On Saturday, November 29, the final meeting of the Citizen Council for Sustainable Warm Living took place. The council presented 22 recommendations to the city council. These focus on communication, cooperation, fair distribution, and sustainability.

Fair Choices for a Sustainable Future

By 2050, Arnhem, like other municipalities, must be gas-free. The Citizen Council has spent the past months considering the best approach for the city. The recommendations emphasize solidarity, freedom of choice, ownership, reliability, and connection as key values. Alderman for Sustainability Cathelijne Bouwkamp: “A sustainable future without natural gas requires fair choices. To achieve this as a city, we need as much knowledge and ideas as possible. The transition to gas-free living can only be made together: just and future-proof.”

Representation of Arnhem

The Citizen Council consists of Arnhem residents who together form a reflection of all city inhabitants. Over the past months, participants engaged in five meetings with each other and experts. They also learned about options to go gas-free and went on excursions to sustainable examples in the city.

Ultimately, the Citizen Council reached recommendations. These were periodically tested by the municipality for feasibility, including practical, financial, and legal viability. During the final meeting, the Citizen Council voted on all recommendations and presented the final advice to the municipality.

Cathelijne Bouwkamp: “I am very grateful that all Citizen Council participants invested so much time and worked so hard. The involvement among participants was great. There are now valuable recommendations that help us continue building a sustainable and fair future for all Arnhem residents.”

Next Steps

The recommendations of the Citizen Council for Sustainable Warm Living will be incorporated into the plans outlining how Arnhem will transition to sustainable energy. These plans are prepared annually by the municipality. All recommendations of the Citizen Council for Sustainable Warm Living can be found here.