Knowledge Base

Manual for nitrogen-free construction

Hedgehog Company, together with C-creators and Platform31, performed a study for the province of North Holland on nitrogen emissions in construction.

CoBouw on the Nitrogen Manual: 'Prefabricated housing is the most promising way of reducing nitrogen emissions during construction. On the other hand, biofuel use has no effect at all’. A study by the Province of Noord-Holland on low-nitrogen construction in by Hedgehog Company and partners.

Tackling the nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands

Under the direction of C-creators, a foundation dedicated to upscaling circular construction, we wrote a study on low-nitrogen construction for the province of North Holland together with Platform31. With municipalities and representatives from the construction sector, we mapped the most promising ways to build with less nitrogen in the province of Noord-Holland.

Cover of the document: 'Handreiking Stikstofvrije Woningbouw'

The ruling by the Council of State 

The reason for this guide is the nitrogen crisis: the undesirable situation of housing projects being halted as a result of the Council of State's nitrogen ruling. This document aims to offer municipalities and market players a way out of this nitrogen crisis. We present concrete and practical interventions that can significantly contribute to nitrogen reduction or are promising innovations for other relevant reasons.

"Circular construction offers starting points for reducing nitrogen emissions in the short and long term. In addition, as part of a broader sustainable construction approach, it offers multiple benefits for health, quality of life, biodiversity and carbon reduction. This makes it relevant for municipalities to gain more insight into measures that bring more benefits than just nitrogen reduction."

You can read the entire article by CoBouw, written by Marije de Leeuw on 10 November 2020, here.

Sources and links

https://www.cobouw.nl/289972/prefab-meest-kansrijke-manier-voor-stikstofarme-bouw

Frequently asked questions

The nitrogen crisis is an undesirable situation in the Netherlands where housing projects are being halted as a direct result of the Council of State's nitrogen ruling. This guide was created to offer municipalities and market players a way out of the crisis by presenting concrete interventions for nitrogen reduction.

The most promising way to reduce nitrogen emissions during construction is by using prefabricated housing. A study by the Province of Noord-Holland found this method to be the most effective, while noting that other approaches, such as biofuel use, have no effect at all on emissions.

Dutch housing projects are being halted due to the Council of State's nitrogen ruling, which has led to what is known as the nitrogen crisis. This has prompted studies into low-nitrogen construction to provide practical solutions for municipalities and construction companies to move forward with building.

Besides offering solutions for nitrogen reduction, circular construction provides multiple benefits for health, quality of life, biodiversity, and carbon reduction. This makes it a relevant sustainable construction approach for municipalities looking for measures that deliver broader advantages.

Municipalities and construction companies can tackle the nitrogen crisis by adopting concrete and practical interventions identified in a study for the province of North Holland. The guide presents promising ways to build with less nitrogen, with a focus on methods like prefabricated housing and broader sustainable approaches like circular construction.

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