INSIGHTS · CC BY 4.0
Insights from ten years of analysis
Insights are citable figures, findings and recommendations from New Economy reports — life-cycle assessments (LCA), social cost-benefit analyses (SCBA), CO2 footprints and carbon sequestration — each linked to the project in which it was calculated.
IN THIS LIBRARY
842 insights from 74 projects
449 figures · 285 findings · 108 recommendations
STEP 1 · WHERE DOES YOUR INTEREST GO
Pick a theme, or keep browsing everything
Climate and strategy
325
105.000 personen
reach of Slim & Schoon Onderweg (up from approximately 61,000)
Circularity and design
175
400.000–500.000 ton
material circulating in bicycles in the Netherlands
Food and living environment
131
823.000 €/year
social value
Carbon and footprint
83
300.000 ton CO₂/jaar
capture potential at AVI Duiven (ambitious scenario), approximately one third of the province's waste-incineration emissions
Industry and manufacturing
48
2.118 €/ton
value of screws, drills and tools
Built environment
47
70–80 ha
additional space demand from the transition of Port of Zwolle to 2040, on top of 36–72 ha autonomous demand
Agriculture
30
2–4 times
more soil carbon sequestration (regenerative)
Mobility
29
1,067,820 passenger cars
vehicle fleet of Gelderland, electric share now just over 8% and heading to 20% (projection) or 46% (ambitious) in 2030, around 215,000 to 500,000 emission-free vehicles
Waste and raw materials
20
≈1,800 transports/year
plastic transports saved per year with a plastic press (volume reduced to 75%)
Biodiversity
17
2–4 times
more soil carbon sequestration (regenerative)
Energy
17
Critical raw materials
17
2.118 €/ton
value of screws, drills and tools
Biobased
13
100 %
share of biobased and biodegradable raw materials in Biobased Design
Climate and strategy 325
Open this theme →
500
kton CO₂-eq
The smarter transport package can deliver 100 kton (forecast) to 500 kton CO₂-eq per year (ambitious) of reduction in Gelderland in 2030.
79
%
In the regenerative scenario of the Gelderland Climate Opportunities Map 2025, the province reaches approximately 79% emission reduction relative to 1990.
FINDING
COMPARE
Climate Opportunities Map Gelderland: reduction potential more than one and a half times the task
Reduction potential versus task Gelderland (2030)
kton CO₂-eq
12,619
potential
7,500
task 2030
The reduction potential on the Climate Opportunities Map Gelderland is more than one and a half times the provincial task: 12,619 kton CO₂-eq stands against 7,500…
up to 950
kton CO₂-eq/year
reduction potential from energy efficiency in industry in Gelderland (2030, ambitious scenario)
Energy efficiency is Gelderland industry's largest lever at up to 950 kton CO₂-eq per year
FIGURE
STAT
Up to 36 Mton CO₂ per year
tot 36
Mton CO₂/jaar
potential for natural carbon sequestration in the Netherlands (ten methods)
This insight gives the upper estimate of annual CO₂ potential.
The interactive Climate Opportunities Map Gelderland works with three target horizons, 2025, 2028 and 2030, and with two scenarios: ambitious and regenerative.
This insight frames carbon as an organising principle.
RECOMMENDATION
Sequestration also requires lower emissions
Carbon sequestration only works well when emission reduction remains the priority; removal complements reduction, it does not replace it.
Circularity and design 175
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FINDING
STAT
Rijkswaterstaat aims to work fully circular by 2030
2030
year by which Rijkswaterstaat aims to work fully circular
By 2030, Rijkswaterstaat intends to work circular, a goal the agency carries into the criteria by which tenders are assessed.
March 2020
beginning of the contribution to the tender for dolphins and guide works
From March 2020, New Economy contributed substantively to a tender for renovating dolphins and guide works in the southern Netherlands.
FIGURE
STAT
22.9 million bicycles in the Netherlands
22,9
mln fietsen
total bicycle fleet in the Netherlands (more than 85% of Dutch residents own a bicycle)
The total bicycle fleet in the Netherlands is more than 22.9 million bicycles.
FIGURE
COMPARE
Gelderland: 16,000 homes to be built circularly by 2030
Housing construction in Gelderland to 2030
homes
80,000
total planned
16,000
of which circular (20%)
Of the 80,000 homes to be built in Gelderland up to 2030, 20% must be delivered circularly, which amounts to 16,000 homes.
