Conditions for greening the Dutch economy
Greening the economy is a major and necessary task for the world as a whole as well as for the Netherlands. Using energy, raw materials and natural resources more efficiently will strengthen the structure of the Dutch economy. This is necessary, given the expected quadrupling of the world economy over the next forty years, the associated environmental impacts and the increasing scarcity of raw materials and natural resources.It is important that the Dutch Government sketches a clear perspective on greening for citizens and businesses.
Greening the economy is a global challenge and important for the Netherlands
Greening the economy is considered to be one of the major worldwide challenges for the coming decades. Greening is about limiting the use of natural resources and sparing the environment. By taking into account the limits of the natural capital, we will be able to safeguard prosperity in the long term. Greening is important, also for the Netherlands. Using energy, raw materials, land and water more efficiently will make the Dutch economy less vulnerable and the environment cleaner. Focusing on green growth is thus not so much the short-term answer to the present economic crisis, but rather delivers a long-term contribution to the strengthening of the structure of the Dutch economy. This strengthening is not something that will happen of its own accord; it requires an active role on the part of the government, in collaboration with the business sector and the general public.
(Click on the infographic for additional information on the conditions.)
Conditions for greening
A long-term vision forms an important first step in the greening of the economy. How to measure progress is another important element in aiming for the goal of green growth. A different set of rules will also be required in order to steer society towards greening. The cost of environmental pollution, for example, should be better reflected in prices. This also includes abolishing subsidies and tax incentives that stand in the way of this greening process. For the implementation of these types of tax measures, many factors must be weighed. The government could also create better conditions for the development and application of innovations that spare the environment. This report sets out some of the requirements for the greening of the Dutch economy and suggests ways in which these could be implemented in some areas. At the same time, the document identifies those areas in need of further investigation to gain a better overview of what ‘going for green growth’ would mean for the Netherlands and what this requires.