Dutch government must have a better insight into local climate policy, council advises

The central government should have more insight into the local implementation of climate and energy policy, says the Council for Public Administration (ROB). An important part of this implementation lies with the municipalities, provinces and water authorities. For example, they make plans to make houses more sustainable and determine where wind turbines and solar parks can be built. For the national government, however, it is unclear to what extent it is on the right track.

If a decentralized government does not act forcefully enough, the central government does not have a "stick behind the door", the ROB notes. The Council is in favor of giving ministers the opportunity to issue instructions to the provinces, municipalities and water authorities. This possibility already exists in many other policy areas. In addition, according to the ROB, it would be good if the various levels of government were to hold regular discussions about progress in the area of climate and energy.

Local authorities also "need multi-year financial security" to accelerate, the ROB states in the advice. Because climate policy has been tightened in recent years, the costs for local exports will increase to more than 1 billion euros in 2030. That money must be received by local authorities. The ROB recommends dividing part of the budget on the basis of concrete plans. In this way, more money can go to municipalities and provinces that "can and want to accelerate."

By 2030, CO2 emissions must be reduced by 55 percent compared to 1990. This ultimate goal is laid down in both national and European climate legislation.