News item | 17-02-2023 | 13:30
The Council of Ministers has approved the appointment of the new independent Advisory Committee on Custom-made Agreements for the Sustainability of Industry. Carolien Gehrels has been appointed chair of this advisory committee at the proposal of Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. In addition to the chairman, the members Ton Büchner, Tanja Cuppen, Pieter Boot and Laurens de Vries have been appointed.
Ambitious and achievable
The independent Advisory Committee on Custom-made Agreements for the Sustainability of Industry will advise whether the agreements made by companies and the government are ambitious enough to be further elaborated into concrete custom-made agreements. For example, the committee examines whether these agreements contribute sufficiently to additional and faster CO2 reduction and whether concrete targets are set in the field of nitrogen reduction and the impact on the living environment. The committee also assesses whether the agreements are feasible and effective.
The advisory committee consists of:
- Carolien Gehrels (chairman) – Global Director Energy Transition Arcadis, alderman on behalf of the PvdA of Amsterdam from 2006 to 2014.
- Ton Büchner – entrepreneur and former CEO of AkzoNobel, among others.
- Tanja Cuppen – Chief Risk Officer of ABN AMRO.
- Pieter Boot – until recently worked at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency as sector head of Climate, Air and Energy.
- Laurens de Vries – Professor of Complex Energy Transitions at TU Delft.
In this composition, the committee has the necessary knowledge and experience. Every custom project is different. Due to this complexity, it is possible to temporarily appoint an additional guest expert to advise on a specific subject. Companies and the government first agree on the main points in the statement of intent (Expression of Principles), which are further elaborated and laid down in the agreement (Joint Letter of Intent). After advice from the independent committee, these agreements are further elaborated into legally binding tailor-made agreements.
Minister Adriaansens: “With the tailor-made approach, we look at what the industry can do additionally and sooner to become more sustainable. An incredibly important means on top of the Climate Agreement to reduce CO2 emissions. This approach is new for both companies and the government. Independent advice on whether we are doing the right things is crucial to me. After all, these are major and serious investments and adjustments that we cannot arrange overnight. This must be done carefully, with an eye for ambition and feasibility. I am therefore very happy that we have appointed this committee.”
Tailor-made approach
With the tailor-made approach of the national government, the largest industrial emitters can take an extra step to reduce CO2 emissions more quickly. It comes on top of the CO2 reduction that is already being achieved through other measures from the Climate Agreement. With the tailor-made approach, companies are challenged to come up with ambitious plans themselves to reduce the CO2 emissions of their own chimney and elsewhere in the chain, and to improve their impact on the environment. Limiting nitrogen emissions is included in this. The cabinet wants to remove as much as possible the uncertainties, obstacles and delaying factors surrounding sustainability with tailor-made solutions. Companies must have a vision on their path to climate neutrality and circularity, so that they can continue to develop their activities in the Netherlands now and in the future. In addition, agreements can be made about, among other things, energy and gas savings, training of technical personnel and matching the supply and demand of electricity.