Well-being ‘elsewhere’: environment and resources

The Netherlands also has an impact on well-being elsewhere through imports of resources for the production of goods for Dutch consumers, for example, and the environmental consequences of these imports. Non-renewable resources that the Netherlands imports can no longer be used in the country of origin, which impacts current and future well-being in the poorest countries in particular.
  • None of the indicators show a rising or falling trend.
  • The increase in imports of biomass and metals has stopped.
  • The Netherlands is one of the major importers of raw materials and auxiliary products. The volume of fossil fuels, biomass, metals, and non-metallic minerals imported per capita is among the highest in the EU27.

Well-being 'elsewhere'

Environment and resources

12.7
tonnes per capita in 2023
27th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Fossil fuel imports A)
290.8
kg per capita in 2023
Fossil fuel imports from LDCs A)
2.1
tonnes per capita in 2023
24th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Imports of metals A)
6.4
kg per capita in 2023
Imports of metals from LDCs A)
1.9
tonnes per capita in 2023
25th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Imports of non-metallic minerals A)
3.2
kg per capita in 2023
Imports of non-metallic minerals from LDCs A)
4.5
tonnes per capita in 2023
26th
out of 27
in EU
in 2022
Biomass imports A)
18.6
kg per capita in 2023
Biomass imports from LDCs A)
0.7
hectares per capita in 2021
Land footprint
8.6
tonnes per capita in 2021
Material footprint A)
15.7
tonnes CO2 equivalents per capita in 2022
Greenhouse gas footprint A)
Well-being 'elsewhere'
Theme Indicator Value Trend Position in EU Position in EU ranking
Environment and resources Fossil fuel imports A) 12.7 tonnes per capita in 2023 27th out of 27 in 2022 Low ranking
Environment and resources Fossil fuel imports from LDCs A) 290.8 kg per capita in 2023
Environment and resources Imports of metals A) 2.1 tonnes per capita in 2023 24th out of 27 in 2022 Low ranking
Environment and resources Imports of metals from LDCs A) 6.4 kg per capita in 2023
Environment and resources Imports of non-metallic minerals A) 1.9 tonnes per capita in 2023 25th out of 27 in 2022 Low ranking
Environment and resources Imports of non-metallic minerals from LDCs A) 3.2 kg per capita in 2023
Environment and resources Biomass imports A) 4.5 tonnes per capita in 2023 26th out of 27 in 2022 Low ranking
Environment and resources Biomass imports from LDCs A) 18.6 kg per capita in 2023
Environment and resources Land footprint 0.7 hectares per capita in 2021
Environment and resources Material footprint A) 8.6 tonnes per capita in 2021
Environment and resources Greenhouse gas footprint A) 15.7 tonnes CO2 equivalents per capita in 2022

Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being

Every year, the Global Footprint Network Earth organisation calculates the impact that humanity has on earth: ‘Overshoot Day’ is the date on which the planet can still recover from the amount of renewable raw materials that have been used up until then. While in 1970 Overshoot Day fell as late as 29 December, in 2023 it was nearly five months earlier (2 August). These calculations show that we have been living beyond our planetary means for decades. In the Netherlands, Overshoot Day fell on 23 April in 2023 and even earlier in 2024: 1 April. In other words, if everyone in the world lived as the Dutch do, we would need four times the planet Earth per year. Continued overutilisation of raw materials and auxiliary products is not sustainable; it results in the current generation passing on major – possibly irreparable – problems to future generations. See also planetary boundaries.

The footprint indicators show how much pressure the Netherlands is placing on the environment and resources in other countries. In contrast to the trade and aid theme – where more trade is considered to be favourable for well-being of trade partners – from the perspective of environment and resources, the focus is on depletion of stocks of raw materials and auxiliary products in the country of origin. From this perspective a decrease in imports of raw materials and auxiliary products is favourable for the conservation of natural resources elsewhere.

All indicators in the environment and resources theme show a stable trend. For imports of biomass and metals, this an improvement, as the trend was previously increasing (red). However, the Netherlands ranks near the bottom of the EU for imports of all four resources (fossil fuels, metals, non-metallic minerals, and biomass). Within the EU, Netherlands and Belgium are major importers of raw materials and auxiliary products. Many of these goods enter the EU through the major seaports in Antwerp and Rotterdam. The figures include re-exports, i.e. goods that are exported again without undergoing significant processing. The dashboard further provides a breakdown of imports of resources from the 45 Least Developed Countries or LDCs. LDC is a status granted by the UN, based on factors such as income, education level, and health status of the population. It also takes into account the nature of economic activities and vulnerability to natural disasters. Countries with LDC status receive additional assistance from the UN.

CBS and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) are collaborating on a comprehensive set of footprint indicators and how to measure the effect of consumer demand on biodiversity and other aspects. This dashboard includes three footprint indicators. The material footprint was 8.6 tonnes per capita in 2021; the trend is neutral. The greenhouse gas footprint also shows a stable trend, with 15.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per capita in 2022. These are two significant components of the total ecological footprint. The land footprint measured by PBL, 0.7 hectares per capita in 2021, reflects the area of land required globally to meet the Dutch consumer demands. The medium-term trend is also neutral. The government’s target of halving the ecological footprint by 2050 seems quite unrealistic at the moment.