Sustainable Hilversum

In recent years we have all become more aware of the fact that we have the earth on loan. We are tasked with leaving the earth in a better condition for future generations. However, it is now more important than ever to make the right choices. No symbolic politics, but serious considerations for a complex problem. And complex issues, unfortunately, do not have simple solutions.

Surrounded by forests and heathland, there are 43,000 homes in a relatively small area. Within this context, choices have to be made. Residents and companies are willing to take the step, as long as they know that the burden will be affordable and will not be placed on one group, but will be fairly distributed. All around us we see people who put their shoulders to the wheel. We are happy to help these initiators move forward. And that is why CDA Hilversum has ensured that residents and local businesses are given the opportunity to participate in energy projects (local ownership). On the other hand, we want residents not to be forced to participate in a collective energy supply, but to always be able to make their own choice.

In Hilversum, a large part of the surface area is built up and paved. In the city centre, this can even amount to 90%. Because of this, there is often limited room for water storage when there is heavy rainfall within a short period of time. Greening cities, therefore, creates more space for water storage. More greenery ensures that not all precipitation has to be drained and reduces the risk of flooding. This can be achieved by, for example, green roofs, more green ground (such as parks, fields and gardens) or even water-permeable paving.

Drought can be prevented by rainwater drainage and the (gree) design of our city. Infiltration crates are an excellent means for this. Our residents will also be able to request free infiltration crates from the municipality in the future.

More greenery moderates heat in the summer. Stone houses, squares and streets absorb a lot of heat and release it very slowly.  As a result, after a summer's day, it stays five to ten degrees warmer at night in the city than in a rural area. Trees, shrubs and other greenery can help lower the temperature in a city by evaporating water. Where a bitumen roof can heat up to 70 degrees in the scorching sun, a green roof with mosses and grasses will not get warmer than 32 degrees in the same conditions, provided there is sufficient water available. The solutions to heat stress lie in water management and the redevelopment of areas and public space. This means that Hilversum must be designed to be green and water-rich.

CDA Hilversum wants the municipality to look for ways to strengthen biodiversity in the management of public space. In consultation with residents, housing associations and project developers, plans are drawn up and implemented to ensure that more birds, butterflies and bees can live in residential areas and industrial estates. This can be done by giving flowering trees, shrubs and plants more space, taking hay fever sufferers into account as much as possible. By planting fruit trees, the public space even becomes 'for eating'.­

tackle this problem first. We promise to help our residents, organisations and businesses to insulate so that in four years, everyone who wants to will be able to insulate their home. The task is huge, but in addition to a great CO2 reduction, it also results in lower costs per household. A win-win situation.

For CDA Hilversum, the sustainability challenge is an ongoing process in which we will learn by doing. Time, money and manpower will have to be made available in order to be able to organize this process effectively in the future. If there is a lack of money, time or manpower, municipalities cannot meet this responsible sustainability task (in January 2021, the Council for Public Administration calculated that municipalities will have an annual deficit of €600 million!). We are lobbying hard and adding extra local resources.

The energy transition is not a straight path to a predetermined end. By offering local participation opportunities, CDA Hilversum wants to give residents and businesses the opportunity to contribute to social goals. This (perhaps not entirely optimal ) route is important for the support of the energy and sustainability policy.

We are committed to maximum resident participation in large-scale energy generation. This starts with proper information and the use of local expertise. Small-scale local energy cooperatives and local businesses will be actively involved. We want our residents to be the first to participate financially and strive for 50% local ownership.

We want residents not to be forced to participate in a collective energy supply, but to always be able to make their own choice.

Problems in the electricity network have received far too little attention in recent years: that can lead to problems. Without a properly functioning network, investing in new energy sources makes little sense. In our plans for the development of Hilversum, we must keep physical space free to enable the energy transition and improvement of the network.

In recent years there has been a discussion about windmills and solar panels in nature reserves. Just like the Goois Nature Reserve. CDA Hilversum has spoken out against this. Let's cherish our illusionary landscape! It remains a balancing of interests and it must not be at the expense of greenery and quality of life. It is also important to keep sufficient distance from the built-up environment so that the nuisance does not end up with the local residents.

We opt for multiple sustainability. Our scarce land is used as much as possible for multiple purposes. We are thinking of covering parking lots with solar panels, generating from wind and sun on the same plots and replacing asbestos roofs with solar panels. There is plenty of room for solar panels on roofs. We are committed to combining functions such as solar fields on a slope, parking lot or along industrial estates, while also leaving sufficient space for healthy nature. For roofs of houses (also within the protected cityscape), we also attach importance to the advice of the building inspectorate.

