Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
Jesse Klaver
Jesse Klaver - Credit: Photo: BoelensLeon / Wikimedia Commons
Politics
CO2 tax
Groenlinks
Jesse Klaver
Cabinet Rutte III
Eerste Kamer
Senate election
Provincial States
PvdA
Tuesday, 22 January 2019 - 11:30
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Green party will only support Dutch gov't plans if they agree to carbon tax

GroenLinks leader Jesse Klaver is demanding that the coalition parties support his legislative proposal for a CO2 tax, in exchange for his party's support on new cabinet plans. "The question is not whether we will help the government to a majority, but whether the coalition will help our plans to a majority", he said at a meetup in The Hague on Monday evening, NOS reports.

The Provincial States elections are happening in March, and the State Members will then elect the Senate. The Dutch coalition of VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie currently has the smallest possible majority, 38 seats, in the Senate. Klaver assumes that the government will lose this majority, and will therefore need the opposition's help in passing any of their new plans. A recent poll among Dutch voters by Maurice de Hond showed that the coalition parties are hemorrhaging support.

GroenLinks and the PvdA have been pushing for a pollution tax for some time, saying that climate goals can better be achieved in this way. If the proposal GroenLinks presented on Monday is passed, the large industry will pay tax per ton of CO2 emitted from 2020 onwards. According to Klaver, this will raise over 2 billion euros in 2021 - money that can be used to lower the energy bills of citizens.

Last week Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that the business community must pay its "fair" share on the implementation of the climate agreement. In the draft agreement that the government made with various companies and civil society organizations, a CO2 tax was deliberately not include because it is bad for companies' competitive position, Rutte said.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Teens working in hospitality industry often face sexual harassment
  • Two pony carcasses, horse head found near Venlo chapel
  • Extradition treaty between Netherlands and Colombia to tackle drug trafficking
  • Amsterdam announces sharp increase in tourist tax for hotel rooms, cruise passengers
  • Banks can offer higher mortgages for greener homes from next year
  • Amsterdam delays implementation of house-swapping vacation rules to March 2024

Top stories

  • Amsterdam announces sharp increase in tourist tax for hotel rooms, cruise passengers
  • 71-year-old man stabbed, beaten to death by group in Rotterdam
  • Half of Netherlands residents will eventually be diagnosed with cancer
  • Netherlands is Europe's biggest importer of deforestation products
  • TU Delft ranks in top 50 on 2024 Times Higher Education list; Six Dutch unis in top 100
  • Social housing rents could increase 5.8% next year; 4.9% increase in free sector

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content