Climate change policies in Rotterdam
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Question
What are plausible policies to the city of Rotterdam to mitigate and adapt to climate change?
Answer
| Obs | Row | Decision | Option | Variable | Cell | Change | Unit | Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Emission Policy | Reducing CO2 emissions | Greenhouse gas emissions in Rotterdam | Year:2025; Sector:Residential | Replace | kton | 650 | Reduction the CO2 emission of all buildings in Rotterdam by 50%. |
| 2 | 2 | Emission policy of the port | Favoring of low CO | Energy balance in Rotterdam | Year:2025; Sector:Industry sector | Multiply | 1 | Rotterdam should become the energy port of low-CO2 energy sources and products. Collaboration with logistics and industry is indespensable in this respect. | |
| 3 | 3 | Cleaner Transportation | Increasing use of cleaner fuels and vehicles | Traffic in Rotterdam | Year:2025; Sector:Transport sector | Multiply | 1 | The increasing use of cleaner fuels and alternative vehicles will result by road as well as by water. | |
| 4 | 4 | Transportation emissions | Reducing emissions of traffic | Greenhouse gas emissions in Rotterdam | Year:2025; Section:Transport section | Replace | kton | 725 | The reduction of emissions of traffic and transportation |
| 5 | 5 | Awareness in city | Knowledge of the climate change is better | Climate education in Rotterdam | Year:2025; Sector:All | Replace | Good knowledge | Environmental education programmes in schools, an energy conservation programme for companies, and publicity campaigns to persuade citizens to adopt new ways of responding to the climate change issue. |
⇤--#: . The page Greenhouse gas emissions in Rotterdam does not exist. --Heta 12:32, 21 March 2012 (EET) (type: truth; paradigms: science: attack) ⇤--#: . The page Energy balance in Rotterdam does not exist, only one for whole of Netherlands. --Heta 12:32, 21 March 2012 (EET) (type: truth; paradigms: science: attack) ⇤--#: . The page Traffic in Rotterdam does not exist and the shape of the data table isn't known. --Heta 12:32, 21 March 2012 (EET) (type: truth; paradigms: science: attack)
Rationale
Rotterdam Climate Initiative
The Rotterdam Climate Initiative aims to realize 50% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2025 and to make the city 100% climate proof in the same year. These key objectives are concentrated in two programmes. The overall CO2 emission of Rotterdam in 2009 amounts to approximately 29 Mton, as compared to 24 Mton in 1990. Without the implementation of the climate programme, the expected economic growth of the Rotterdam region would take the overall emission of CO2 in Rotterdam up to 46 Mton in 2025.[1]
In 2009 88% of emissions in Rotterdam are caused by the industry and energy-generating facilities in the port area. 7% of emissions are generated by traffic and transport, while 5% are due to the built environment. This latter percentage is relatively low because emissions due to the generation of the electricity in buildings are included in the statistics for the industry sector. After all, the CO2 emitted during the generation of electricity occurs at the generator itself. The RCI targets require the halving of emissions by all three sectors.[2]
The realistic savings potential for CO2 emissions using CCS is 17.5 Mton in 2025. Together with the savings potential due to industrial energy savings (4 Mton) and due to using sustainable raw materials in the chemical industry and using biomass for co-firing (4.5 Mton) this gives a total savings potential of 26 Mton CO2 in the industrial complex in 2025. This is just about sufficient to cover the targeted halving of CO2 emissions in 2025 compared to 1990. The remaining 1+ Mton reduction will need to be achieved by the built environment and traffic and transport sectors.
In 1990 there were a total of 1.305 Kiloton CO2 emissions due to the built environment. The target therefore requires emissions to be reduces to only 650 Kton in 2025. If no additional measures are taken to tackle this problem, the emissions are expected to be 1.160 Kiloton in 2025. The target for the traffic and transport sector is 725 Kiloton in 2025. However, without additional climate measures, the prognosis is 2,600 Kiloton, meaning that a reduction of 1,875 Kilotons is required.[2]
50 % reduction of CO2 emissions
Rotterdam will reduce the emissions of CO2 by targeting the following cornerstones:
- Rotterdam - sustainable city: by 2025, the emissions of CO2 of all homes and buildings in the city should be reduced by at least 50 %. We can achieve this by saving energy and applying sustainable energy, including the heating of 50 000 homes by means of residual heat from refuse incinerators.
- Rotterdam - energy port: over 85 % of CO2 emissions in Rotterdam is attributable to industry. For this reason, we aim to realize an energy efficient port and industry cluster of exceptional international stature. Rotterdam should become the energy port of low-CO2 energy sources and products. Collaboration with logistics and industry is indespensable in this respect.
- Rotterdam - sustainable traffic and transport: cleaner fuels and alternative vehicles will result by road as well as by water. The City of Rotterdam serves as an example in this respect where its investment policy is concerned. The Mayor and Alderman, for instance, have already switched to flexifuel official cars.
- Rotterdam - Energizing City: a clean and sustainable city of Rotterdam can only be achieved if we tackle this goal together with citizens, companies and organizations. This is why we have environmental education programmes in schools, an energy conservation programme for companies, and publicity campaigns to persuade citizens to adopt new ways of responding to the climate change issue.
- Rotterdam - Innovation Lab: Rotterdam welcomes innovative initiatives and supports their implementation, so that we can take up a leading position in energy knowledge and developments.[1]
100 % climate proof
By means of climate adaption programme "Rotterdam Climate Proof", the Rotterdam Climate Initiative endeavours to make the city climate proof. This takes place through the following key aims:
- flood safety: the Rotterdam delta is safe and should remain safe, regardless or changing climate conditions. Together with our partners we will therefore ensure, for instance, that all water defences will be sufficiently strong by 2050.
- accessibility:this is important to attract new business to the reagion as well as for freight transport and passenger transport. If water is assigned a more significant role in spatial planning (for instance through floating homes and officies), transport should respond to this development. Our aim is to realize a climate change resilient transport infrastructure for both the city and the port.
- Adaptive building: in the Rotterdam region, we have a lot of knowledge on climate proof building. By 2025, the existing areas outside the levees (including the waterfront and port area) will be flood-proof, and new construction will be restricted to adaptive building. Part of the area called "Stadshavengebied" will consists of floating districts.
- Urban water system: climate change can lead to extreme precipitation in short period of time. To avoid situations where heavy rainfalls cause the peak surface drainage system, the excess rainwater needs to be retained in reservoirs (water storage). In times of drought, on the other hand, it is important to safeguard the freshwater supply.
- City climate: the physical climate in the city is pivotal in people's assessment of shaded and cool public areas and climate proof parks and green spaces such as green roofs.[1]
See also
- Project group Rotterdam Climate Initiative long brochure
- Kerr. Science 2012 (password-protected)
Key words
The climate change, Politics, Rotterdam, Urgenche
References
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