Rotterdam s sustainability strategy: a case study on municipal policies

Abstract

Rotterdam houses the largest port in Europe. It is a crucial element of the city s economy, but also a major CO2 emissions generator. Rotterdam s municipality developed a strategy to responsibly reconcile various interests. The present article aims to show the sustainability strategy adopted in Rotterdam and its primary elements through qualitative research, municipality s documents were analyzed and the connections between them were stated. This leads to the conclusion that Rotterdam has developed a comprehensive and coherent strategy for sustainable development. The strategy is divided in four elements: energy transition, circularity, climate resilience and a healthy living environment. All elements were developed in response to the city s existing problems.