Dutch voters want more green energy: Greenpeace

According to a report, a majority of Dutch voters as well as ruling parties VVD and PvdA, are in favor of establishing mandatory goals for the encouragement of clean energy and energy saving, Blik Op Nieuws reports. The report, done by TNS NIPO at the request of Greenpeace, also states that these green energy advocates also want The Netherlands to become the leader in clean energy. A big impetus for the EU to strive for green solutions is a willingness to become less reliant on Russian gas, and is a more popular solution than nuclear power, shale gas or coal. In order to revive international attention for climate change and the need for green solutions to the world's energy problem, demonstrators in more than 150 countries, including The Netherlands, took part in the People's Climate March on Sunday. The biggest of these was in New York where government leaders will meet on Tuesday to discuss climate change. The research from TNS NIPO shows that only a third of Dutch voters choose for energy imports from countries such as Norway, the United States and countries in North Africa, which the Cabinet is in favor of. Nuclear energy is only a solution for a small minority, and shale gas and coal are no longer contemporary solutions at all. According to the research, D66 voters are most conscious about renewable energy goals for the government. "Dutch people want hard goals and clean solutions to become less reliant on Russia", says Joris Wijnhoven, campaign leader of Greenpeace. "But out Cabinet does not want to commit itself to any of these clearly spoken wishes." This month, Parliament will discuss the Dutch contribution to the EU negotiations for climate and energy goals for 2030. For Greenpeace, EU countries should make binding agreements that would see them emit 55 percent less CO2, use 45 percent clean energy and save on 40 percent energy. For the European Commission, 40 percent less CO2, 27 percent green energy and 30 percent energy saving is sufficient, with the last two goals non-binding. The Dutch government supports the Commission in this stipulation. "But the Parliament has previously hinted that it finds the efforts of the Cabinet too feeble", Joris Wijnhoven says. "Especially the crisis around Ukraine makes it clear that the Cabinet should be pressured to stronger action."