Amsterdam metropolitan region opts for a green course

The Board has been working for some time with a wide range of partners to develop concrete investment propositions for themes such as circular textiles and the bicycle metropolis or other solid agreements for employment and a smart, green and healthy region. Interesting coalitions have now emerged with parties that are actively engaged. To reinforce this, governments in the MRA signed agreements during the Sustainability Summit to make the region more sustainable together with companies and other stakeholders. The role of governments is crucial to really take the circular economy further as buyers.

In the coming years, the collection of textile gets a significant boost in the region. Another agreement from the Textile Green Deal focuses on stimulating the circular procurement of work clothing. Given the strength of all MRA partners, this can provide an impulse for the entire country.

Read here what the Board is doing on the circular textile initiative and how you can join.

Green Deal Fiets ondertekenaars | Amsterdam Economic Board

Signatories to the Green Deal Fiets. Photo: Brenda de Vries

The region also wants to develop into a bicycle metropolis. The drivers want to invest heavily in encouraging bicycle use. Not only will the region be enriched with a network of bicycle service points, the promotion of sustainable commuting by bicycle will also be given an explicit place in the employment conditions of large companies and institutions within the MRA.

From 2025, all new construction in the MRA will be made of at least 20% wood and biobased materials. In addition to designating locations for this, joint investments are made in the joint development and sharing of knowledge in this area.

There will also be a ban on single-use plastic at the many festivals that take place in the region. Reuse of plastic is given a boost by choosing street furniture made from recycled plastic. Finally, the administrators reconfirmed an agreement made in 2018 to switch to sustainable purchasing within their own provinces and municipalities. As early as 2025, they want the 50% of their own purchasing to be climate neutral and circular.

Would you also like to get started with purchasing with impact? Our Quick Starts help you get on your way. Read here what the Board is doing on the initiative High Impact Procurement.

With these Deals we show what happens when governments work together with the business community, knowledge institutions and social organisations. There is more support for high ambitions, more involvement and a more shared responsibility to realize them and more expertise to arrive at the necessary solutions. My appeal: do that for many more processes and much earlier in the process. Today’s major societal challenges do not require optimisation, but radically different solutions. That requires a different way of working together and bold decisions.”

Nina Tellegen, General Manager

Want to participate?

Do you want to participate in making textiles circular, the region as a cycling metropolis or High Impact Procurement? Please contact Claire Teurlings or Richard Hoving.

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