Finance Minister Heinen calls for a more practical approach to climate action

Finance Minister Eelco Heinen is campaigning internationally for a more practical approach to climate protection. He took over the chairmanship of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action (CFMCA) from his predecessor in the ministry. This is a platform founded in 2019 that focuses on the promotion of climate action by finance ministries.

“I'm trying to move the debate a little bit from the ideological "climate change is very bad" to the practical side: how do we deal with it?”, Heinen told journalists in Washington. “It's real, it's here. And how do we deal with it now? And that's exactly what the finance ministers are interested in”.

An important starting point is: “If we want an effective climate policy, the finance minister must be on board. Because a minister for the environment or a minister for green growth alone will not be able to solve the problem. According to the Dutch minister, more and more countries are convinced of this principle. In the meantime, 96 countries have joined the platform.

This time, the conversation was also about making the necessary longer-term investment plans, for example, to be more resilient to climate change as a country. “How do we deal with this and how can we plan for it in the budget,” said Heinen.

The minister had a busy schedule in Washington. He also attended the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and replaced his colleague Reinette Klever (Foreign Trade and Development Assistance) at the annual meeting of the World Bank. Klever was unable to attend due to a last-minute flight cancellation.

At the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action, finance and economic policymakers from over 90 countries come together to lead the global climate action and ensure a just transition to low-carbon, resilient development.