Structural school meals and a healthy, affordable food environment improve health, concentration and mental well-being.
Overdimensioning, premature replacement and unused capacity are three structural forms of value loss in the built environment.
The report offers governments three programme lines to embed value retention
Active movement can reduce emissions while supporting physical activity, well-being and lower healthcare costs.
Food and living environment 131
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3,000
euros per case
reduction of societal costs: less formal support through informal noticing
The calculation model values the reduction of societal costs at €3,000 per case: less formal support because a food initiative notices and helps informally.
50,000
euros per QALY
health: ZonMw reference value per QALY in prevention
The calculation model values health gains at €50,000 per QALY, the ZonMw reference value for a quality-adjusted life year in prevention.
FIGURE
STAT
Public funding has a ratio of 4.9
4,9
Mensa Mensa benefit-cost ratio based on public investment only, in year 1
Source: Impactanalyse Mensa Mensa, Public Food / New Economy, April 2026
When only public funding is counted, the Mensa Mensa benefit-cost ratio rises to about 4.9 in year 1; public money acts as a lever.
The analysis shows strong trust and accessibility, but lasting satisfaction depends on more reliable supply, planning, refrigeration and transport.
Access to fruit, vegetables and other products relieves household budgets and makes healthier food more reachable for people with limited financial space.
Affordability is more than the checkout price: the hidden social price counts as well.
A shared support cooperative can relieve initiatives in administration, fundraising and accountability; the exploratory SCBA calculates a benefit-cost ratio of about 2.8.
FINDING
A city fund anchors co-financing
A city fund can organise continuity, co-financing and shared learning; the exploratory SCBA uses about €6.5 million in annual benefits.
Carbon and footprint 83
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FINDING
STAT
Biobased construction Gelderland: 16,000 homes store 0.72 Mt CO₂ and give farmers a raw-material role
16.000
homes
biobased construction Gelderland; 0,72 Mton CO₂ stored
Biobased construction works through material substitution, carbon storage and new rural value chains for fibre crops and processing.
FINDING
STAT
Utrecht carbon sequestration market exploration: compiled from November 2024 through April 2025
Nov 2024 – Apr 2025
period in which the Utrecht carbon sequestration market exploration was compiled and updated
The market exploration into carbon sequestration for Utrecht started in November 2024 and was updated through to April 2025.
FINDING
STAT
Carbon Sequestration House Utrecht: three matrices link methods to tasks, policy and opportunities
3
matrices
matrices in the Carbon Sequestration House Utrecht: methods linked to tasks, policy and opportunities
The Carbon Sequestration House for Utrecht orders the methods through three matrices, linking them to societal tasks, to policy and to concrete provincial opportunities.
FINDING
STAT
Noord-Holland carbon sequestration market exploration: compiled from November 2024 through April 2025
Nov 2024 – Apr 2025
period in which the Noord-Holland carbon sequestration market exploration was compiled
From November 2024 through April 2025, New Economy compiled the carbon sequestration market exploration for the province of Noord-Holland.
FINDING
STAT
Carbon Sequestration House Noord-Holland: three matrices link methods to tasks, policy and opportunities
3
matrices
matrices in the Carbon Sequestration House Noord-Holland linking methods to tasks, policy and opportunities
Three matrices form the backbone of the Carbon Sequestration House for Noord-Holland, linking methods to societal tasks, to policy and to concrete provincial opportunities.
This insight connects quantified CO₂ storage in biobased materials to rewards for farmers, processors and builders.
Dutch financial institutions hold €510 billion in companies dependent on deteriorating ecosystems
47% of shoes produced worldwide pollute through plastic and synthetic rubber soles
Industry and manufacturing 48
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RECOMMENDATION
COMPARE
50% reduction per passenger-kilometre towards 2030
Emissions per passenger-kilometre
g CO₂-eq
28
2022
14
2030 target
Check Technologies targets a halving of emissions per passenger-kilometre by 2030
20
%
Gelderland's share of the landfill capacity in use in the Netherlands
About 20% of the landfill capacity in use in the Netherlands lies in Gelderland. Four landfills remain active, while nearly 800 former landfills still emit greenhouse…
37
%
share of recyclable waste in global municipal solid waste (Drawdown)
Recyclable waste such as metals, plastic and glass makes up roughly 37% of global municipal solid waste, and recovering it replaces landfilling.
