The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency ( - abbr. PBL) is a Dutch
research institute
A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural ...
that advises the
Dutch government
The Netherlands is a parliamentary representative democracy. A constitutional monarchy, the country is organised as a decentralised unitary state.''Civil service systems in Western Europe'' edited by A. J. G. M. Bekke, Frits M. Meer, Edward E ...
on
environmental policy
Environmental policy is the commitment of an organization or government to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues. These issues generally include air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem ...
and
regional planning
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land-use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. Regional planning is related to urban planning as it relates land ...
issues. Operating as an autonomous entity within the Dutch Government organization, specifically under the
Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. While primarily associated with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, PBL's expertise is also sought by other government departments, including the
Ministry of Economic Affairs, the
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (; BZK) is the Ministries of the Netherlands, Netherlands' ministry responsible for domestic policy, civil service, public administration, elections, relations with local governments, intelligen ...
, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The research fields include
sustainable development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...
,
energy
Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...
and
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
,
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
,
transport
Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...
,
land use
Land use is an umbrella term to describe what happens on a parcel of land. It concerns the benefits derived from using the land, and also the land management actions that humans carry out there. The following categories are used for land use: fo ...
, and
air quality
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
. It is one of three applied policy research institutes of the Dutch government, the other two being
''Centraal Planbureau'' (CPB), and
The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP). Since January 2023
Marko Hekkert is director of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
History
The PBL was created on May 15, 2008, by merging the Netherlands Environmental Agency () (MNP) with the Netherlands Institute for Spatial Research () (RPB). The English name for the new organization was borrowed from the MNP, which was part of the
(RIVM) until May 1, 2005. It is currently an agency of the
Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment (IenW, Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat).
The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency is located in
The Hague
The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
and employs approximately 250 people.
Core Tasks
The primary functions of the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency encompass:
* Conducting assessments and reporting on the current state of
environmental,
ecological
Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
, and spatial attributes, as well as appraising the effectiveness of related policy measures.
* Investigating potential social developments that may impact environmental, ecological, and spatial conditions, and appraising future policy directions.
* Bringing to the forefront societal challenges that could affect environmental, ecological, and spatial quality for public discourse.
* Proposing strategic approaches to fulfill governmental goals in environmental protection,
nature conservation
Nature conservation is the ethic/moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values ...
, and spatial planning sectors.
See also
*
Environment of the Netherlands
*
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment
*
Climate change in the Netherlands
* The agency publishes the
GLOBIO Model, designed to quantify human impacts on biodiversity at large (regional to global) scales.
References
External links
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Research institutes in the Netherlands
Environment of the Netherlands
Government agencies of the Netherlands
Environmental research institutes
Environmental agencies
{{Netherlands-gov-stub