Minister Hermans (Climate and Green Growth) has sent the final draft Climate Plan 2025-2035 to the House of Representatives. This plan outlines the long-term strategy to make the Netherlands climate neutral in 2050 and contains concrete choices for the period 2030-2035. The Senate has also received a similar letter.
A striking part of the Climate Plan is the role of bio-based raw materials and biomass in the transition to a circular and climate-neutral economy. These topics are of great importance for the further sustainability of industry, energy supply and land use.
Climate Plan 2025-2035: A firm course towards 2050
The plan emphasizes the need to structurally reduce emissions and scale up sustainable alternatives. Key points include:
- Acceleration of the energy transition through electrification, hydrogen and circular technologies;
- Sustainability of the industry through sustainable raw materials and alternative production methods;
- Steering towards fossil reduction in both the energy and raw materials sectors.
To make industry and other sectors climate neutral, a shift is needed from fossil carbon sources to sustainable carbon carriers, such as secondary raw materials (recycled plastics), synthetic carbon carriers and sustainable bio-based raw materials. In addition, the Climate Plan also focuses on carbon removal as a necessary measure to compensate for the remaining emissions.
Sustainable bio-based raw materials as an alternative to fossil carbon
The Climate Plan underlines the importance of sustainable bio-based raw materials in various sectors. Bio-based raw materials, derived from plant and animal material, can be used as an energy source (biomass) or as a raw material for biofuels such as biodiesel, bio-ethanol and biogas.
Biobased feedstocks continue to play a crucial role, particularly in the chemical industry and the transport sector. The Dutch government is committed to minimal dependence on fossil carbon by 2050 and wants to scale up biobased feedstocks to cover the remaining demand. This means a broader use of lignocellulosic materials (such as wood residues) and innovative applications such as biorefinery.
A concrete example is the transition in the chemical sector, where the government is working on a circular plastic standard. From 2027, a fixed percentage of recycled material and sustainable bio-based raw materials must be used in the production of plastic. The construction sector is also being encouraged to use bio-based materials such as hemp, flax and mycelium more often as a sustainable alternative to concrete and steel.
Challenges and next steps
Although the use of sustainable bio-based raw materials is seen as a necessary step, it comes with challenges. The techniques for using these raw materials are not yet fully developed and their availability is limited. Care must be taken to deal with the competition between different applications of biomass, such as food, materials and energy production. Therefore, a cascading strategy is being implemented, in which biomass is first used for high-value applications before it is used as an energy source.
In addition, new revenue models are being explored within the agricultural sector, such as growing fibre crops for bio-based raw materials in chemistry and construction. This can contribute to sustainable food production and a circular economy. Research is also being conducted into how residual flows from agriculture can be used more efficiently, for example in the production of bioplastics and sustainable chemicals.
With the Climate Plan 2025-2035, the Netherlands is taking an important step towards a climate-neutral and circular economy. The transition requires substantial investments and cooperation between government, industry and knowledge institutions. Sustainable bio-based raw materials and biomass play a key role in this development, but scaling up and technological development remain crucial points of attention for the coming years. Through innovation and policy measures, the government wants to ensure that the Netherlands has a circular and climate-neutral economy in 2050, in which fossil raw materials have been completely replaced by sustainable alternatives.
