Previously, Urgenda was able to enforce that the Dutch State must do much more to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now that this does not happen, Urgenda demands a penalty.
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The climate organization threatened to go back to court in May if the cabinet did not come up with additional climate measures within a month. Because the climate portfolio was given a new name with State Secretary Dilan Yesilgöz, the government was given a little longer.
But according to Minnesma, it’s taking too long now. “What is necessary is not happening, apparently you have to go back to court,” says Minnesma.
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The Urgenda case, what was it again?
The Urgenda case revolves around the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands. Both the Dutch state and sustainability organization Urgenda believe that this should happen, but they differ on the pace.
The state wants CO2 emissions to be reduced by 20 percent in 2020 compared to emissions in 1990. Urgenda thought that was too little. More than ten years ago, in the UN climate treaty, the Dutch state promised to emit at least 25 percent less CO2 by 2020.
Urgenda found in 2013 that the state was not doing enough to achieve that target and filed a lawsuit. Both the court and the court of appeal ruled in favor of Urgenda. The Dutch state subsequently appealed in cassation.
In December 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that Urgenda was right. This means that greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands must be reduced by 25 percent by the end of next year compared to 1990.
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Between 100 million and 2 billion
The climate organization demands a penalty from the state that, according to Minnesma, can amount to between 100 million and 2 billion euros. “It is up to the judge to choose how much. We will probably also go to the European Court of Human Rights to file a complaint against the Netherlands.” The state has to pay such a penalty if it does not act according to the rules during a certain period.
In a response, Yesilgöz calls it “disappointing that the Urgenda Foundation is going to court again.” In the coming weeks, the cabinet will look at measures to halve CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 1990, she emphasizes. measures are not awaited.
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