Minister De Jonge: ‘I find it wonderful to see that so many large and small municipalities have submitted an application and are ready to implement their plans together with their residents. With this program, we are gaining important experiences on how to make neighborhoods sustainable and future-proof. Given the current developments, we urgently need sustainable energy sources. Now more than ever, we must accelerate achieving climate goals and ensure that the Netherlands ultimately becomes independent of natural gas.’
Selection Based on Feasibility, Affordability, and Support
The selection of this 3rd round is based on a proposal from the Advisory Committee on Natural Gas-Free Neighborhoods. Program partners, stakeholders, and scientists are represented in this committee. In addition to the sought-after variation in approaches, all plans have explicitly considered feasibility, affordability, and resident involvement. In almost all approaches, there is intensive collaboration with existing resident collectives, and there is a strong focus on ensuring affordability for residents. Notably, in the 3rd round, collaboration with local parties is even more firmly anchored than in previous rounds, and there is collaboration with universities and knowledge centers.
Many Municipalities Opt for Step-by-Step Approach to Natural Gas-Free
Many municipalities are adopting a step-by-step approach focusing on insulation and hybrid heat pumps as an intermediate solution to becoming natural gas-free. First, energy consumption is reduced, and later a sustainable heat source is adopted. In this 3rd and final round, a targeted inquiry was made about step-by-step approaches so that municipalities can learn from them. Municipalities that directly transition to natural gas-free do so primarily with low-temperature heat networks, often based on aquathermy. The heat transition is also cleverly connected to other social challenges, such as energy poverty and livability.
The Natural Gas-Free Neighborhoods Program Contributes to Learning to Scale and Accelerate the Energy Transition
In the Natural Gas-Free Neighborhoods Program, the Ministry of BZK, the Ministry of EZK, the IPO, the VNG, and the Union of Water Boards work together to support municipalities and involved parties as effectively as possible with the neighborhood-oriented approach towards becoming natural gas-free. The cabinet has the ambition to gradually reduce CO₂ emissions resulting from heating our buildings. The goal is to reduce emissions to zero by 2050. All municipalities have created a transition vision for heat indicating in which neighborhood, district, or village a natural gas-free approach will start before 2030 and which alternative is preferred. The PAW contributes to learning to scale and accelerate the energy transition so that the Netherlands can move away from natural gas.