Rotterdam, Netherlands: From Water Management to a Holistically Sustainable Supply Chain City
- Kevin Bolland
- Jul 2
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 5
Sustainable Supply Chains
The concept of a holistic supply chain (also referred to as a sustainable supply chain, a green supply chain, or a lifecycle supply chain) is relatively new. A green supply chain takes an overarching view from energy usage to consumption to disposal and involves a systematic view of a product. Today, a product’s supply chain might be viewed from a sustainable perspective of events ranging from the extraction of minerals used for the energy to manufacture it to its end-of-life disposal. This approach focuses strongly on R&D/product design, materials management sourcing, sustainable warehousing, and energy-efficient transportation. Green supply chains are a component of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, “Sustainable Cities and Communities”, which promotes a series of sustainable targets including the protection of natural urban heritage, development of green public spaces, and responsible urban energy usage, among other initiatives.
With increased visibility and scrutiny on vulnerable global supply chains and bottlenecks brought on by the pandemic, there is a new focus on sustainable efforts such as big data management, blockchain, RFID sensors, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in both private industry and public spheres of influence. The trend of simplifying supply chains through less outsourcing and more vertical integration/reshoring/in-house processing has accelerated this trend because organizations can be more efficient with a more simplified structure. Sustainable supply chains ensure a holistic approach across production processes from extraction of raw materials used to create a component to disposal of the product in a circular, transparent fashion.
Young generations are increasingly attentive regarding responsible consumption. They often investigate the history of the products they might buy in search of socially responsible efforts from corporations upstream in the supply chain. While companies like Patagonia, IKEA, and Unilever have long instituted sustainable practices such as responsible sourcing into their supply chains, cities and countries have not tended to take on the process of sustainability in supply chains.
City’s Efforts
Rotterdam is a delta city, located at the tidal mouth of a river and thus susceptible to unanticipated rising sea levels. Urban planners and future-looking city officials have undertaken ambitious initiatives as a result. Because 85% of Rotterdam is below sea level, rising seas and climate change have especially impacted its recent public and private urban planning and future urban design efforts. As such, much of the city’s historical planning is a result of water mitigation and management strategies.
The infamous North Sea Flood of 1953, a natural disaster that destroyed 340k acres of Dutch land and killed 30k animals, was a catalyst in Rotterdam’s water management initiatives that garnered focus about necessary actions to address water management. It served as a dire warning to the area and brought renewed attention to the centuries-old offshore energy function whereby wind power via windmills was utilized to drain water. The national government responded by developing the massive Deltawerken (Delta Works) system to construct dikes, dams, and storm barriers in South Holland to protect Rotterdam and other localities from being flooded. This was such a momentous undertaking that it took over four decades to develop. Upon completion, Deltawerken was labeled one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Rotterdam’s innovative, proactive approach to becoming a modern, resilient city by accelerating and promoting sustainable supply chains has resulted in public and private creations of water plazas, green roofs, vertical farms, and sustainable port operations, as well as the transformation of parks and boulevards into green spaces, all increasingly powered by clean energy sources. The Port of Rotterdam, the largest port on the European continent (by throughput), has followed suit with sustainable energy planning and preparation. The city and its port have combined their efforts to be at forefront in the shift to renewable and clean energy and sustainable supply chains.
Rotterdam is a member and leader of the C40 Cities Initiative, a group of 96 cities around the world whose goal is to build sustainable and economically prosperous urban communities. It is the leader of a subgroup called the Connecting Delta Cities Network, a collaborative network of C40 cities addressing sea-level rise, water management, and best practices for rainwater management/urban drainage. The Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement (2025), a consortium of 15 international cities devoted to sustainability in production and consumption, noted, “Rotterdam works towards a green supply chain” (para. 2), which has evolved into a circular economy hub with a goal of reducing CO₂ emissions. Rotterdam’s official destination marketing organization and investment promotion agency, Rotterdam Partners (2025), touts that “Rotterdam is more alive with sustainability than ever before” (para. 2) in its lifecycle approach to procurement. Among its goals are zero-emission transportation for last-mile deliveries in the city, reduced energy consumption in municipal buildings, and clean energy for urban electricity.
Rotterdam’s Seven City Projects (7 Stadsprojecten) is an ambitious a series of urban development initiatives aimed at transforming public spaces into greener, more resilient, and sustainable environments and enhancing air quality across seven regional areas of the city. In addition, the city endorses the use of environmental product declarations (EPDs) in municipal procurement, in which a lifecycle assessment (LCA) of a product is considered in a cradle-to-grave report from extraction of minerals/natural resources to transportation and disposal. Further, Rotterdam has been the largest city using Fair Trade-certified coffee for office vending machines since 2012 and has utilized EPDs in procuring city products for over a decade.
