Carbon Pulse and Platts report that the incoming Dutch government will have an ambitious policy agenda on climate change, with prime minister Mark Rutte setting out the plans in a coalition agreement published on 10 October after almost seven months of talks to form a government. The following are the highlights of the new coalition government’s programme.
The setting of a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 49% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and a push for an increased EU-wide target of a 55% cut by 2030 also against 1990 levels. Currently this figure is 40%. The agreement is also reported to say that should a stronger EU-wide emission target not prove possible, the government would want to work with other northwestern European countries to develop a more ambitious regional goal.
The new government will aim to phase out all five remaining coal-fired power plants by 2030, with one to be closed within the timeframe of the new government. With a view to achieving the coal phase-out, the government will introduce a minimum carbon-floor price for the power sector as a top-up to the carbon trading mechanism EU-ETS price, and this will rise to €43/t by 2030.
In order to neutralise the negative impact on EU Allowance prices, the new government will commit to offsetting measures, including the purchase of EUAs in the market.
There will be new targets for carbon capture and storage, with the industry being asked to sequester 18 Mt of CO2 by 2030.
