In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Finance will come up with an updated model to calculate how efficiently nitrogen emissions can be reduced. The effects of the climate plans are included in this, the ministry says. According to NRC, the model would show that achieving the climate goals for 2030 could have a major impact on the nitrogen plans.
Agriculture will have to contract in the coming years to reduce nitrogen emissions. The impact of the climate targets has not yet been included in the calculation of how much farmers have to cut back. According to NRC, the calculation of the Ministry of Finance shows that the nitrogen target can be reduced by a quarter to half if this is done. That would be good news for farmers.
The Ministry of Finance says that it is indeed looking at the by-catch of the climate targets for the nitrogen target, but cannot confirm the percentages that the newspaper mentions. According to the ministry, this concerns “official preparatory work, not policy advice or position” and a further elaboration of a draft calculation model that was sent to the House of Representatives at the end of June after reporting by NRC. “The model is not yet finished. It is still being worked on.”
Concept
The concept from June was about the most effective way to reduce nitrogen emissions. This showed that it is cheaper and works better to buy out companies in a very targeted way than to have many farmers reduce part of their emissions. For example, it is cheaper to buy out poultry farmers than dairy farmers.
In that model not only the effect of climate measures was not taken into account, but also “technical measures that can contribute to nitrogen reduction”. Both points will be worked out in the model that will be submitted to the House this summer. Independent MP Pieter Omtzigt and Caroline van der Plas (BBB) asked parliamentary questions about the NRC publication on Monday and want the documents to be published within 24 hours.