(Photo credit: Michel Schnater)

The Dutch National Opera and Ballet has been awarded a new BREEAM-NL certificate for its production workshop.

The production workshop achieved a “Very Good” rating in 2023, marking a 20 percent improvement in its overall rating from 2019. The installation of 2,000 square meters of solar panels on the roof of the workshop, which are hooked up to the district heating system reduced its carbon emissions by 60 percent per year. The Dutch National Opera and Ballet also promotes sustainable modes of transport and offers its employees green transportation options. Excess rainwater is stored temporarily in a 750 square meter landscaped garden to prevent flooding due to rainstorms and 50 bird-nesting boxes have been installed on the building to build biodiversity. The company also received an Exemplary Performance Point for its green facilities and procedures for storing sets and costumes, with emphasis on the materials recycling process and digital storage system.

In a press release the company said, “This certificate stresses the importance of embracing a future-proof mindset and serves as a tangible recognition of our sustainability efforts.” “We will continue to challenge ourselves to reach our sustainability goals, aiming to achieve a 55 percent reduction in our carbon emissions by 2030.”

BREEAM is an international method of assessing, rating and certifying the sustainability of buildings and the built environment. The theatre adopted the BREEAM-NL method in 2019 and was the first theatre in the Netherlands to be awarded two BREEAM-NL certificates, with both the theatre building and the Production Workshop being rated “Good.”