The Netherlands Kisses Gas Goodbye

Revolution in gas country the Netherlands: the Dutch government wants all residential buildings to be off gas in 2050. The objective is to reduce CO2 emissions from the built environment. But does phasing out gas deliver the expected results? Eline van den Ende spoke to experts and concludes that a ‘gas-less’ society makes sense only if additional measures are taken.

Unthinkable just a few years ago, but reality today. The Netherlands, a long-time major gas producer in which virtually all houses are connected to the gas grid, wants to remove gas as source of heating and cooking for all residential buildings. The main reason is that the government wants to reduce CO2 emissions from the built environment by 80% in 2050.

The first steps are already being taken. 31 municipalities, including the largest cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht, have signed a ‘Green Deal’ for ‘gas-less neighbourhoods’, which will lead to the first residential districts being disconnected from the grid over the next two years. Many more will follow in the coming decades.

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