City of Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a port city that has chosen to clean up both its port and its streets. Its climate action plan commits the city to at least 55 percent less CO2 by 2030 than in 1990, at least 350 megawatts of wind power by 2030, emission-free city transport by 2040, and a climate-neutral city by 2050. Since 2025 the city has a zero-emission zone for city logistics.

For mobility, Rotterdam follows three tracks: cutting back on transport demand, changing the balance between modes in the use of space, and cleaning up the vehicles that remain. The work runs along four pillars: people, logistics, the municipal fleet, and charging and fuelling infrastructure. The long-term goal is urban mobility that is completely emission-free.

In NEON, Rotterdam was a living lab, next to the Province of Noord-Brabant. The city brought the questions of a large, diverse city to work packages on the human factor and on fair energy and mobility transitions, where it worked with transition researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam. For Rotterdam, NEON was a way to research new solutions and map their effects, both technically and socially, with the understanding that the transition is broader than electrifying vehicles: it also needs clean generation in the city and a different way of dealing with the electricity grid.

From the former NEON website

About City of Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a world port city with a powerful skyline and modern architecture. The city has 174 nationalities and operates in an international network. Rotterdam is a city with an open mind and a no-nonsense attitude.

In Rotterdam it is about where you’re going to, not where you come from. Those who want to create something new can find what they want in Rotterdam. Rotterdam is the city of initiative and innovation.

Rotterdam is also direct and unpolished. Young and not finished. Everyone can become an addition and connect with the city. Rotterdam is the city for creativity, contrast and individuality.

Our vision
A sustainable, energy-efficient Rotterdam, with better air quality. That is what we envisage. The climate challenges set out in the Paris Climate Agreement call for a major energy and economic transition of both city and port. If we and our children want to continue to live comfortably, this will require significant decisions, measures and investments.

Role in NEON

Rotterdam fulfills the role of Living lab in NEON. The NEON project fits in seamlessly with Rotterdam’s approach to the energy transition and the city’s ‘DNA’: trying out new approaches and techniques that make the city better, cleaner and more liveable.

Rotterdam has translated the energy transition for mobility into a 3-track approach:

• Cutting back: managing transport demand and people’s choices
• Change: managing the modal balance in the use of space
• Cleaning up: managing the energy consumption and emissions of the vehicles being used

Various projects and activities are being carried out by the municipality and by many other parties in Rotterdam. Taken together, they aim to clean up mobility in Rotterdam. These activities are divided into the four pillars:

1. Mobility of persons
2. Logistics
3. Municipal fleet
4. Charging and filling infrastructure

Motivation for joining NEON

Rotterdam has chosen to – eventually – make urban mobility in Rotterdam completely emission-free. This will contribute to meeting climate targets and improving the air quality in the city.

The NEON project offers Rotterdam opportunities to research new solutions and map out the effects, both technically and socially. The integrated approach that is necessary for the success of the energy transition is broader than the electrification of vehicles: more clean generation is needed (also in the city), a different way of dealing with the electricity network and in conjunction with making natural gas-free houses. The NEON project offers opportunities to visualize this relationship and translate it into solutions.

Text from the former NEON website (original page).