An internal CO₂ price brings climate impact into procurement decisions
Cement alternatives avoid 53 ktonne and sequester 5 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht.
The share of alternative cement in Utrecht rises from 5% via 13% to 25% up to 2030.
In circular manufacturing, value shifts from one-off sales to long-term performance, maintenance and component retention.
RECOMMENDATION
Component retention is often more valuable than recycling
In high-tech products, much value sits in the function of components rather than in the raw material.
Built environment 47
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about 23%
drop in built environment 2021→2023
Built-environment emissions in Gelderland fell by about 23% between 2021 and 2023.
Neighbourhood insulation per model neighbourhood
€ million
7
costs
33
societal value
Insulating existing homes delivers a model neighbourhood around €33 million in societal value against €7 million in costs — more than €4.50 per euro invested.
Energy-neutral buildings and sustainable renovation combine insulation, heat pumps, smart thermostats, wastewater heat recovery and the recirculating shower into buildings that use no net energy.
The report offers governments three programme lines to embed value retention
Value retention is translated into 10 opportunity maps linking revenue to money, materials and CO₂
Within Gelderland's built environment, about 23% of the 2030 potential has been realised.
Heat pumps in non-residential buildings avoid 297 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.8).
Insulating homes avoids 270 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.9), targeting 190,000 homes.
Agriculture 30
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1.9
Mton CO₂-eq
reduction ambition for agriculture and land use in Gelderland 2030 (Gelderland Climate Plan)
For the agriculture and land use sector, the Gelderland Climate Plan sets a reduction ambition of 1.9 Mton in 2030.
FIGURE
COMPARE
Temperate forest restoration in Gelderland: 0.013 to 0.027 Mton CO₂-eq sequestration potential in 2030
Temperate forest restoration covers the protection and regeneration of forest on degraded land. In Gelderland it carries a sequestration potential of 0.013 to 0.027 Mton CO₂-eq…
2–4
times
more soil carbon sequestration (regenerative)
Regenerative agriculture stores 2 to 4 times more carbon in the soil than conventional
About €1 million in value per location shows why food initiatives should be assessed as public infrastructure, not only projects.
A more plant-based diet avoids 258 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.10); meat consumption falls.
Behind Utrecht's plant-based diet is a fall in meat consumption from 33.1 to 21.7 kg per person per year.
About 350 farmers per year are trained in regenerative agriculture over ten years
Protecting and rewetting peat meadow avoids 250 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.11).
Mobility 29
Open this theme →
10
%
increase in kilometres travelled by passenger and freight traffic in Gelderland over ten years; road emissions +15% over twenty years
The number of kilometres travelled by passenger and freight traffic in Gelderland rose by 10% over ten years, while road network emissions climbed 15% over twenty…
FIGURE
STAT
Emission-free vehicles in Gelderland: 0.124 kg CO₂-eq per vehicle kilometre, roughly 64% lower emissions
0.124
kg CO₂-eq/vehicle kilometre
reduction per replaced vehicle well-to-wheel, roughly 64% and rising above 80% with cleaner electricity in 2030
Replacing a combustion car with an emission-free vehicle yields a reduction of roughly 64%, equal to 0.124 kg CO₂-eq per vehicle kilometre (well-to-wheel).
Walking and cycling infrastructure per model neighbourhood
€ ×1,000
24
costs
59
societal value
Walking and cycling infrastructure delivers a model neighbourhood around €59,000 in societal value against €24,000 in costs — backed by Zuid-Limburg field figures.
Shared mobility per model neighbourhood
€ ×1,000
400
costs
470
societal value
Shared mobility delivers a model neighbourhood around €470,000 in societal value against €400,000 in costs: each shared bike replaces more than one rush-hour trip daily.
To curb emissions from road traffic, the speed limit on Dutch motorways has been lowered nationally from 130 to 100 km/h.
FIGURE
COMPARE
Gelderland Climate Plan: 1.3 to 2.6 Mton CO₂-eq reduction target for mobility in 2030
The sector-wide reduction target for mobility and transport stands at 1.3 to 2.6 Mton CO₂-eq in 2030 according to the Gelderland Climate Plan (p. 83).
The four mobility clusters together form 2,141 ktonne CO₂-eq per year, over a third of Utrecht's potential.
Mobility is Utrecht's largest theme at 2,141 ktonne CO₂-eq per year: 35.7% of the potential.
