The city is full of beautiful, old buildings that we want to protect and preserve. Unfortunately, many of these properties are not built to today’s sustainability standards. The municipality wants to do something about this.
Historic buildings in Amsterdam must be able to be adapted in such a way that they contribute to the climate goals. To achieve this, the municipality wants fewer rules, faster procedures and more support for the owners. These ambitions are included in the Sustainable Heritage Implementation Agenda (PDF, 22 MB).
Fewer permits, new rules
In order to make monuments more energy efficient, a permit will soon no longer be required for some interventions. The municipality draws up clear rules for other interventions. The municipality’s Implementation Agenda states:
– We are relaxing the rules for insulation of monuments and buildings in protected cityscapes. By 2030, 123,000 homes will be insulated, including monuments.
– We make installing solar panels and heat pumps easier. By 2025 we can install solar panels on all roofs of monuments and buildings in protected cityscapes.
– By reusing and preserving materials, fewer raw materials are needed and therefore less CO2 is emitted. For example, by reusing existing window frames and installing monumental glass instead of replacing a complete window frame. – We also encourage the use of bio-based materials.
– We are going to allow roof and facade greenery on some monuments. This makes the houses cooler and more resistant to extreme weather.
The elaboration and action plan will follow in the autumn.
Knowing more
The Sustainable Heritage Desk advises and guides entrepreneurs and residents in the city in making their buildings more sustainable. The counter can be reached via duurzaamerfgoed@amsterdam.nl.