Environment and Planning Act and energy: a guide for businesses
Direct answer
The Omgevingswet is the Dutch law that, since 1 January 2024, bundles environmental law into one system: spatial planning, environment, building, water and nature. The energy rules for businesses moved along with it. The energy conservation obligation is now set out in the Environmental Activities Decree and the Building Works Decree, no longer in the former Activities Decree.
- Clear definition
- Data-driven assessment
- Risks and opportunities visible
- Practical next steps
Environment and Planning Act and energy: scattered information versus Energy Intelligence
Before 2024, Dutch environmental law was scattered across dozens of laws and decrees. Expanding a warehouse could mean dealing with several regulations at once. The Omgevingswet brought these together into one system. For energy this is concrete: the familiar energy conservation obligation still applies, but now sits in a different place in the law. This matters to any business that renovates a building, applies for a permit or must save energy.
- Since 1 January 2024 the Omgevingswet has replaced dozens of older laws; the former Activities Decree has largely lapsed.
- The energy conservation obligation for businesses is now in the Environmental Activities Decree (Bal) and the Building Works Decree (Bbl).
- Your obligations remain the same in substance; only the legal source and the counter have changed.
Insight
Traditional approach
Information is scattered across portals, documents, invoices or separate spreadsheets.
Modern approach
Data, context and interpretation are brought together into a clear decision picture.
Decision-making
Traditional approach
Choices are made based on averages, assumptions or occasional analyses.
Modern approach
Scenarios, KPIs and current measurement data make the trade-off more concrete and repeatable.
Follow-up
Traditional approach
Actions often stay non-committal or disappear into separate reports.
Modern approach
Follow-up actions, monitoring and reporting are linked to the same energy data.
What does the Omgevingswet cover?
The Omgevingswet entered into force on 1 January 2024. The law bundles the rules on the physical living environment: spatial planning, environment, building, water and nature. Dozens of older laws and decrees were merged into one coherent system with four general administrative orders. The aim is to make environmental law simpler and clearer. For energy this means the Activities Decree on environmental management has largely lapsed. The rules it contained, such as the energy conservation obligation, were given a new place in the decrees under the Omgevingswet. The content of those rules did not automatically change; it is a different arrangement of the same obligations.
- In force since 1 January 2024.
- Bundles spatial planning, environment, building, water and nature into one system.
- Replaces dozens of older laws and decrees.
- The Activities Decree on environmental management has largely lapsed.
Where are the energy rules now?
Since 2024 the energy conservation obligation for businesses sits in two places. Rules on environmentally harmful activities at a location are in the Environmental Activities Decree, known as the Bal. Rules on the building itself are in the Building Works Decree, the Bbl. The obligation is linked to an information duty: businesses report once every four years to the competent authority on the measures they take. Transitional law applies to that information duty: until 1 December 2027 references are still made to the old Activities Decree. The underlying obligation stays the same; only the source and the references are new.
- Energy conservation obligation for activities: Environmental Activities Decree (Bal).
- Building-related requirements: Building Works Decree (Bbl).
- Linked information duty: report to the competent authority once every four years.
- Transitional law applies to the information duty until 1 December 2027.
What does this mean for your business?
In practice, little changes to your obligations in substance. If you met the energy conservation obligation, you still meet it; only the legal basis now has a different name. The process does run through new channels. You apply for permits and submit notifications through the Omgevingsloket, the digital counter of the Omgevingswet. Supervision and enforcement lie with the competent authority, usually your municipality, and for complex businesses the province. In practice the environmental service carries out these tasks. So check whether your permits and notifications still match the new rules, and when in doubt consult the texts on IPLO or your environmental service.
- Your obligations remain the same in substance.
- Permits and notifications go through the Omgevingsloket.
- The competent authority is usually the municipality, and the province for complex businesses.
- The environmental service carries out supervision and enforcement in practice.
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