Building trust and powering change: The Hague's path to a just energy transition

Located on the west coast of the Netherlands, with no less than 11 km of sandy beach, The Hague is the administrative capital of the country, home to the Dutch royal family and the base for more than 200 different international organisations. The city is known worldwide as the international city of peace and justice. Climate, peace, and justice are inextricably linked, which is why the area covered by the International Court of Justice now also extends to the consequences of climate change. Also, The Hague has a long-term tradition in climate action.

The city currently has more than 562.000 residents, in 82,440 km², The Hague is the most densely populated municipality in the Netherlands. And this is expected to grow to more than 600.000 by 2030. The cities’ economy is home to approximately 70.000 companies, including a wide array of local, national, and international start- and scale-ups.

The Hague aims to be climate-neutral by 2030, requiring a transition to renewable, local energy sources, which is challenging while space above ground and in the subsoil is scarce. This transition involves transforming the urban energy system across all 44 neighbourhoods, addressing spatial, social, governance, technological, legal, and economic challenges. To accelerate The Hague’s energy transition, a bottom-up approach focusing on local initiatives, trust-building, community engagement, and a just transition is key.

From natural gas to clean energy

One of the largest natural gas fields in the world was discovered in the northern Netherlands in 1959. In the years that followed, the country transitioned almost entirely from coal to natural gas. The city of The Hague began connecting to the natural gas network in 1967, and since then, it has relied on natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, and various business processes.

However, to combat global warming, The Hague is committed to phasing out natural gas. Being below sea level, the city faces an increased risk from rising sea levels caused by climate change, making it all the more urgent to reduce CO₂ emissions.

To achieve climate neutrality by 2030, The Hague is promoting zero-emission transport, expanding green spaces, encouraging waste reduction, and fostering the reuse of materials. Most importantly, The Hague is prioritising a complete transition away from natural gas.

The Hague's heat strategies

For the Dutch city of The Hague, transitioning away from fossil fuels has become essential in recent years. To achieve this, the city adopted a Heat Transition Vision (Transitievisie Warmte) in 2023, outlining its strategy for shifting each district to clean energy with a focus on cost-efficiency and sustainability. Supported by an energy source strategy and neighbourhood roadmaps, the plan was developed in collaboration with residents, businesses, and social organisations, as transitioning to clean energy requires collective effort. A heat (and cold) program is also in development.

Building on this foundation, The Hague’s Climate Agreement brings stakeholders together to strengthen climate efforts. To guide the process, the city established an independent Climate Council, comprising 17 representatives from various sectors (residents, entrepreneurs and people who work at knowledge institutions or civil society organizations), to provide advice and monitor progress.

For a city without natural gas, key challenges include balancing environmental benefits with affordability. To ensure inclusivity, the municipality invited residents and entrepreneurs to share input via an online questionnaire, shaping future versions of the heat plan. Moreover, to empower local initiatives, the city introduced a support scheme combining funding, guidance, and experimental opportunities, enabling neighbourhoods to create their own heating networks, foster innovation, and inspire others.

The essential role of district heating 

In a densely built city like The Hague, individual heat pumps for every home are impractical due to space constraints and grid congestion. Instead, district heating plays a pivotal role in the city's heating strategy. The Hague benefits from abundant geothermal and aquathermal energy sources and will also connect to the Warmtelinq pipeline, a major project supplying residual industrial heat from the Port of Rotterdam. The Transition Vision Heat (Transitievisie Warmte, TVW) identifies district heating as the most suitable solution for many buildings, making it central to the city’s plan to phase out natural gas.

Large-scale district heating can be challenging to implement. To address this, The Hague begins with mini-grids and temporary sustainable solutions, such as neighbourhood heat pumps and heat collectors beneath sports fields, integrated with Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) and heat pumps. These mini grids are designed to be scalable and will eventually connect to larger district heating networks.

The transformation of The Hague energy system will take place between 2030-2040. And smaller scale solutions are implemented between 2025-2030.

Main challenges to detoxify heat and next steps:

1. Financing the transition is challenging
2. The national legal framework is a real challenge
3. Supporting citizens' engagement and commitment in decarbonising their heat
4. Preparing houses and businesses to be suitable for clean energy by implementing insolation measures

Where the city is in its heat stragtegy 

The Hague's Heat Detox

And other: 

• Heat collector beneath sports fields
• Insolation of homes to reduce the heat demand 

Key Heat Figures

• In 2023 the total CO2-emissions in The Hague was 1.453 kiloton. Approx. 27% of CO2 emissions are related to the home heating.
• Km of DHC currently: 579,9 km
• Percentage of renewables in heating system: currently the heating system uses mostly fossil heat sources. 2-5% is sustainable, using ATES, geothermal and aquathermal heat sources. In 2026 the waste heat from industry will be implemented and connected to the existing heat grid. This replaces the current fossil heat source partially.
• Ambition is climate neutral in 2030
• Other interesting figures: Potentially 8-10 geothermal heat sources. 

Covenant Figures

Signatory to the Covenant of Mayors since 2008

% GHG emissions reductions by 2030: Climate neutrality

City Awards: 

• 100 climate-neutral and smart Mission cities + Mission Label
• Climate Alliance Award 2013