Covid explains that science can play an important role in government crisis policy. Can’t we also do something with that for the climate crisis? This question prompted France Roegers to form a climate outbreak management team with the support of ten professors and other experts.
He sees it this Friday at the initiative of Director of Research Office CE Delft Climate Crisis Policy Team, KBT, light. Climate policy has so far been determined by lobbyists, as you saw when the climate agreement was drafted. Universities and other institutes of knowledge did not play a role in this matter. “
The Ministry of Economic Affairs made it clear to him that the Provisional Cabinet would never take the initiative to start working with KBT in the short term. But forming a new government may take some time. “This is why we are taking the initiative ourselves and giving our first advice to scouts about formation and to political parties: Create a CO.”2Budget system. This system should ensure that you get the required carbon dioxide2shorthand. And as is currently happening with the climate agreement, this is very uncertain. “
Behind the idea of a budget system are ten scholars, among them Koos Biesmeijer (Leiden), Jeroen van den Bergh (Barcelona), Ernst Worrell (Utrecht) and Marc Davidson (Nijmegen). Climate scientists, but also people “who understand politics and behavior” should participate.
The now proposed budget system will be developed for specific sectors every next month through summer. “In April for the built environment, and later for agriculture, traffic and industry,” says Rooijers.
Additional urgency
“More urgency is needed with regard to climate policy, and this is how we put the words into practice.2The budget system should operate like a sword of Damocles. Large companies already have mandatory rights under the European ETS to allow them to emit greenhouse gases. We also want to offer this to suppliers of electricity, gasoline and gas, for example. They have to buy rights from an ever-shrinking pool. As a result, the price rises and alternatives are visible.
According to Rooijers, the fact that citizens and businesses can run into financial trouble as a result should not be a reason to modify or weaken the climate policy. “With the money freed from selling the CO2Taxes on employment can be reduced and low-income groups compensated.
A copy of this article also appeared on nrc.next on March 26, 2021