Waste and raw materials 20
Open this theme →
7,5
Mt CO₂-eq/year
high-tech devices: largest climate item among electrical appliances
High-tech and communication devices are the largest appliance climate source at 7.5 Mt CO₂-eq per year
≈1,800
transports/year
plastic transports saved per year with a plastic press (volume reduced to 75%)
Compressing plastic on site saves about 1,800 transports per year in Groningen
850
€/tonne
timber potential with careful circular demolition (total ≈ €10.3 mln/year)
Timber is among Groningen's most promising streams at about €850 potential per tonne
RECOMMENDATION
Circular opportunities on business parks
Over 60% of all materials pass through a business park; circular programmes help Utrecht companies reduce residual flows.
RECOMMENDATION
Procurement and tendering on true pricing and eco-costs
A major opportunity lies in procurement and tendering based on eco-costs, true pricing and cost-benefit analyses.
Targets are only useful with a consistent, annually updated data method to track progress
High-grade processing of bitumen is not yet feasible, practically or in cost terms, because of the purification technology required.
From Tree to Beam and from Beam to Beam translate the circular timber model into building practice. In the demolition chain, 1,200 beams and 7 kilometres of purlins were put…
Biodiversity 17
Open this theme →
FIGURE
COMPARE
Neighbourhood biodiversity makes urban green resilient to disease and extreme weather
Green-blue package per model neighbourhood (5 climate tasks)
€ million
1.3
costs
2.5
societal value
Varied neighbourhood greenery is less vulnerable to disease and extreme weather, improves air and water quality and belongs to the green-blue package worth around €2.5 million…
2–4
times
more soil carbon sequestration (regenerative)
Regenerative agriculture stores 2 to 4 times more carbon in the soil than conventional
About €1 million in value per location shows why food initiatives should be assessed as public infrastructure, not only projects.
Protecting and rewetting peat meadow avoids 250 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.11).
The 250 ktonne from peat meadow in Utrecht comes from 21,000 hectares of protected or rewetted peat meadow.
RECOMMENDATION
Restoring ecosystem services is also an economic necessity
Dutch financial institutions have €510 billion outstanding with companies that depend heavily on ecosystem services.
Silvopasture sequesters 1 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht, across 500 hectares.
A healthy climate needs more than CO₂; the province widens to biodiversity, circularity, food and climate adaptation.
Energy 17
Open this theme →
Neighbourhood insulation per model neighbourhood
€ million
7
costs
33
societal value
Insulating existing homes delivers a model neighbourhood around €33 million in societal value against €7 million in costs — more than €4.50 per euro invested.
Generation on existing buildings per model neighbourhood
€ million
4.9
costs
8.2
societal value
Renewable generation on and in existing homes delivers a model neighbourhood around €8.2 million in societal value against €4.9 million in costs — directly after insulation…
Electricity accounts for 1,515 ktonne CO₂-eq of avoidance per year in Utrecht (25.3% of the potential), with solar and wind on land as the largest solutions.
Solar on land avoids 601 ktonne CO₂-eq a year in Utrecht (No.2 of 30) and is the largest electricity solution on the map.
Wind on land avoids 416 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.5) with 60 turbines of 5.6 MW up to 2030.
The 416 ktonne from wind on land in Utrecht comes from 60 turbines of 5.6 MW, installed in phases up to 2030.
Solar on roof avoids 310 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht (No.7) and uses 540 hectares of roof surface up to 2030.
The 310 ktonne from solar on roof in Utrecht is tied to 540 hectares of roof surface, phased up to 2030.
Critical raw materials 17
Open this theme →
FINDING
ITEMS
Materials and people: the health impact of metals
Source: Binas periodic tables, New Economy submission
The health impact of metals shows that material choices also affect people. Extraction, production and processing can influence air quality, exposure, working conditions and wider public…
Source: Binas periodic tables, New Economy submission
Metals also affect water quality: freshwater eutrophication shows that producing materials creates effects beyond energy use and CO₂ emissions.
FIGURE
BARS
€1,359 million in product value in the region
CNC systems represent €1,359 million in regional product value, the highest in the chain
FIGURE
ITEMS
Technical lifetime of CNC systems scores 5 out of 5
CNC systems score the maximum on technical lifetime and price.
