A Bird’s eye view Why now is the moment, and why Rotterdam is the place
– Authored by Marten van Dijl
The Port of Rotterdam is at a tipping point. For long, it served as the engine of the Dutch economy: a global port with enormous influence on trade, industry, and employment. But now that more and more companies are withdrawing their investments – major players such as BP and ExxonMobil are halting planned projects – questions about the sustainability of the current model arise. While the Port of Rotterdam dreads deindustrialization and turns to the Dutch government for help, the current developments also offer an opportunity – an opportunity to change course and choose a new direction.
Now is the time for Rotterdam to seize the moment and show what a modern, future-proof economy looks like. An economy that runs on clean energy, that is circular, and that focuses on the well-being of people and nature. Because the world is changing rapidly. Climate change, raw material shortages, and social pressure call for a different model – one that revolves around recovery and cooperation, rather than depletion and pollution.
Rotterdam has everything it needs to make this transition: knowledge, infrastructure, innovative entrepreneurs, and committed residents. The urgency is high, but the potential is even higher. The port of Rotterdam can become Europe’s innovation delta, not because it outpaces global rivals in raw output, but because it demonstrates how knowledge, technology, and entrepreneurship can deliver prosperity fairly and sustainably. Where sustainable logistics is the norm and where there is room for new, future-oriented companies that contribute to a healthy society.
The Netherlands has unique properties, enabling it to serve as an example to the rest of the world. If it can be done in the Netherlands, it can be done anywhere. The country can use its creative entrepreneurship and talent to excel, as it did previously with the Delta Works, which serve as a blueprint for protection against the sea worldwide. To say that time is running out is an understatement – we are doing too little to stop climate change. But another reason to change course now, is that green innovation can go hand in hand with economic prosperity.
Rotterdam as a shining example — The One Planet Port vision
Rotterdam, once a figurehead of industrial growth, can become an icon of sustainable innovation. The One Planet Port vision offers an inspiring compass for this process. It proposes a radical redesign of the port’s economy – and that of the Netherlands in line with that – within the limits of what our planet can sustain, with an eye for social justice and a focus on cooperation rather than competition.
No longer a port that runs solely on transit and fossil fuels, but a hub of recovery, innovation, and resilience. A place where energy is generated sustainably and shared intelligently. Where goods are produced locally and processed circularly. Where employment is created in sectors that contribute to a livable future. Where international trade is reshaped, based on fairness and ecological limits.
Precisely because Rotterdam has been the symbol of large-scale trade and economic power for decades, it can also become the epitome of a new era. An era in which we take no more than we need, in which we regenerate what we use, and in which we work together to achieve broad prosperity – locally and globally.
The strength of One Planet Port is that it not just criticizes the old system, but offers a realistic and hopeful alternative. An alternative that fits in with the innovative spirit of Rotterdam, with the knowledge and expertise of the Netherlands, and with the urgency of our times.
The world needs examples. Rotterdam can be the benchmark. Do we want to stick with what no longer works or do we dare to choose a new course, that delivers a future for everyone? One Planet Port invites you to take the first step together.
