Publications & Downloads

Polluting emissions have long been a concern in the dairy industry, with methane released from cow belches and flatulence fueling global warming, causing floods and droughts, which in turn impacts on production.

This article was originally published by EURACTIV. It can also be accessed through https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/from-grass-to-glass-how-dairy-can-go-green/.

Over the past fifty years, droughts have become increasingly common in Europe. Climate change is not only reducing the amount of water available but also affecting how clean it is, with floods bringing soil and other elements into the water supply chain.

This article was originally published by EURACTIV. It can also be accessed through https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/scientists-look-at-triggering-rainfall-saving-water-to-tackle-droughts/.

Innovation in agriculture and beyond is vital to close the widening gap that leads to polarisation and tension between rural and urban areas, says Jan Huitema MEP. Rural development plans must be made with the local community and not just in Brussels offices, he argues.

This article was originally published by EURACTIV. It can also be accessed through https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/interview/dutch-mep-we-have-to-close-the-gap-between-rural-and-urban-areas/.

Rural communities make up 45% of EU territory, but face persistent problems caused by social isolation, which are increasingly compounded by climate change. In the Netherlands, a small municipality has decided to take the matter into its own hands.

This article was originally published by EURACTIV. It can also be accessed through https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/news/can-europe-buck-the-trend-of-deprivation-in-rural-areas/.

To transform the Northern Netherlands into a sustainable ecosystem in which the economic dependence on fossil resources will be removed, substantial investments are required in the field of sustainable value-chains, training, and innovation.
The commitment of the Just Transition Fund makes the difference to a green future for the Northern Netherlands and offers a new perspective for thousands of residents whose jobs are currently under pressure. At the same time, these investments have an impact in the entire Netherlands and Europe, where they contribute to achieving the ambitious climate goals and enhancing an economy that is no longer dependent of fossil resources.
The Northern Netherlands, the Netherlands and Europe are ready.

When the European Commission launched its new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) last March, the world was a different place. Now, as Covid-19 is badly damaging the European economy, calls for a green recovery have become even stronger, boosting the need for the transition towards a more circular economy and an effective execution of the new CEAP.

This report was originally published by EURACTIV. It can also be accessed through https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy-environment/special_report/rural-innovation/.

1 January 2021 will mark the start of the new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF2) as one of the programmes under the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027). The Northern Netherlands region is in an excellent position to contribute to the goals of the facility through ambitious projects. This is the case for all three priority areas of CEF2: transport, energy and telecommunications. In this position paper we explain how.

The Northern Netherlands has won a €20 million EU grant to become Europe’s flagship green hydrogen project. The former natural gas region will lead Europe — and the rest of the world — in the energy revolution required by the Paris climate agreement, says Nienke Homan, regional minister in the Province of Groningen.

This article was published on FORESIGHT Climate & Energy Denmark: https://foresightdk.com/hydrogen-northern-netherlands-leads-europe-and-the-world/.

Making the business case for clean hydrogen Europe can lead the world on emission-free hydrogen, but it needs to solve the dilemma that industry offers the greatest potential demand, while the profit margins are in transport. Bart Biebuyck from the European Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking argues the value of emission-free hydrogen must be judged by more than its price tag versus fossil fuels.

This article was published on FORESIGHT Climate & Energy Denmark: https://foresightdk.com/making-the-business-case-for-clean-hydrogen/.

In an EU that aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, production of green hydrogen can be a new job creating industry, argues Tjisse Stelpstra, Member of the Council of the Province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands, providing an economic boost for regions like his and Europe as a whole.

This article was published on FORESIGHT Climate & Energy Denmark: https://foresightdk.com/why-clean-hydrogen-is-a-key-part-of-the-just-transition/.

We, the European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership and all signatories, want the European Commission to double the funding for the European Partnership for Clean Hydrogen the 2021-2027 period to 1.3 billion. This will help Europe to reach its 2030 and 2050 targets and to remain the global leader in clean energy innovation. To reach that goal, we composed this position paper for Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.

Together, we can turn promises for cleaner Europe into a reality.

Groningen, Fryslân and Drenthe. Three provinces in the Netherlands that form the Northern Netherlands region. And what a great European region it is! We have the space, innovative entrepreneurs and top-notch knowledge centres. Together, we find solutions for today’s regional, national and European challenges.