Dutch critical of climate policy: ‘Unequal distribution mainly affects the lowest incomes’

It is cooler in most owner-occupied homes this week than outside – if only because most homeowners have sun blinds. In many rental flats, on the other hand, residents suffer from temperatures that are barely lower than the temperature outside – without sun blinds, without air conditioning and without the means to remedy these defects. The Health Council and the Scientific Climate Council warned last week: the Netherlands does not sufficiently protect people against the risks of climate change. And people who can hardly arm themselves against this are at greater risk.

This inequality is experienced as problematic by the Dutch population, according to research published on Tuesday by the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). Most Dutch people are still concerned about climate change and the majority want clean energy – without complicated dependency relationships with foreign powers – and a transition to a living environment that can withstand more extreme weather. But do they think climate policy is sufficient to achieve both goals?

No, because various studies have shown great dissatisfaction with climate policy in recent years: only 12 percent of the population is satisfied with it. “People have the feeling that major polluters do not contribute enough and are spared,” says Yvonne de Klokkenaar, one of the authors of the report. NRC. 82 percent believe that climate costs are unfairly distributed between companies and citizens; 78 percent think the distribution between rich and poor is out of balance.

Many people therefore regard climate change as a class problem, according to the SCP report. They don’t do that without reason. There is a gap between renters and homeowners. Another example that De Klokkenaar cites: the subsidies for sustainability that in the past mainly went to wealthy people. And wealthy car owners especially benefited from tax benefits for purchasing an electric car.

‘Green transition’

“People with lower incomes already spend a larger part of their income on basic needs,” says De Klokkenaar. “Think of energy, housing and food. When the price of those needs rises, those groups are hit hardest.”

At the same time, ‘concern about climate change’ fell from 73 to 65 percent last year, the willingness to make sacrifices declined slightly, but support for measures remained virtually unchanged. Green hydrogen? 70 percent in favor. Offshore wind? 62 percent. Heat networks? 55 percent. This is how the SCP measured.

The Dutch did not drop out, but they appear to be dissatisfied. And their dissatisfaction is not about the goal of the policy, but about the path to achieving it. “The coalition agreement pays a lot of attention to supporting industry and business in the green transition,” says De Klokkenaar. “That is of course very important. But society also needs to make a huge change and the question is whether that is now supported enough.”

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