Well-being ‘elsewhere’: Environment and resources
Environment and resources concerns imports of raw materials and the consequences they have on the well-being of people elsewhere in the world, because raw materials, land and water in other countries are used for production and consumption in the Netherlands. This has consequences for working conditions, nature and environment, and the climate, especially in the world’s poorest countries.
- Imports per inhabitant of biomass, fossil fuels, metals and non-metallic minerals are higher than in most of the EU-27 countries.
- The land footprint is getting smaller but remains approximately three times the area of the Netherlands.
- In the most recent year (from 2022 to 2023), the material footprint fell by 11.7 percent.
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| Theme | Indicator | Value | Trend | Position in EU | Position in EU ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environment and resources | Fossil fuel imports A) | 10.6 tonnes per capita in 2025 | 27th out of 27 in 2024 | Low ranking | |
| Environment and resources | Fossil fuel imports from LDCs A) | 408.5 kg per capita in 2025 | increasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Environment and resources | Imports of metals A) | 2.3 tonnes per capita in 2025 | 24th out of 27 in 2024 | Low ranking | |
| Environment and resources | Imports of metals from LDCs A) | 11.6 kg per capita in 2025 | |||
| Environment and resources | Imports of non-metallic minerals A) | 1.9 tonnes per capita in 2025 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 22nd out of 27 in 2024 | Low ranking |
| Environment and resources | Imports of non-metallic minerals from LDCs A) | 3.1 kg per capita in 2025 | |||
| Environment and resources | Biomass imports A) | 4.7 tonnes per capita in 2025 | 25th out of 27 in 2024 | Low ranking | |
| Environment and resources | Biomass imports from LDCs A) | 18.6 kg per capita in 2025 | increasing (decrease well-being) | ||
| Environment and resources | Land footprint A) | 0.6 hectares per capita in 2023 | decreasing (increase well-being) | 4th out of 27 in 2023 | High ranking |
| Environment and resources | Material footprint A) | 28.0 tonnes per capita in 2023 | 7th out of 27 in 2023 | High ranking | |
| Environment and resources | Greenhouse gas footprint A) | 12.2 tonnes CO2 equivalents per capita in 2023 | 16th out of 27 in 2023 | Middle ranking |
Colour codes and notes to the dashboards in the Monitor of Well-being
Many of the goods required for consumption and production in the Netherlands are imported from other countries. Imports of raw materials contribute to the depletion of global stocks of natural resources, such as oil, metal ores and minerals, in the countries of origin.
Footprints measure the amount of resources used for consumption by citizens and the government in the Netherlands. They also measure the global effects of Dutch consumption on nature, climate and other aspects of well-being. The raw materials footprint, for instance, measures the amount of raw materials (biomass, fossil fuels, metals and non-metallic minerals) used globally to supply consumption in the Netherlands. Other examples include the land use footprint, which measures the amount of land required, and the greenhouse gas footprint, which measures greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide).
The land use footprint is trending downwards. In 2023, 0.6 hectares of land were required to supply the consumption of each inhabitant. In total, this amounts to more than three times the land area of the Netherlands. The greenhouse gas footprint is stable. In 2023, 12.2 tonnes of CO2 equivalents were emitted per inhabitant. In the most recent year (from 2022 to 2023), the raw materials footprint fell by 11.7 percent. In 2023, the global use of biomass, fossil fuels, metals and non-metallic minerals for Dutch consumption was 28 tonnes per capita. In 2023, the Dutch land use and raw materials footprints were limited compared to the EU-27. This is consistent with the observation in SDG12 that, compared to the EU, the Netherlands’ domestic material consumption per capita is relatively low and resource productivity is relatively high. The relatively limited size of the Netherlands’ footprints compared with other EU countries is probably misleading, however. Like the Netherlands, other EU countries are high-income nations that have larger environmental and climate footprints than most countries in the world.
Per capita imports of biomass, fossil fuels, metals and non-metallic minerals are higher in the Netherlands than in most EU-27 countries. With 10.6 tonnes per inhabitant, the Netherlands had the highest per capita imports of fossil fuels in the EU in 2025. The high level of raw materials imports is partly a reflection of the role of the Dutch seaports, as these figures include re-exports (goods that are temporarily in Dutch possession before being exported to other countries without undergoing significant processing).
Imports of raw materials from the 44 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are no longer stable for biomass and fossil fuels, which are both trending upwards. Imports of fossil fuels from LDCs rose sharply in 2025 due to a shift in imports from non-LDCs to LDCs. Biomass imports were down by 8.1 percent in 2025, despite long-term growth. These imports only represent a small proportion of total raw material imports. In 2025, 2.3 percent of all raw material imports came from LDCs.