In January 2025, Rotterdam became the first European metropolis whose public transport organization (RET) could provide energy to other areas of the city in the power grid from its own electricity network supply. The ability for other entities to connect to this system has also prompted the RET to provide more public electric vehicle charging stations. Shifting the electricity cables underground is a future city-wide construction project whose goal is a more robust and expanded electricity grid. Rotterdam’s electric pursuits in their transportation network aren’t relegated to vehicles and public transportation. RET also manages the city’s electric water taxis, which are free for all local college students. Wind turbines and solar panels constitute additional municipal pursuits to harness and allocate renewable clean energy sources.
Rotterdam actively promotes its variety of certified golden green key hotels, a leading standard of operational sustainability within the tourism industry. In the leisure and hospitality marketplace, a green key is a label that proves that a hotel is practicing sustainability. Rotterdam’s larger region has about 100. As of 2024, 20 hotels within the city’s metropolitan area were designated as green key, with 3 having the golden green key label. The retired ocean liner and cruise ship the SS Rotterdam (known as the Grande Dame) is a retired flagship vessel of the Holland American line. It has been a certified green key brand hotel since 2016 and is equipped with charging ports for vehicles and bicycles in its nearby car park.
The city is increasingly known for innovations in vertical farming (also known as multilayer cultivation), a 365-day urban crop system organized via stacked layers with controlled light and climate. This modern cultivation system grows vegetables, soft fruit, and herbs. In addition to increased production, this process uses less space and 98% less water, is pesticide-free, and solves the problem of food deserts in populated areas. Rotterdam is also home to the innovative floating farm (also known as a micro-dairy space) near the port, a similar concept that houses 40 cows, with robots to milk the cows and collect manure, solar panels to allow them shade, and reused and purified rainwater for them to drink.
Floating houses constructed in previously-abandoned harbors are another innovative urban concept developed in Rotterdam in response to the scarcity of land as well as the threats of rising sea levels and flooding. Nassauhaven is a street of floating homes that are connected to the local power grid and sewer system. The homes there are equipped with solar panels, utilize biomass to create heat, and have water purification systems installed. Rotterdam has 350 km of riverbanks, but 70% are not usable for development, since their edges are either lined with hard quays or are already residential areas. The Wikkelboat is a floating BnB houseboat available for rent in Rotterdam and Den Bosch and is made of over 99% biodegradable materials but built to last 50-100 years, soundproof and equipped with insulated heat.
Green roofs are another innovative sustainable urban concept that has taken hold in Rotterdam. Like water plazas, green roofs also manage rainwater through water retention and filtration mechanisms. Building owners in Rotterdam are increasingly adding wind turbines and solar panels to their green roofs to facilitate power generation. Rotterdam has 18.5 square kilometers of flat rooftops, and recent initiatives have been undertaken to add plants, trees, and solar panels. The annual World Green Roof Day (WGRD), dedicated to showcasing and encouraging vegetated rooftops, commenced festivities in Rotterdam in 2024 as a symbolic gesture of the many advancements in green roofs around the city. These green roofs lower summer temperatures inside the building by 5 degrees Fahrenheit, which is particularly helpful in urban areas in Europe that have no air conditioning. Because they reduce energy costs and retain water and thus reduce nearby flooding, the city started providing subsidies for green roofs in 2008. The annual Rotterdamse Dakendagen or “Rotterdam Rooftop Days” invites citizens to walk from rooftop to rooftop connecting many iconic buildings in their Coolsingel street in the city centre. In addition, structured events and activities on the roofs of skyscrapers and local businesses actively include more green roof experiences.
City Park System
Urban planning has been an essential aspect of making Rotterdam a sustainable supply chain city and is increasingly utilizing a nature-inclusive design process, particularly via their park system. The city is attempting to become more green through a massive expansion of its parks, with the goal that 1 of 3 residents lives within 15 minutes of a park. Other goals of this expansion include biodiversity, with native plants being added to create natural habitats for animals including insects, birds, and amphibians. Ecological zones in some parks are intended to facilitate varieties in native species with social sustainability and multi-use public spaces in mind. Additional green spaces are being planned to prevent flooding and improve air quality.
