Fair February

After looking into Amsterdam’s ambitious plans yesterday, I got a bit curious how our city is holding up – we gotta keep tabs, right? Beyond the official reports, I stumbled upon a report from De Gezonde Stad, an independent foundation committed to enhancing sustainability and well-being in Amsterdam. Think tree planting, neighbourhood parks, community gardens, and smart circular practices – they’re into it all – whatever it is to improve the city’s liveability, vibrancy, and climate resilience. It is not a single-handed effort; they’re all about getting us locals involved and supporting sustainable measures all over town.

Every year, De Gezonde Stad does a deep dive into Amsterdam’s progress in sustainable development, covering six key themes: food, greenery, energy, clean air & transport, water, and waste. Saving you from reading Dutch a few minutes, I’ve summed up the key findings from their 2024 report.

Climate Consciousness: Amsterdam residents are climate-conscious, with 45% believing their food choices impact climate change, especially millennials at 53%. One-third actively pay attention to their food choices for climate change reasons (global food production contributes 34% of greenhouse gases; read this post on how to navigate your decision-making). The struggle to find regional products is real: only 5 in 100 manage to buy local produce weekly or more often. With the municipality aim for 25% of food to be regionally and sustainably produced by 2030, there is a long way to go.

Challenges of Healthy Eating: Despite a nation-wide interest in healthier lifestyles, 100,000 financially vulnerable Amsterdam residents face challenges affording healthy food. Financial constraints hinder 8 in 10 low-income residents, even though 84% of suppliers predominantly offer unhealthy options, contributing to health disparities across districts.

Transition to Plant-based Diets: Amsterdam is shifting towards plant-based diets, recognising that meat products contribute to 40% of GHG emissions. Approximately 23% abstain from meat, with 37% consciously reducing consumption weekly. While 43% opt for vegetables when replacing meat, 31% choose ready-made substitutes, indicating a growing preference for plant-based options. On average, though, a Dutch person still exceeds healthy limits by 11 kilos annually.

Air Quality Concerns: Air quality worries loom large for residents, with 48% concerned about neighbourhood cleanliness. Despite improvements, pollutants exceed WHO recommendations, leading to premature deaths. Initiatives aim for completely emission-free traffic by 2030, targeting the 11% contribution of motorised traffic to CO2 emissions.

Waste Management Gaps: In 2022, Amsterdam produced 367 kg of waste per person, a decrease from 374.6 kg in 2021. The city targets a reduction to 227 kg of residual waste per person by 2025, with a current recycling rate of 22%. Organic waste delivery per person increased to 3.2 kg in 2022, and efforts are underway to expand options for separating organic waste, aiming for 75% of residents to participate by 2030.

Renewable Energy Transition: In 2021, only 10.2% of the city’s energy came from renewable sources. Solar energy adoption is increasing, with over a million solar panels generating 250 megawatts, emphasising the city’s commitment to using half of the suitable roof surface for solar energy by 2030. Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions are underway, with a 6% reduction in 2022, positioning Amsterdam on track to achieve a 60% reduction by 2030.

Greener City: Amsterdam’s growth is putting pressure on green spaces, resulting in a decrease of 159 hectares (almost 2%) of public greenery between 2018 and 2023. The rising population and urbanisation contribute to heat stress issues in Amsterdam. A survey conducted in 2023 revealed that 56% of respondents suffered from indoor heat, and 41% experienced discomfort outdoors during the summer.

Water’s Vital Role: Water is crucial for the city, serving as a source of life, cooling, and, of course, aesthetics – gotta love those beautiful canals. Challenges arise from extreme weather conditions, prompting initiatives to address plastic waste and changes in water consumption habits. Amsterdam residents consumed an average of 141 litres of water per day, with 98% of their water footprint generated outside the city through product consumption. The city grapples with plastic pollution, with approximately 42,000 kg of plastic removed annually from canals.

So, here is where we are now — anything you find surprising?

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Once again in a baking mood, I decided to make vegan pumpkin bread with chocolate chips (based on this recipe). There was a pumpkin just chilling on my kitchen counter, so it was about time to put it to good use. The end result turned out even better than I expected – kind of like a less sweet version of those pumpkin spice lattes, if you’re into that. I dialled down the sugar and played around with the spices from my rack. All in all, totally recommend giving it a shot!

Another I wanted to give a go to was a body scrub made with coffee grounds, walnut oil and sugar. Not sure if I messed up the proportions but I can’t say I liked it — it felt too harsh on the skin. Plus, I’m a bit worried about these coffee grounds clogging the shower drain pipes

To sum up, this is the today’s progress:

SUCCESS	FAIL
Learned new stuff about sustainability	Vegan food (non-veg chocolate chips)
Compost	No waste (trashed broken bike light)
Unplug devices that are not in use	No purchase of brand-new items (gifts for a friend)
Learn to how make one new thing	Five-minute showers (thx scrub)
Use stairs instead of elevator	Bike to work (coldddd and windy af)