From deal to program

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During the festive conclusion on the 13th of May, Green Deal Green Roofs presented their results to Delta Commissioner Peter Glas. The forty participating authorities, companies and knowledge organizations celebrated the successes of four years of collaboration. With their ambition for more and better green and blue roofs they listed the measurable effects, mapped out innovations, and wrote the Guide Nature Roofs. They also devoted themselves to financial incentives such as mortgage interest deduction and a more sustainable tax system. NextGreen , together with Stroom en Onderstroom, has guided this collaboration ever since the feasibility phase in 2013.

Presenting of the Legacy document at Nieuwspoort The Hague with, from left to right, Peter Glas (Delta Commissioner), Egbert Roozen (chairman Green Deal Green Roofs and general manager of the trade organization VHG) and Kasper Spaan (secretary Green Deal Green Roofs and advisor Waternet).

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Celebrate Diversity

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‘Celebrate Diversity’, a basic principle for robustness and resilience in nature, has inspired me ever since I got acquainted with the third design principle of Cradle2Cradle during the guidance of the Learning Community C2C in 2010. My current work in the field of biodiversity teaches me about the importance of the diversity of genes and species, and how to reinforce this by connecting areas in order for populations to become more robust due to a bigger gene pool. This ecological principle invites us to celebrate the diversity of perspectives and ideas. Together they make a sustainable transition stronger, as was also confirmed by a recent Workshop Transition perspectives (in Dutch).

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Green Roofs present Guide Nature Roofs

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On the 28th of March Donné Slangen, Director of Nature at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, was issued the Guide Nature Roofs (Handreiking Natuurdaken, in Dutch). This guide deals with roof design, plants, and facilities to help birds, butterflies, bees and other species with food, safety and reproduction. The guide was composed by Green Deal Green Roofs partners, with process management and advice NextGreen.

On the right: Wilco van Heerwaarden (BTL Groep and Green Deal Green Roofs) presents the Guide Nature Roofs to Donné Slangen (director of Nature and deputy Directorate-General for Nature, Fisheries and Rural Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality). Photo: Merlijn Michon

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Pilots Financial incentives for climate adaptation

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The impact project ‘Rainwater, tax or reward‘ (Hemelwater belasten of belonen) by the work stream Differentiating Taxes of the Green Deal Green Roofs has developed into the new ‘Alliance financial incentives for climate adaptation’ (Alliantie financiële prikkels voor klimaatadaptatie). This alliance is working together with new partners, in association with the Delta Plan on Spatial Adaptation. The Alliance aims to stimulate citizens and companies to (re)arrange their buildings and gardens in a climate adaptive way and focuses on learning through pilots. This way they seek to further develop these incentives together.

To further research and develop the essential effects of the different financial incentives, the Alliance will carry out pilots with corresponding cross-sectioned working groups. These working groups will engage in collective research subjects and will, if necessary, conduct their own research.

For the period 2019-2020 local authorities have the possibility to receive a financial contribution (Dutch) from the Government to hire expertise to carry out the pilots ‘financial incentives’ (financiële prikkels).

On the 6th of June the Alliance meets up to accentuate the pilots and together define the agenda for the different working groups. Local authorities who are interested can apply by sending an e-mail to info@nextgreen.nl.

The Alliance Financial Incentives for Climate Adaption was preceded by:

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Business case, participation and putting Infra Nature out to tender

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Biodiversity in the Netherlands has been under pressure for some years now. Because the Netherlands has an extensive and dense infrastructure network, it is especially important to create more biodiversity in this network. Several parties within the Green Deal Infra Nature have studied and exploited this potential. Guidelines on how to integrate biodiversity into tenders, environmental management and business models have been drawn up.

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English-language fact sheet Facts&Values

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Due to popular demand an English version of the in September published fact sheet ‘Facts&Values Groenblauwe daken’ is now available; fact sheet ‘Facts and Values Green-Blue Roofs’. On the fact sheet you’ll find, among other things, measurable effects on retaining water, the air-purifying function, the energy saving and the noise reduction of green roofs.

Green Deal partners use the fact sheet with info graphic to explain clearly to customers and other interested parties the quantitative benefits of green roofs. NextGreen guided the work stream Facts and Values that put together the fact sheet.

Joint decision model

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NextGreen is holding interviews and meetings with experts from the municipality of Amsterdam, Waternet and construction organizations, in order to use the lessons learned from existing projects to guarantee climate adaptation through the use of public-private instruments. These instruments are now being piloted for use in local regeneration projects, urban transformation and change projects throughout the city.

For this new assignment, NextGreen and Stroom & Onderstroom are working with stakeholders to develop an overview of the instruments used and a decision-support tool, including the ‘water-neutral building envelope’, local land use plan and sustainable sewerage levy.

You can read more about this project on the Decision model for public-private instruments project page.

Whitepaper Expeditions Natural Capital

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White Paper ‘Value Creation with Natural Capital’ describes natural capital risks and opportunities for finance and business. The results of two expeditions, exploring investing in Agro-Food sector and the Built Environment, show routes for a joint transition.

An expedition is a practice based exploring dialogue, in this case between investors and investees and an expert panel. Representatives of business and finance entered into dialogues to bring forward a deeper understanding of the risks and opportunities, as well as discussing common challenges.

The white paper can be downloaded via the project page Natural Capital Expeditions, together with the slides.