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Climate Accord must not let major polluters off the hook

11 July 2018

Climate Accord must not let major polluters off the hook

From the newly published Netherlands Climate Accord it's clear that just what the SP feared has indeed come to pass. It isn't the major polluters, but households, which are going to pay the price of tackling the climate problem. “This isn't climate justice,” says SP Member of Parliament Sandra Beckerman. “Once again the biggest polluters aren't the target. Industry is knowingly damaging the climate, but the multinationals only want renewables if they come attached to a big sackful of money. Massive polluters such as Shell have raked in billions in profits on gas and oil, but refuse to make a contribution to repairing the climate.”

The SP's view is that industry's refusal to accept its responsibly cannot be accepted. “It's precisely the corporations with the highest emissions which are apparently not planning to call a halt to them. Multinationals such as Shell are earning tons of money from their polluting industries and are paying very little for the damage to the climate, top of which they are asking society for still more money to clean up their act.” The announced enquiry into the pricing of carbon dioxide, even if it should lead to the desired result, still won't bring about much of a change over the next few years. “And plans to bury CO2 under the ground offer absolutely no solution,” adds Beckerman.

Household energy bills are likely to rocket in the years to come. “The world turned upside down,” comments Beckerman. “Most people have absolutely no choice. People want to contribute, but can't afford an expensive heat pump, for example. Instead of aiming at households, this accord should be firing its darts at the biggest polluters. Yet it's the corporations with the highest CO2 emissions which are once again encountering no obstacles.”

This Accord won't bring a solution to the huge problems associated with climate change one step nearer. The goals can only be reached in the foreseeable future if the biggest polluters stop emitting CO2. If they won't do this voluntarily, then it's time for binding measures.

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