Changing track, changing tack: Dutch ideas for a robust environmental policy for the 21st century

In the essay ‘Changing track, changing tack’, PBL summarises 40 years of Dutch environmental policy and draws lessons for the future; lessons that may also be interesting to other countries in the developed world. Looking back, we learned that the Dutch approach to environmental problems has been very successful in improving environmental quality, reducing the environmental health burden and neutralising the deterioration of Dutch nature. No more smog episodes, dirty, smelly surface waters or housing projects on contaminated soils. These and many other successes seem to be forgotten. Celebrating them may boost public opinion about environmental policy, something that is greatly needed, today, to build political support for the development of a new approach.