SDG 12 Responsible consumption and production
SDG 12 concerns reducing waste, food wastage and pollution, and using materials more efficiently. By changing patterns of consumption and production businesses, government and consumers can reduce the pressure they are placing on the environment.
- Opportunities for sustainable production and consumption are increasing.
- Approximately three times the land area of the Netherlands is required to provide for Dutch consumption.
- Never before had more than 17 percent of the population experienced environmental problems.
Dashboard and indicators
Resources and opportunities
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2024
Use
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2022
Outcomes
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2020
in EU
in 2023
in EU
in 2022
in EU
in 2020
Subjective assessment
in EU
in 2023
| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resources and opportunities | Value added of the environmental goods and services sector | 3.3% of gross domestic product in current prices in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | 14th out of 27 in 2022 | Middle ranking |
| Resources and opportunities | Employment in the environmental goods and services sector | 2.4% of total employment in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Resources and opportunities | Sustainability reporting in annual report | 94% of top 100 companies reported on sustainability in 2024 | increasing (increase well-being) | 3rd out of 19 in 2024 | High ranking |
| Use | Domestic material consumption | 8 tonne per capita in 2023 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 3rd out of 27 in 2023 | High ranking |
| Use | Industrial waste | 1,417 kg per capita in 2021 | decreasing (increase well-being) | ||
| Use | Municipal waste | 507 kg per capita in 2023 | 7th out of 18 in 2023 | Middle ranking | |
| Use | Hazardous waste | 246 kg per capita in 2022 | 21st out of 27 in 2022 | Low ranking | |
| Outcomes | Resource productivity | € 5.46 GDP per kg of resources used (2015 prices) in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | 1st out of 27 in 2023 | High ranking |
| Outcomes | Material footprint A) | 31.7 tonnes per capita in 2022 | 3rd out of 27 in 2020 | High ranking | |
| Outcomes | Recycled industrial waste | 74.2% of total processed industrial waste in 2021 | |||
| Outcomes | Recycled municipal waste | 58.4% of total collected municipal waste in 2023 | increasing (increase well-being) | 3rd out of 18 in 2023 | High ranking |
| Outcomes | Recycled hazardous waste | 66.4% of total processed industrial waste in 2022 | 7th out of 25 in 2022 | High ranking | |
| Outcomes | Land footprint A) | 0.7 hectares per capita in 2022 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 8th out of 27 in 2020 | Middle ranking |
| Subjective assessment | Environmental problems | 17.4% of the population over 16 experience problems in 2024 | 19th out of 26 in 2023 | Middle ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
SDG 12 is concerned with the transition to a circular economy: how can we use resources more efficiently, reuse more materials and reduce waste? Under SDG 12, businesses, government and consumers are encouraged to make conscious choices to ease the pressure on the environment and reduce dependence on raw materials. This will limit the negative consequences of our consumption for future generations and improve quality of life in the here and now.
Resources and opportunities relate to opportunities for sustainable production and consumption. Opportunities for sustainable production and consumption are increasing. The share of the top 100 companies by turnover that publish sustainability reports is increasing. According to KPMG, 94 of these companies did so in 2024. This is high compared with other EU countries. Starting in the 2024 financial year, large companies are required to report on corporate social responsibility, in accordance with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
Companies in the environmental sector produce goods and services related to environmental protection and the management of natural resources. Their value added (3.3 percent of GDP in 2023) is contributing ever more to the economy. Internationally, the Netherlands occupied a middle position within the EU in 2022. The environmental sector’s contribution to employment is also increasing. The sector accounted for 2.4 percent of total employment in 2023.
Use concerns the raw materials and other materials used and waste generated. The volume of domestic material consumption per capita is falling and is low compared with other EU countries. In 2023, it stood at 8 tonnes per inhabitant. The downward trend is linked to more efficient use of raw materials and the growing role of services in the Dutch economy. In 2023, the decline in material consumption was amplified by decreases in household consumption and energy use.
In 2023, 507 kilos of household waste per inhabitant were collected or received at recycling centres. This is a reduction compared to 2022 and the lowest quantity since measurements began in 1995. The amount of industrial waste per capita is on a downward trend, but it did increase in 2021 for the first time since 2017. The Netherlands produces a lot of hazardous waste compared with other EU countries – 246 kilograms per inhabitant in 2022.
Outcomes relate to how efficiently raw materials are used and to waste recycling. In 2021, nearly three-quarters of industrial waste in the Netherlands was reused. The scale of recycling and composting of municipal waste is increasing, although the share is lower than for industrial waste. In 2023, 58.4 percent was recycled. The Netherlands collects a high proportion of municipal waste separately, enabling it to recycle a high share of municipal waste compared with other EU countries.
Across the world, an average of 31.7 tonnes of raw materials per capita were extracted to meet the needs of Dutch consumers in 2022 (the raw materials footprint). This was a decrease compared to 2021, when the figure was 32.6 tonnes. Compared with other EU countries, the Netherlands had a small material footprint in 2020. Besides raw materials, land in other countries is also required to fulfil the Netherlands’ consumption needs. In 2022, this land footprint was approximately three times the land area of the Netherlands (0.7 hectares per capita). The Netherlands’ land footprint was average compared with other EU countries in 2020.
Subjective assessment describes people’s concerns about pollution, waste, use of raw materials and other aspects of sustainability. In 2024, 17.4 percent of the population aged 16 and over were negatively affected by waste, pollution or other environmental problems. The share of the population that experienced environmental problems has never been as high as it is now. In 2023, the figure was 14.5 percent of the population.