Heat in future will no longer simply come from natural gas. On the other hand, preserving the gas infrastructure is very important. There are now wonderful initiatives in the field of hydrogen, but also green gas. CDA Hilversum believes that these developments should also be taken into account in new construction. The gas of the future can easily be transported through the current infrastructure and the latest boilers are ready to process this gas. If a heat source is available with a guaranteed supply, a heat network is an excellent option (for example from industrial sites, but also hydropower or geothermal energy). With an ideal energy mix, in which no energy source is excluded in advance, Hilversum is ready for the future and the residents are affordably warm.

In order to leave room for innovation, to be able to respond to new insights and because it is desirable to continue to test measures for cost-effectiveness and their impact, we want the local sustainability objectives to be synchronised with the climate agreement. In our sustainability policy, we opt for the use of simple policy instruments that can count on sufficient support and which are used in the long term. With consistent policy, investing parties know where they stand.­

Getting Hilversum free of gas is quite a task and the question is to what extent it is realistic. Before proceeding with implementation, CDA Hilversum wants careful considerations to be made for our residents before any action is taken. For example, it must be known which (regional) heat sources will be used, in which locations and at what cost to our residents. We will involve residents and cooperatives early in the planning process. For the time being, few collective heat sources are available.

We want the municipality to make use of the exceptional option of preserving and laying gas networks in the municipality when making neighbourhoods more sustainable. Not to preserve gas for the future, but to give the opportunity to new innovations (such as hydrogen) that can use the gas pipeline infrastructure. The basic principle is that the construction of gas networks is seen as the last option in view of making the built environment more sustainable towards 2050.­

We want to reconsider the current commitment to help the city get rid of gas by 2040. That is not feasible and in many cases, the costs do not outweigh the benefits. The current policy is ill-considered and unrealistic: residents are often surprised by high costs or malfunctioning or noisy alternative energy sources.

CDA Hilversum wants to start pilot projects to allow entrepreneurs, housing associations and initiatives from the community to experiment with sustainable projects such as energy-positive construction and energy and heat generation projects.

CDA Hilversum wants to combat energy poverty. We ensure that extra expenses incurred by energy-saving measures and home insulation remain affordable for residents. In the coming term, CDA Hilversum will make a strong case for insulating owner-occupied houses with a (social) credit for lower and middle-income groups.

CDA Hilversum wants the local government to help by raising awareness and seeking connections between businesses, organisations and local initiatives that are working on the circular economy.

The exchange and sharing economy is growing, co-financing and crowdfunding are increasing. The local government supports these initiatives.

We want shorter line from the land to the plate. What you get up close is fresher, tastier and often less harmful to the environment. That is why we encourage local cooperatives of farmers, retailers and consumers to market regional products and thus contribute to a strong local and circular economy

We want sustainable procurement to be the norm. We want sustainable procurement to be the norm. For example, we want public procurement contracts to encourage contractors to do extra work or provide internships, for example for people who are distanced from the labour market.

The municipality itself has an important exemplary role when it comes to sustainable procur policy. By investing activities in, for example, catering, production work and (green) maintenance with these target groups, we offer each other the opportunity to give a good interpretation to social needs.

In the local procurement policy, we want to encourage that sufficient opportunities are given to local entrepreneurs for, for example, green space maintenance to local gardeners and maintenance of the car fleet to local garages or Christmas hampers for our own staff. An important condition for sustainability is proximity. We encourage regional purchasing by the municipality.

We want the knowledge and experience about socially responsible procurement in the region to be brought together in order to draw up unambiguous criteria. As a result, (local) contractors know where they stand and how they can come up with appropriate and innovative solutions themselves.

Hilversum must produce less residual waste and separate more. Good gains can be made in the separation of plastic waste. In this case, post-separation (in the factory) is sometimes smarter than pre-separation (at people's homes). For glass and paper waste, pre-separation works better, and 90% of tin and metal waste is already separated in the factory. The trick is to choose the most sustainable solution. CDA Hilversum wants to go for that.

We opt for a municipality that inspires residents, entrepreneurs and organisations to reduce the amount of residual waste by setting good examples and providing information.

CDA Hilversum wants the local government to help by raising awareness and seeking connections between businesses, organisations and local initiatives that are working on the circular economy.

We opt for a waste policy in which the reuse of materials such as glass, paper, plastics, electrical appliances and textiles is paramount.