Enigin Update - Netherlands Failing to Reach Energy Saving Targets
THE Netherlands Court of Audit, which checks that the government spends public funds and conducts policy as intended, reports there have been a failure for years to achieve energy saving targets.
Due to this failure the Court of Audit reckons it is doubtful that the Netherlands will meet the agreed EU targets of “20-20-20”, requiring 20 percent reductions in carbon emissions and energy use and a 20 percent increase in renewable energy by 2020.
The conclusion of the report entitled Energy Saving: ambitions and results state the nations “Energy-saving policy is inadequate.” Also, major energy users have remained partially exempt from energy tax, even after a covenant on energy saving was largely abandoned.
Energy consumption in the Netherlands increased by 11 percent between 1995 and 2007, not by 4 percent as the government had planned. As a result, 13 megatonnes more CO2 were emitted than intended. The energy saving policy is not working effectively enough. We fund three causes:
In recent years the government has taken fewer and less effective measures than ex ante studies had found necessary.
Policy for the energy intensive manufacturing industry has had relatively little impact. In the period 1995-2008, the average impact was an energy saving of 0.3 percent to 0.4 percent per annum, in comparison with a total national energy saving of 1.4 percent per annum.
The policy executed in the manufacturing sector only partially agrees with the reasons why entrepreneurs invest in energy saving measures. The government has concentrated on reducing the cost of energy saving measures. In practice, however, other factors also play a role in energy efficiency.
The report does beyond the country’s borders as the report also targets the European Union's CO2 emissions trading system, which the report states: “frustrates national policy”, citing that up until 2005 major consumers were obliged under Dutch law to take energy-saving measures, but the obligation was removed with the advent of the EU trading system.
The Rutte/Verhagen government declared in the coalition agreement that it would 'continue and strengthen' the energy saving policy of the fourth Balkenende government. Since the previous government had been unable to achieve its ambitions, energy saving policy will have to be considerably more effective if the ambitions remain unchanged or are increased. The same is true of the policy to reduce CO2 emissions. It is unlikely that continuation of the Balkenende government's policy will achieve the CO2 reduction targets set for the Netherlands for 2020. More effective policy than the one conducted to date will therefore be needed to reduce the emission of CO2.
The Court of Audit recommend that specific policy instruments be directed at manufacturing companies that are not participating in the European CO2 emissions trading system. The government should also press in Brussels for binding national energy saving targets for all EU member states. When new European regulations are introduced in this area, the Netherlands should implement and enforce them quickly and without reservation.
Enigin Distributors in the Netherlands have the tools available from Enigin to enable Dutch businesses and organisations to improve their energy efficiency, save energy, money and CO2 emissions. Much of the costs for improving energy efficiency are covered by the savings from reduced untility bills.
Picture by Poom reproduced under CCL.
