Environmental organization to name and shame big polluters

In an attempt to make sure that a more ambitious climate policy and combating pollution are a main focus in the Dutch government formation process, environmental organization Milieudefensie will be protesting at big polluters in the coming period, RTL Nieuws reports.

Oil and gas giant Shell, chemical companies Nobian, Chemelot, and Yara Sluiskil, energy company RWE, Lelystad Airport, and steel manufacturer Tata Steel can all expect visits from activists. Meters high posters will also be hung at meat processor Vion, dairy manufacturer Friesland Campina, and gas company NAM.

With these actions, Milieudefensie hopes to prompt the new government to "put the climate first and ensure that companies contribute to cleaning up their own pollution," spokesperson Willem Wiskerke said to the broadcaster. According to him, big polluters currently only pay CO2 tax on the part of their emissions that must be reduced and they do not contribute to measures to reduce emissions. 

The Storage of Renewable Energy tax is currently mostly collected from small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), Milieudefensie said based on government documents. This tax is used to fill a subsidy pot for measures to reduce emissions. And this subsidy mainly goes to large companies, not the SMEs that are funding it, according to the environmental group. 

Milieudefensie wants the new government to implement a CO2 tax that will apply to every ton of CO2 emitted by a company. And to make sure that big companies also contribute to measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.