Electric cars are so popular in the Netherlands that it would not be uncommon, say, for a
Tesla to roll up as a taxi outside Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Though charging stations are not yet ubiquitous, it is not difficult to find them in Dutch communities, parking lots, and along the streets.

To reduce carbon emissions, national and local governments are taking various approaches—and, thus, electric cars, solar home systems, and energy-efficient solutions for buildings are booming in Europe. Cities like Amsterdam are front and center of this transformation. For instance, Netherlands has an ambitious goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 80–95 percent by 2050 compared with 1990, making it an ideal venue for a Smart Cities Tour earlier this year, where  a group of 26 representatives, including national and municipal officials and World Bank project teams, to learn from the Netherlands’ successful experience in energy sector transformation.

Continue reading →