Nieuws
Together with 90 Dutch professors Gert Spaargaren calls for a radical transition towards a green economy
At current, the Netherlands is still dangling at the bottom of the EU ranking list of sustainable energy. And of all EU countries the Netherlands is the farthest from its own sustainable energy targets. Only a long-term governmental effort based on a consistent combination of vision, strategy and action will help to make the Netherlands a frontrunner in the new economy.’The transformation towards a housing stock free of natural gas, an industry based on green natural resources, a sustainable and climate-smart agricultural system, an electrically driven mobility system and a new, decentral, digital energy infrastructure is considered the main challenge. The open letter contains 12 recommendations for a new government, among others:
1) Appoint a Minister for Energy and Climate
2) Launch a program for broad, fiscal ‘greening’
3) Introduce a CO2-tax for Dutch industry
4) Stimulate a retrofit of the existing housing stock towards energy-neutral housing
5) Stimulate large-scale generation of renewable energy
6) Close the 5 remaining coal-fired power stations in 2020
7) Implement a kilometer-based charge for vehicles
8) Integrate sustainability-theme into the educational curriculum
9) Develop an investment fund for sustainable innovations
You can read all the recommendations and the open letter here (in Dutch):
You can read about the research projects of Gert Spaargaren here:
http://www.wur.nl/en/Persons/Gert-Spaargaren.htm?subpage=projects