News

Leiden has been selected as one of the ten cities to take part in the European BioDiverCities project. It is a project to improve the quality of life in the cities, among other things by developing a green infrastructure and enhancing the biodiversity. The municipality of Leiden collaborates with Naturalis and Leiden University on this.

Green hydrogen plays an important part in the transition to sustainable industry and mobility. It is why the Province has developed a hydrogen vision for Zuid-Holland. Hydrogen enables the storage and long-distance transport of (sustainably generated) electricity and therefore has a key role in the future of sustainable energy and raw materials. This applies in particular to Zuid-Holland, with its intensive manufacturing industry, mobility, knowledge and its role as access portal to Europe

The measures that are taken in Zuid-Holland at the moment are mostly taken by the Dutch National cabinet. It focusses mostly on the health and safety of the Dutch inhabitants and keeping Dutch companies alive. The national government  has created a ‘disaster package’ for the support of enterprises. They want to make sure companies are able to continue to pay their staff wages, they provide money for self employed ensure their income and help enterprises maintain their liquidity. The fund reserved for this is over €100 mln. This is  for example by making tax arrangements easier, by providing compensation or providing extra credit opportunities.
The Dutch Chamber of Commerse created a CoronaDesk for entrepreneurs to guide them towards the instrument fit for their situation.

How does one link climate adaptation and the energy transition? Read about it in the interview with the regional ministers Energy and Climate Adaptation held earlier this month, and view the tips and examples.
“Link your plans for the transition to cleaner energy to the measures and make your region climate proof. That prevents double investments, double inconvenience, and nasty surprises in the future.”

Jeannette Baljeu - Regional Minister of the Province of Zuid-Holland – has obtained an important position in Europe. She has been appointed the Committee of the Regions’ (COR) reporter on industry on behalf of all European cities and regions, in which capacity she will respond to the European Commission’s proposal on industrial policy, expected on 10 March 2020.

Nine (9) municipalities in Zuid-Holland want 10 natural gas-free districts. To start this up, they are asking the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a joint subsidy of approximately €3 million. By combining their forces and with the Province as secretary, the municipalities have a considerable chance of being eligible for these funds. The following municipalities are involved: Alphen aan de Rijn, The Hague, Gorinchem, Kaag and Braassem, Katwijk, Rijswijk, Rotterdam, Schiedam and Zoeterwoude.

The province of Zuid-Holland and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia work together to make the transport of goods on the corridor between the two areas more sustainable.

Zuid-Holland and 4 other Dutch provinces want to continue collaborating with the German federal state North Rhine-Westphalia on the changing modes of transport. This would regard the transport between the Rotterdam port and North Rhine-Westphalia, by road, rail or water.

Regional Minister Jeannette Baljeu recently signed the Ecological Objectives for Other Waters’ on behalf of the Province of Zuid-Holland. The Province of Noord-Holland did likewise, as did almost all of the water boards in these two provinces. The joint agreement ensures the same policy and uniform principles for all other waters. The water quality may not deteriorate and the biodiversity should increase

Start-up Noria removes waste from the Gouwe at Alphen aan de Rijn during an innovative pilot, commissioned by the Province of Zuid-Holland. The province wants to investigate how much of the plastic floating in the Gouwe can be removed, and where that had best be done. At the same time, Noria tests its 'waste wheel’, the system with which the plastic is collected.