Labour, Green parties want Dutch CO2 emissions cut by 95 pct.

GroenLinks and the PvdA are working together on a legislative proposal which states that the Netherlands' CO2 emissions has to be at least 95 percent less in 2050, compared to 1990. And the energy supply must be fully sustainable by then.

With this climate bill the parties aim to have the government set up an annual climate budget which sets legal targets for energy conservation, the promotion of green energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, NOS reports. The first goal in the bill is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030. According to the parties, this can be achieved by promoting electric driving and closing coal plants. On Monday 64 professors also called on the government to close the 11 operating coal plants in the country. PvdA leader Diederik Samsom is confident that he can get The Hague to support this proposal. "Now is the time to work on this. The urgency has increased. All factors are on green.", he said according to the broadcaster. GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver believes that this bill will ensure that climate plans are actually achieved, instead of staying at ambitious proposals. "This way we can force all politicians to no longer look away."

Klaver took the idea for the bill to his PvdA colleague Samsom in preparation for the climate summit in Paris next week. The two party leaders are currently waiting for the Court of Audit and civil society organizations to respond to their proposal, and after that it will be submitted to the Tweede Kamer, lower house of parliament.