The Netherlands could save billions of euros as well as aid the environment
Environmentally harmful subsidies are subsidies or tax exemptions that have an unintended negative effect on nature and the environment. If the Netherlands were to focus on abolishing these...
Resource Efficient Europe: many synergies, notorious exceptions
In many cases, resource efficiency in one area also helps to mitigate problems in another. For example, energy efficiency also saves water, and sustainable yield improvements also lead to a more...
Only a mix of technologies can realise a clean economy by 2050 in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is capable of achieving an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is possible by implementing a mix of reduced energy demand, use of biomass, carbon capture and...
Political courage in Durban needed to combat climate change
Global greenhouse gas emissions are projected to double over the next 40 years. This could result in a 3 to 6 °C increase in the average global temperature by the end of the century. The economic...
Bridging the emissions gap to meet the 2 °C target is doable
Cutting emissions by 2020 to a level that could keep a global, 21st century temperature rise under two degrees Celsius is technologically and economically feasible, according to a comprehensive study...
Alternative routes for international climate policies
Alternative routes for international climate policies, such as have been proposed in recent years by several parties, may benefit societal support for these policies. The Netherlands could make clever...
A large number of published climate scenarios have been analysed in order to identify if the 2020 emission levels are consistent with the 2 degree Celsius target. It is concluded that there are...
Special issue of Climatic Change journal on the Representative Concentration Pathways released
A new Special issue of the journal Climatic Change describes four new key scenarios for the climate research community: the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCPs). The RCPs describe a wide range...
Steep increase in global CO2 emissions despite reductions by industrialised countries
Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the main cause of global warming – increased by 45% between 1990 and 2010, and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tonnes in 2010. Increased efficiency...
More innovation, better education and a greener economy are required to maintain prosperity
Quality of life is high in the Netherlands compared to other European countries, but it seems impossible to retain this level of prosperity, in the long run. More innovation, better education and a...