ABN AMRO Bank N : How to make your home more sustainable

And we do mean going all out, as most Dutch people say they think it's important to make their homes sustainable but do little more than taking very minor steps. Recognise this? It's worth your while to take big strides, as it boosts even the price of your home!

These are the findings of the third quarterly issue of ABN AMRO's Sustainability Monitor. People in the Netherlands expect to pay 17.3% more for homes with energy label A (instead of D).

Making homes sustainable pays off, but we fail to take big steps to lock in these gains. Why? The answer is costs and a lack of government information. People wonder what the Climate Accord will cost them, with research showing that the shift to energy label A is expected to cost well over 22,000 euros, rising to a hefty 45,000 euros for homeowners with energy label G. Hopefully, the newly instituted Climate Budget Day on the fourth Thursday of October might bring some answers.

Although the Dutch tend to look to the government to step in, our bank also has a role to play and we are working hard to implement our Mission 2030. Our aim is for all homes (and offices) that we finance to average energy label A by 2030. Note that, at this point in time, only 13 per cent of homes have energy label A.

We help new and existing mortgage clients fund energy-saving measures through attractive schemes. Both our regular mortgage offering and our new sustainable living mortgage Duurzaam Wonen Hypotheek come with the option of additional lending for energy-saving measures. Mission 2030 can really contribute to significantly less carbon emissions in the built environment.

It pays to make your home sustainable. If you'd like to know more, click here to read the full report.