What do the political parties plan for nature and science?

Photo: Wikipedia/Sneeuwvlakte

Mith the forthcoming elections on 29 October, Dutch voters have the opportunity to vote for new policies on education, research, nature and the environment. This offers the chance to chart a new course. But what exactly do the five parties that, at the time of writing, are polling highest want when it comes to education, research, and nature and environmental policy? Bionieuws quotes from the manifestos of PVV, GroenLinks/PvdA, D66, CDA, and VVD.

‘The climate madness is enough to drive you mad. Climate targets are unachievable and unaffordable. (…) We will withdraw from the UN Paris Climate Agreement and repeal the Climate Act. (…) no wind turbines, no solar farms or other weather-dependent intermittent power. We will not be forced off gas, will keep our coal and gas power stations open, and will build more nuclear power stations – stable and reliable.

‘For the PVV, it is not nitrogen but nitrogen regulations that are the problem (…) Agriculture, housebuilding and road construction are all stuck, because the Netherlands has designated far too many Natura 2000 areas (…). Forced buyouts or compulsory purchase of farmers is absolutely a no-go for us. We are completely done with it. (…) As far as we are concerned, we will bang our fist on the table in Brussels and demand a relaxation of the rules – from the Birds and Habitats Directives to mandatory emissions reductions. ‘Structure, calm and discipline will once again become the norm in the classroom – with politically neutral teachers. Everything unrelated to basic skills, such as politics, is a matter of upbringing and therefore for parents to decide.’

‘GroenLinks-PvdA is fighting for a green future. (…) We are setting course towards a healthy natural environment and more clean energy. We will tackle polluters. (…) Electricity from solar and wind will be the engine of our future energy system. (…) Gas power stations running on green hydrogen will serve as backup. (…)

‘We will align (…) our production capacity with what our natural environment can sustain. (…) This will inevitably lead to a reduction in livestock numbers. (…) The use of chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers will be kept to a minimum. The Netherlands will push for binding international agreements on the conservation of biodiversity, combating deforestation and desertification, and the sustainable extraction of raw materials. (…) ‘Together with innovative businesses and entrepreneurs, we are setting course towards a strong and green economy of the future. (…) Public money must go to education, not to profits. We will put a stop to the ever-growing layer of commercial education consultancies (…). We are working towards the Lisbon target of spending 3 per cent of our national income on research and innovation.’

‘D66 wants to explore how the rights of nature areas can be enshrined in law in the Netherlands. (…) The Netherlands is a champion of biodiversity loss. (…) An additional 50,000 hectares of nature will be created. To achieve this, we will expand the Nature Network Netherlands. (…) D66 wants the Netherlands to be a nature-inclusive country by 2050. Everything we build, produce or construct will go hand in hand with nature – not at its expense. (…) We will improve the quality of our surface water. The 2027 deadline for compliance with the Water Framework Directive is a firm target for us. (…)

‘We will invest extensively in offshore wind turbines and solar panels (…) Green energy is our first choice, but it has its limits too. We therefore rule out no technology. We remain open to nuclear energy. ‘D66 wants the Netherlands to become a frontrunner in research and innovation once again. We will therefore reverse previous cuts and invest additional funds in science. (…)

‘The PhD scholarship for teachers in secondary education will be reinstated. In this way, D66 strengthens the connection between education and science and helps teachers to develop further.’

‘The Netherlands must be freed from the nitrogen deadlock (…) We will restore the Nitrogen Fund, so that ample resources are available to enable the necessary transition in the agricultural sector and nature management. (…) A distinction will be drawn between green nitrogen (ammonia) and grey nitrogen (NO_x). (…)

‘Farmers, fishers and horticulturalists are entrepreneurs, stewards and top technologists all at once. (…) This also calls for responsibility towards animal welfare, the living environment, nature and land use. (…)

‘Nature organisations, agricultural entrepreneurs and agricultural collectives must work more closely together to achieve the strengthening of biodiversity and the improvement of nature quality. (…) We want a redistribution of the surface area of nature reserves. Exchanging areas of nature in order to create more robust nature reserves must become standard practice.

‘We want a green industrial policy. We will make binding agreements with the largest polluters and opt for a good mix of sustainable energy and nuclear energy, energy saving and CO₂ storage. (…) The plant-breeding techniques CRISPR-Cas and cisgenesis will be permitted in plant breeding. The Netherlands must meet the Lisbon target of investing 3 per cent of GDP in research and innovation (…) To that end, we will invest in scientific and applied research.’

‘We are building a clean and resilient economy. (…) We will continue to meet our European obligations in the areas of climate and energy. (…) Nuclear energy is a necessary component of a robust and future-proof energy system.

‘We will ensure concrete, generic nitrogen reduction by steering on emissions, with all sectors contributing proportionately. This will once again create room for the granting of permits. Current legislation contains reduction targets for the calculated quantity of deposition on nature areas. We will replace these critical deposition value (CDV) targets with sector-specific emission ceilings that together add up to a guaranteed 50 per cent emissions reduction by 2035. In addition, an area-specific approach is needed for those areas where the problem is most acute, such as De Peel and De Veluwe. (…) Permits must once again become available for farmers to get to work with nitrogen-reducing innovations.

‘The teacher shortage is putting pressure on the quality and quantity of our education. We must do everything possible to attract more teachers. (…) We will encourage universities of applied sciences and universities to train students for the needs of the labour market, and will make part of their funding dependent on the employment prospects of graduates.’