Climate policy is verging on the criminal

Speech by Ralf Dekker MP to the Dutch parliament. 20 March 2025

Chairman,

It seems these days that climate, nitrogen and sustainability policies are going a bit out of fashion. 

Although the restrictive measures associated with these policies are still in full swing, it is noticeable that these hobbies - or perhaps I should say this ideology- are increasingly clashing with things like housing construction, the maintenance of industry and employment and, last but not least, the grand ambitions of militarisation and warfare. 

The latter in particular is obviously at odds with the green sustainability ambitions of many in this Chamber.

Becoming leading and competitive with the large-scale construction of military equipment is obviously not possible in a zero emissions environment based on solar and wind energy.

But apart from these eccentric combinations of policy ambitions, which are nevertheless mostly advocated with a straight face, it has also become clear in a broader international context that it is completely unrealistic to continue tinkering with climate and energy transitions which put all industrial activity in trouble. These industries are now rapidly disappearing from the Netherlands and ultimately from Europe. The United States or Asia are becoming increasingly attractive as business locations, as Europe and the Netherlands systematically price themselves out of the market with absurd regulations and sky-high energy prices. Major investment firms like BlackRock have now abandoned the Paris climate targets as a guide for investment decisions.

In our neighbouring countries, France and especially Germany, this dilemma is also being seen.  Regulations are being set up – or even dismantled - to reduce restrictions on this issue. Admittedly also partly for military -and thus the wrong – reasons, as far as Forum for Democracy is concerned, but still.

In the Netherlands, where since time immemorial the merchant and the pastor have competed for supremacy - with usually the pastor as the winner - we relentlessly continue our green, noble world-saving activities, with disastrous economic consequences.

We have often discussed the gagging of the Dutch agricultural sector with bizarre rules which are increasingly based on faulty science. The highly successful Dutch agribusiness is facing enormous headwinds from government policies.  It is shrinking, quitting or moving elsewhere. This is even more true for fisheries. But for fisheries, relocation is hardly possible.

Industry is experiencing similar challenges and is now also actively leaving. Energy-intensive industrial sectors in particular are struggling, especially due to high energy prices. Recently, Ingrid Thijssen of the employer’s organisation VNO-NCW sounded the alarm bell. Something must be done before the complete de-industrialisation of the Netherlands.

In the light of these developments, Chairman, I found it a ray of hope that even within the administration of the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, voices are being raised to loosen the reins of overambitious sustainability plans and commitments. They are also saying that sustainability by 2030 no longer needs to be a hard condition for financial support. This is a very cautious step towards realism. 

It would be preferable to get rid of sustainability targets completely. The Netherlands is cleaner and greener today than it has been in recent human history. It is purely due to the increased precision of measuring instruments that we can still find impurities in air, water and the soil. The alleged environmental and natural problems in our country are invisible to the naked eye. 

The same applies to the alleged climate problems caused by CO2, where we are talking about imperceptible tenths of degrees Celsius. An imaginary issue. What is certain in any case is that the Netherlands' contribution to this issue is so futile that it does not matter anyway. 

To sacrifice entire traditionally Dutch industrial sectors for this purpose and to ruin the Netherlands economically is verging on the criminal.

Thank you very much