The Westblaak district is one of the 7 Stadsprojecten areas undergoing a transformation into a green space called Blaakpark, which will feature more lanes for cyclists and pedestrians as well as more shade and enhanced forms of mobility was well as the integration of “façade relief”, a common component of post-war reconstruction with art on the buildings. Efficient bike lanes are imperative, as they connect Westblaack to the campus of Erasmus University within 5 minutes. In Rotterdam Noord in the Blijdorp areas, the massive Vroesenpark is being developed into a fully green park with expansive lawns over all of its 16 hectares.
The concept of green roofs has also recently been integrated into the city’s park system, as Rotterdam’s Kralingse Bos (Kralingen Forest) park recently added green roofs. Hofbogenpark is currently constructing a 2km long roof park, the largest in the Netherlands, connecting four neighborhoods. A Dakpark (Dutch for roof park) is located on top of a shopping center in the Rotterdam West district on an old railway yard offering playgrounds like a traditional park with a unique view of the city.
Rotterdam has developed numerous “water plazas” (Waterplein in Dutch, also known as water squares), many within their parks, designed with a twofold intent for both stormwater retention and green public space. Water plazas allow an infiltration system that collects excess rain: sunken underground beds are excavated under multiple square streets to drain the water downward and store 450k gallons of water (8,500 bath tubs) away from the sewer system. This water is always ready for reuse with the ability to pump it into a nearby canal if necessary, replacing the often-dilapidated sewer pipes that have often been an eyesore to local businesses and potential patrons. Water plazas even allow for the irrigation of greenery around the public spaces so that trees and plants can be watered via a circular water management system. Water plazas in Rotterdam also include fountains, football (soccer) goals, and/or basketball hoops in a parklike setting. The city has redeveloped dilapidated areas such as the ZoHo and Benthemplein urban districts and reconditioned them for the public using water plazas. The city of Montreal has studied water plazas in Rotterdam and since adopted the concept.
Green squares and streets are an ambitious effort requiring many years of planning and funding. Westersingel, located in an urban floodplain, is a walking boulevard between Rotterdam Central and the museum district that keeps the central streets from flooding. Hofplein and Alexanderplein are being converted to green squares, with car lanes being converted into pedestrian-friendly areas with bike-friendly lands. Hofplein was a bustling hotspot for nightlife from the ‘20s to 1939. Schouwburgplein (Theatre Square), at the city’s theatre complex in the city centre, is in the process of developing into a green square with more bike lanes to connect numerous outdoor performances, international film festivals, an IMAX, and various live acts.
About 900 meters southwest of Schouwburgplein is a wave surf park called RiF010, the first pool in the city centre. It was completed in 2024 and includes 1.5meter waves every seven seconds and is powered by sustainable wind and solar energy. Prins Alexanderplein (Prince Alexander Square) is a green square near the Rotterdam Alexander train station in Rotterdam-East, with bedriegertjes (trick fountains) that unexpectedly spray water at passers-by. It is scheduled to include a roof garden on the nearby offices, as 2,500 square meters of new green space are being added in the next few years with planting beds to serve as rain reservoirs to help manage rainwater.
Just in Rotterdam-Zuid (Rotterdam South), three new parks are being developed and/or enhanced: 1) Rijnhavenpark, 2) Nelson Mandelapark, and 3) Getijdenpark Feyenoord (Feyenoord Tidal Park). The Nieuwe Maas’ low and high tides greatly impact these parks because they need to manage unexpected amounts of rainfall, so the planning includes pedestrian footbridges and bicycle lanes to connect the various park amenities. In addition, a comprehensive CO2-neutral energy supply is also a central component of the planning.
Rijnhavenpark, located alongside one of the city’s historic basins alongside its quay of beaches, on the southern bank of the Nieuwe Maas River, which is being developed by adding a grassy sunken lawn bowl to shield from heavy winds for picnics and vegetation on floating structures and land-based areas to combat heat stress with future plans for floating offices, and shops. Nelson Mandelapark is situated at the Maashaven (Mouth of the Maas Harbor), the original harbor where inland vessels unloaded cargo into old warehouses and where the former ocean liner SS Rotterdam is retired. Park guests will be able to observe tidal changes affected by the Nieuwe Maas, a Rhine River tributary, and observe biodiversity and animal life, and plants unique to its brackish water. The park will also include soccer fields, basketball hoops, and other athletic amenities. Getijdenpark Feyenoord (Feyenoord tidal park) is intended as a centerpiece of “Feyenoord City”, a massive initiative linking Rotterdam’s popular football (soccer) club complex to a connected area of parks, green space, and leisure spaces, while also providing “mooring locations” or piers/docks where water taxis can dock and where pleasure boats can sail. Not coincidentally, all of the planning for these parks embrace and focus on water in some fashion.
