SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production
- Opportunities for sustainable production are increasing in the Netherlands. The environment sector is contributing more and more to GDP and employment.
- Dutch per capita domestic material consumption is lower than that in nearly all other EU countries (3rd in 2022), and the volume of industrial waste per capita is trending downwards. The Netherlands does generate a relatively large amount of hazardous waste (288 kilograms per capita in 2020).
- Resources are being used more and more efficiently. Resource productivity of the Dutch economy is the highest in the EU27. The upward trend has come to a standstill, and is now stable.
- The volume of industrial waste per capita is decreasing. In 2021 nearly three-quarters of industrial waste was recycled. This share is no longer decreasing, and is now stable. The trend in recycling and composting of municipal waste is upward and is high compared with other EU countries.
- In 2023, 14.5 percent of the Dutch population experienced nuisance from waste, pollution or other environmental problems.
Dashboard and indicators
Resources and opportunities
in EU
in 2020
in EU
in 2022
Use
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2020
Outcomes
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2020
Subjective assessment
in EU
in 2020
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resources and opportunities | Value added of the environmental goods and services sector A) | 4.4% of gross domestic product in current prices in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | 5th out of 27 in 2020 | High ranking |
| Resources and opportunities | Employment in the environmental goods and services sector A) | 2.9% of total employment in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Resources and opportunities | Sustainability reporting in annual report | 90% of top 100 companies reported on sustainability in 2022 | 8th out of 20 in 2022 | Middle ranking | |
| Use | Domestic material consumption | 10 tonne per capita in 2022 | 3rd out of 27 in 2022 | High ranking | |
| Use | Industrial waste | 1,417 kg per capita in 2021 | decreasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Use | Municipal waste | 516 kg per capita in 2022 | 8th out of 18 in 2022 | Middle ranking | |
| Use | Hazardous waste | 288 kg per capita in 2020 | 21st out of 27 in 2020 | Low ranking | |
| Outcomes | Resource productivity | € 4.58 GDP per kg of resources used (2015 prices) in 2022 | 1st out of 27 in 2022 | High ranking | |
| Outcomes | Material footprint A) | 8.6 tonnes per capita in 2021 | |||
| Outcomes | Recycled industrial waste | 74.2% of total processed industrial waste in 2021 | |||
| Outcomes | Recycled municipal waste | 57.5% of total collected municipal waste in 2022 | increasing (increase well-being) | 3rd out of 18 in 2022 | High ranking |
| Outcomes | Recycled hazardous waste | 62.4% of total processed industrial waste in 2020 | 9th out of 26 in 2020 | Middle ranking | |
| Outcomes | Land footprint | 0.7 hectares per capita in 2021 | |||
| Subjective assessment | Environmental problems | 14.5% of the population over 16 experience problems in 2023 | 18th out of 26 in 2020 | Middle ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
SDG 12 goals include reducing waste, food wastage and pollution, and making more efficient use of materials, centring on transition to a circular economy: how can we use raw materials more efficiently, recycle more and waste less? Businesses, authorities and consumers are increasingly encouraged to be aware of their behaviour and so ease pressure on the environment and reduce dependence on raw materials. This will limit negative consequences of current consumption patterns for future generations, and improve habitability here and now. Indicator trends in this dashboard show stable to rising well-being.
Resources and opportunities relate to opportunities for sustainable production and consumption. According to KPMG, 90 of the 100 highest-turnover companies in the Netherlands included a section on sustainability their annual reports in 2022. This seems to have reached a ceiling, the medium-term trend has switched from rising to neutral. Under the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, large corporations will be required to publish sustainability reports from 2024 onwards. The present indicator will be replaced in future editions of the monitor.
Use concerns the volumes of raw and other materials used and waste generated. With its relatively low per capita domestic material consumption, the Netherlands was among the leaders in the EU in 2022. The trend is stable.
Outcomes relate to how efficiently raw materials are used, and waste recycling. Extraction of primary raw materials accounts for a significant part of the Dutch economy’s impact on the environment. Transition to a circular economy will help to reduce consumption of raw materials.
Subjective assessment describes people’s concerns about pollution, wastage, use of raw materials and other aspects of sustainability. In 2023, 14.5 percent of the Dutch population reported nuisance from waste, pollution or other environmental problems. The medium-term trend is neutral. The percentage was slightly higher (0.7 of a percentage point) than in 2022.