Sustainable Innovation: a network approach

Companies, societal organizations, or governments often run into bottlenecks when attempting to realize sustainable initiatives. Some examples include being unable to find collaboration partners, law and regulations preventing the realization of their innovative ideas, or lacking access to additional funding. By entering into a deal with them, the Dutch government can help to break down these barriers.

Since the start in 2011, the Dutch government has closed approximately 150 ‘Green Deals’ with companies, societal organizations, and other authorities (such as provinces and municipalities). These Green Deals concern energy, climate, water, commodities, mobility, biodiversity, bio-based economy, construction, and food.

The ministry of Economic Affairs requested that KWINK conduct an audit of the Green Deal approach. The audit’s main question: “How does the Green Deal approach contribute to the promotion of green growth?”

In order to answer these questions, KWINK has researched, inter alia, the effectiveness of the Green Deal approach, the added value of the approach with regards to other tools and the role of the government, the field, and the interaction between the two. We also have recommendations with respect to how the Green Deal approach can best be evaluated in the future. The audit offers a foundation for continued improvement of the effectiveness of the tool.

Prof. Mr. dr. Ernst ten Heuvelhof and Prof. Mr. dr. Hans de Bruijn, as scientific experts, formed part of the research team and based on their expertise reflected on the interim findings and contributed to the analysis.

Read our findings in the final report (in Dutch).