Cabinet wants to halve CO2 emissions – NRC

"We are not ahead of Europe," said Minister Eric Wiebes (Economic Affairs and Climate Change, VVD) on Tuesday afternoon. "We start earlier, and that's a big difference, because whoever starts the game earlier is more likely to win the match."

On Tuesday, Wiebes received the result of three months of negotiations on the five thematic "climate tables". The industry, interest groups and the government had to draw up a list of plans for a climate agreement that is ready by the end of the year. The main objective is to halve the CO emissions ₂ in order to achieve the UN climate agreement in Paris, which must maintain global warming at the same time. Inside limits.

Ambition

The Netherlands has not had to worry over the last ten years to have preceded the European troops. The Netherlands were safe at the back when it came to sustainability. But since the firm Rutte-III took office, there is an ambition on the table (at least 49% of CO ₂ ), which, for the moment, goes beyond what the European Union requires.

Plans that have been on paper over the past three months under the leadership of former Environment Minister Ed Nijpels (VVD) are being calculated on their merits (financial) this summer. In the autumn, politicians decide how to proceed

See also the proposals presented by the five "climate tables": These proposals should halve CO2 emissions

Next, but even now, coordination with neighboring countries is a delicate theme. In particular, the industry, which is responsible for a quarter of Dutch CO emissions ₂ fears its international competitive position. Nijpels warned of delays on Tuesday. "Of course, stupid if you do not take into account the international situation, but we should not let ourselves be held hostage by the rules of the game ."

The industry has the second negotiating table but after three months of negotiations, we still do not know how emissions will be limited. The underground storage of CO ₂ mentioned in the coalition agreement remains a divisive factor

The mobility sector has not yet made any hard choices and n? did that list the many options. Table President Annemieke Nijhof said Tuesday that road pricing for motorists is "inevitable", but politically, this pricing does not seem feasible

Energy Taxes

Measures for the built environment (city and village) are remarkably concrete. Under the leadership of President Diederik Samsom (PvdA), the goals of the cabinet have even been surpassed. Specifically, the adjustment of taxes on energy has already been taken into account – with the costs to the citizen, on average, not increase.

Read also what Marjon Jansen, president of the "industrial table", felt the criticism of their proposal. : "We must face this deadline soberly"

Due to the increasing importance of electricity, the electricity sector will have to develop even faster than expected. This means more windmills at sea, and solar and wind farms on land. Until now, the placement of the mills on land has been difficult. It is precisely this Tuesday that the Wiebes ministry announced that it would be too little by 2020.

In the case of new wind and solar farms, local residents must enjoy more often, is in the new plans. Nijpels stressed on Tuesday that the government can not implement the climate deal on its own. "Nobody can do it alone.The government is not, the citizen is not, the business sector is not."

The goal seems certain: l & # 39; greenhouse gas emissions must have been reduced by half in twelve years.