Day 12: Today was our last full day in the Netherlands, and to celebrate, our tour guide, Enno, let us sleep in! Around 10:00 a.m., we caught the public metro to take it all the way to the Hague. The Hague is the seat of the government in the Netherlands as well as its 3rd largest city. This city is home to many Gothic-style buildings as well as the Dutch royal family. The Hague, also known as the “International City of Peace and Justice,” features thought-out urban planning that includes lots of green spaces, which are cozy enough for goose families to live.
Once we arrived at the Hague, Enno led us on a guided tour to visit the different political buildings. These buildings were beautifully built, and they added quite a lot of charm to this city. One of my favorite places Enno showed us was the Peace Palace. This palace holds the UN’s International Court of Justice. This building, funded by Andrew Carnegie, was mind-blowing to see in person. After the Hague, we took public transportation to Central Rotterdam, where we had our Bon Voyage dinner. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to go to the Netherlands, especially to learn about sustainability. These memories, both personal and academic, will stay with me forever, helping to shape me into a more well-rounded individual and engineer.
While we did not discuss much sustainability on our tour, I was wanted to understand the ways of the city better. The Hague aims to be climate-neutral by 2030, with a focus on eliminating the use of fossil fuels for their heating systems. I was curious about the initiatives they are taking to achieve this, so I did a little more digging on my own. From the article, “Building trust and powering change: The Hague’s path to a just energy transition,” by the EU Covenant of Mayors, it reads the following: “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.” To stay on track with this goal, the city adopted a Heat Transition Vision in 2023. This document outlines the roadmaps needed to transition to cleaner energy sources. The Heat Transition Vision was developed by residents, social organizations, and businesses to allow the energy transition to be more accessible. The community was able to come together to help each other see a cleaner, safer world.
