainable society, the Dutch…