FINDING
ITEMS
Acidification counts too: metals and the soil
Source: Binas periodic tables, New Economy submission
Acidification also counts when the environmental impact of metals is assessed. Metal production has a climate component, but it can also contribute to acidification of soils…
FINDING
BARS
Table 97D for real: the climate impact of metals
Source: NVOX 2022 issue 8, p. 19 / Binas periodic tables
Table 97D makes the climate impact of metals visible by presenting metal production not only as material knowledge, but also as an environmental question.
60
metals
overview of how well recycling is organised for each metal
Source: Binas periodic tables, New Economy submission
An overview of 60 metals shows how well recycling is actually organised. Some metals have mature recovery loops, while others are barely recovered or are lost…
From Tree to Beam and from Beam to Beam translate the circular timber model into building practice. In the demolition chain, 1,200 beams and 7 kilometres of purlins were put…
Biobased 13
Open this theme →
3
phases
development phases of Biobased Design (launch, Dutch Design Week, library)
The development of the platform ran through three visible phases: the launch, a presentation during Dutch Design Week, and public application as the Kast der Kasten…
4
components
base components of the Regenerative Modular Cabinet
The cabinet system is assembled from four building blocks: frames, shelves, boxes and covers. Every configuration is adjustable, extendable and repairable.
100
%
share of biobased and biodegradable raw materials in Biobased Design
As its ecological starting point, the platform pursues restoration through raw materials that are 100% biobased and biodegradable.
8
lenses
regenerative design lenses of Biobased Design
The design of the Regenerative Modular Cabinet follows eight regenerative lenses along which social, ecological and economic value reinforce one another.
Growing biobased building materials sequesters 55 ktonne CO₂-eq per year in Utrecht, on 8,000 hectares.
Utrecht's 8,000 hectares of biobased production split across cattail, miscanthus and flax and hemp.
Counting temporary CO₂ storage halves the modelled climate contribution of biobased building materials, according to a TNO model.
From Tree to Beam and from Beam to Beam translate the circular timber model into building practice. In the demolition chain, 1,200 beams and 7 kilometres of purlins were put…
Not yet classified 58
These insights have no theme yet, so the tiles cannot reach them.The analysis states that RIVM healthcare costs and VWS budget lines do not map one-to-one. The figures are therefore budget proxies.
2,97–19,44
€ per €1.000 healthcare costs
goes to prevention (food-related)
Source: VWS Annual Report 2022, RIVM/VZinfo 2022
In 2022, the diet-related prevention budget is €30.776m. That equals €2.97 per €1,000 in the broad reading and €19.44 in the narrow reading.
FIGURE
COMPARE
Food-related harm is €1.58bn to €10.38bn per year
Food-related healthcare expenditure (2022)
mld €
1.583
official narrow interpretation
10.379
broad interpretation
Source: VWS Annual Report 2022, RIVM/VZinfo 2022
The presentation uses two 2022 readings: a narrow RIVM/VZinfo reading of €1.583bn and a broad food-related reading of €10.379bn in healthcare costs.
FINDING
STAT
Food-related healthcare costs can reach €10.4bn
tot 10,4
mld €
food-related healthcare expenditure (diet-related conditions, healthcare use and social costs)
Source: RIVM/VZinfo 2022
The broad food-related reading for 2022 totals €10.379bn in healthcare costs, including blood sugar, blood pressure, overweight and LDL cholesterol.
FIGURE
STAT
Diet receives 0.30-1.94% in prevention funding
0,30–1,94
%
share allocated to nutrition in the prevention budget, compared with food-related healthcare costs
Source: RIVM/VZinfo 2022, VWS Annual Report 2022
In 2022, the diet-related prevention budget is about €30.776m: 0.30% under the broad healthcare-cost reading and 1.94% under the narrow RIVM/VZinfo reading.
According to the Monitor Voedsel 2024, 84% of food providers in Amsterdam have a predominantly unhealthy offering.
0,46
€
social shadow price per Mensa Mensa meal, almost equal to that of the Wheel of Five
Source: Mensa Mensa impact assessment, New Economy
The Mensa Mensa plate has a social shadow price of €0.46, almost equal to the Dutch Wheel of Five benchmark (€0.47) and below fast food (€2.83).
RECOMMENDATION
Recognition is the first intervention
The MKBA sets out five steps to anchor food initiatives as social infrastructure: recognise, stabilise, coordinate, scale and monitor.