Ecological footprint of Dutch consumption, 2005
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The amount of land required for Dutch consumption totalled about three times the surface area of the Netherlands in 2005. Most of this was used for forestry, agriculture and livestock farming. About 0.7 hectares was used per person.
Land use for Dutch consumption three times surface area of the Netherlands
The amount of land required for the consumption of Dutch residents and the Dutch government was about three times the surface area of the Netherlands in 2005. The main land use product groups were food (vegetables and meat), paper and wood. Land use per inhabitant of the Netherlands was roughly equal to the global average. This is because relatively intensive production methods were used to meet consumption demand. The use of biomass for electricity generation was still limited, but set to increase depending on the ambitions and targets for a sustainable energy supply (PBL, 2012).
Most land use (over 85%) was outside the Netherlands, which means that primarily internationally-focused policy is required to reduce the effects of the Dutch ecological footprint. Land used for the Dutch ecological footprint was mainly located in OECD countries (about 65%, including the Netherlands), about 25% in the largest upcoming economies (the BRIICS countries), and the rest in other countries, including the Middle East and developing countries.
Sources
- PBL (2012). Assessment of the Human Environment 2012. The Hague: Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
- WWF (2012). Living Planet Report 2012.
- Global Footprint Network. Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity for the Netherlands
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Reference of this webpage
CLO (2014). Ecological footprint of Dutch consumption, 2005 (indicator 0075, version 06, ), www.clo.nl. Statistics Netherlands (CBS), The Hague; PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, The Hague; RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven; and Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen.