The “Raad voor Leefomgeving en Infrastructuur” (RLI) has formulated an advice for the Dutch government. The RLI has applied scientific insights to create recommendations and points of interest for the government concerning the following areas: the energy transition, the raw materials transition and the food transition. The report can be summarised with the following statements:

1. The sustainable economy needs a vision based on a broader conception of prosperity.
The government should have a vision on how to make connections between economic, social and ecological goals. The RLI sees the creation of this vision as a constantly developing process.

2. The government needs to find a good balance between old and new elements of the economy.
Current governmental structures prefer established parties instead of innovative newcomers.  According to the RLI, the government should look at terminating certain economic activities early on, using a macroeconomic perspective. Instead of favoring experiments and pilots of new technologies, policy should also facilitate the structural implementation of innovation.

3. The role of the government should be carefully considered, depending on the potential impact and desired results of the policy issue at hand. The government can either seek advice of the market, or be an active player in the matter at hand. It is in any situation important, that government provides a clear frame to ensure a clear direction for the stakeholders involved.

4. The government should choose to use pricing mechanisms and regulation more often, based on clear sustainability goals and visions that are communicated timely with the market. This creates clear frameworks for business to make strategic investments.
The government is hesitant when using pricing and regulation, because it’s afraid that Dutch businesses will lose their competitive position on international markets.

On the 10th of December, the board of RLI, including Clean Tech Delta director, Fred van Beuningen, presented its advice ‘Naar een duurzame economie: overheidssturing op transities’ to Minister Wiebes of Economic Affairs and Climate.

The complete rapport can be found here.