The majority of Dutch people believe that the cabinet is not doing enough climate change

Around 62 percent of the Dutch think the cabinet should do more for the climate. That writes the Social and Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP) in a Thursday published Report on policy choices in the climate and energy approach. It is a bigger difference than with the previous measurement, under another cabinet: then about the same number of respondents found that the government did too little about climate, as too much.

At the same time, about a quarter of the respondents are angry about the prioritization of climate policy of the government, compared to problems such as housing shorts, immigration and poverty. This time 3,125 people participated in the study.

Within the coalition there are also different ideas about the climate policy to be pursued. Last October agreed Minister Sophie Hermans (Climate and Green Growth, VVD) that the Netherlands the climate goals in 2030 (at least 55 percent less CO₂-Moets compared to 1990) will not be achieved. However, the coalition parties think very different About the importance and pace of the switch to a climate -neutral society. VVD and NSC, for example, want more windmills at sea and land. PVV and BBB prefer as few windmills as possible. The peasant party sees more salvation in nuclear energy.

Solar panels

Respondents believe that the government should take more into account the consequences of climate policy in the long term. They are also bothered by policy changes such as the abolition of the netting scheme, so that owners of solar panels can no longer strip their generated electricity against consumption on gray days. This popular regulation, which has been around since 2004, would be stopped by 2031 at the latest. But last November the end of the scheme was brought forward to 2027.

« If people feel that an investment in sustainability through price changes in the policy can suddenly turn out to be detrimental, it will have consequences for their motivation to make it more sustainable and their confidence in the government, » writes SCP director Karen van Oudenhoven.

The cabinet must pursue ‘reliable and consistent’ policy, so that citizens know where they stand, advises the SCP. The Council of State indicated earlier that the cabinet should make quickly and clear, guiding climate choices.

Aircraft

According to the SCP, Dutch people are generally positive about subsidies for home insulation, green hydrogen and government investments in public transport. Making the industry more sustainable and a flight tax can also count on approval of a majority of respondents. However, climate measures such as higher food prices are not supported much, the Planning Bureau reports.

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