Port’s Efforts
As the largest port on the continent and a critical artery in global trade, the Port of Rotterdam is leading regional efforts to be sustainable. The Port of Rotterdam is an integral cog in the European supply chain and handles more cargo than any American port. Particularly since 2016, when it contributed to a whopping 19% of the country’s total CO2 emissions, the port has sought environmental stewardship in balance with economic prosperity. Shore power, hydrogen pipelines, and carbon capture and storage are ongoing long-term port-wide initiatives to encourage and incentivize supply chain stakeholders via discounts and rebates associated with their cargo and throughput. Leaders have implemented interconnected strategies to address infrastructure, transportation modes, and supply chain/logistics operations.
A major initiative of the port’s administration has endeavored to promote clean energy with a goal of becoming a leader in sustainable energy. The port now utilizes wind energy (through wind turbines in the port’s various wind farms) solar, (green/clean) hydrogen, and nuclear in an effort to be at the forefront of sustainable energy usage. In particular, these clean energy sources have been stored and offered via “shore power”, electricity offered to moored vessels that can be plugged in to the grid while docked at the harbor’s quay or connecting cargo vessels to land-based power grids while docked. Shore power has allowed operations at the port to dramatically reduce nitrogen, CO2, and particulate matter along with noise. Future facilities are being developed and constructed like petrol stations along the quays to provide seagoing vessels with necessary energy.
Decarbonization of the port’s sprawling industrial complex is a massive undertaking, involving many disparate pursuits. The Maasvlakte II terminal has become CO2 emission-free as a result of innovations in sustainability, and others have followed suit. For instance, even the trucks that haul off cargo to the continent are electric. Facilitating this emissions-free goal are the new seaport dues rates. The port established new seaport dues rates for the first time in three years starting in 2025. These rates had previously been calculated by the size of the vessel and TEUs of throughput, but now have a tariff structure for seaport and inland port dues to provide discounts for clean energy. Also starting in 2025, the Environmental Ship Index (a global benchmark for emissions from cargo vessels) and Green Award certificate (a standardization for seagoing vessels and shipping companies that have met environmental performance standards) are factored more heavily to calculate rates in addition to capacity utilization discounts that have been common practice for awhile.
Another wide-ranging endeavor at the port has been carbon capture and storage (CCS) from industrial sources to aquifers and depleted gas fields beneath the North Sea. CCS captures emissions and CO2 byproducts from industrial sources in Rotterdam, compresses the gases at a station near the Maasvlakte terminal, and sends it offshore to be injected into storage reservoirs. This process is expected to store 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 annually for 15 years. The Porthose project is a public-private collaborative effort using pipelines for transport in conjunction with the Port of Rotterdam Authority and state-owned Dutch energy transportation groups EBN and Gasunie, along with private companies like Shell and ExxonMobil.
Hydrogen utilization is a cornerstone of the port’s future clean energy efforts. Construction of the hydrogen network at the port has been extensive, and hydrogen is currently being produced, stored, and transported all within the port. Blue or green hydrogen is distributed via pipelines to end-users like the ExxonMobil refinery and not simply stowed in underground tanks like CCS.
The underground green hydrogen pipeline at the Maasvlakte terminal, an expansion west from the Europoort industrial complex, converts energy generated from offshore wind farms into blue or green hydrogen at Shell’s Holland Hydrogen I electrolyzer on Maasvlakte 2’s Conversion Park. Its goal is to produce 180 thousand tonnes of green hydrogen at the port. Currently, a massive amount is sent over 32km via the HyTransPortRTM hydrogen pipeline, operated by Gasunie in collaboration with the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Hydrogen’s value chain includes storage and production, considered rare functions since most ports don’t utilize energy in those forms.
Rotterdam’s urban planning and regional development have been impacted by water, offering both problems and opportunities. Logistics is a key cog in the entire country’s economic future, so Rotterdam has established green supply chains as a core component of its public and private business strategy. The supply chain sector, with Rotterdam as the epicenter, is a vital organ in the country’s and continent’s global impact. As initiatives are undertaken by stakeholders associated with the government, port, and private industry, sustainability goals like clean energy usage are ambitious, and their success or failure can be a model to others. In light of the increased visibility of fragile post-pandemic bottlenecks in global supply chains, Rotterdam’s efforts will continue to be of interest.
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Ulrike Hahn, studying global business and sustainability at Rotterdam School of Management Erasmus University
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