Dutch coalition gov’t faltering yet again, this time over climate policy

After the asylum policy nearly caused a Cabinet collapse, the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB coalition seems to now also be wobbling on climate plans. VVD Minister Sophie Hermans of Climate and Green Growth promised to announce more climate measures in the spring so that the Netherlands can meet its targets. But the PVV and BBB are not keen on that at all.

At the end of October, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) announced that it was very unlikely that the Netherlands would succeed in reducing CO2 emissions by 55 percent in 2030, compared to 1990. That climate target is laid down in law and the four coalition parties agreed to adhere to it.

VVD Minister Hermans acknowledged that the government was not doing enough to achieve the climate goals. She promised to make decisions about new measures in the spring.

But during the debate on The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth’s budget, the PVV already made it clear that it was “not happy” with any additional climate measures and thought a “reconsideration appropriate,” according to NOS. “We will not agree to it in advance,” PVV parliamentarian Alexander Kops said. He called the climate goals “a paper reality.”

BBB parliamentarian Henk Vermeer urged for a “pause” and “time for a pit stop” before taking more climate measures. The party also called the 2030 climate goal an “interim target” and would rather focus on the 2050 target. “Our signature is worth something, but shouldn’t we pause?” he said after opposition parties accused the coalition of lying when it agreed to stick to the climate targets.

Opposition parties, including GroenLinks-PvdA, CDA, ChristenUnie, and PvdD, stressed that additional steps are absolutely necessary, especially because this Cabinet has scrapped stricter climate measures implemented by its predecessor, like the obligation to buy a heat pump when you replace a boiler and the favorable subsidy scheme for solar panels.

According to CDA leader Henri Bontenbal, if the PVV won’t commit to new climate measures, Hermans’ promises are a waste of time. “Then there will be another Cabinet crisis after the asylum crisis.”

SP MP Sandra Beckerman agrees. “You don’t have to be blind to see that this will be a major problem.” According to GroenLinks-PvdA MP Suzanne Kröger, “ a new Cabinet crisis is already looming.”

Nitrogen investments to focus on innovation

On Wednesday, it also became clear that Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma (BBB) will focus her plans to reduce nitrogen emissions mainly on innovations in the agriculture sector, such as other stable systems, robotization, and a new method for measuring emissions. She plans to push over 2.2 billion euros into this, RTL Nieuws reported based on a draft letter by the Minister.

The Netherlands desperately needs to reduce its nitrogen emissions, a big portion of which comes from the agriculture sector. Dutch nature can’t take any more nitrogen, so emissions need to be cut before permits can be issued for other projects that emit nitrogen, such as housing and infrastructure construction.

According to Wiersma’s letter, she also wants to invest 1 billion euros into a buy-out scheme for livestock farmers who want to close down their business. She plans to push 500 million euros into manure measures, and 450 million euros into “other priorities.”

These measures are intended to replace the Natural Rural Area Program (NPLG), which the Schoof Cabinet scrapped. In that program, provinces made plans to reduce nitrogen and restore nature. The provinces were dismayed by the program’s abolition because they had already put a lot of work into it.