Advisory letter

Good Water, Good Policy

Rli - may 2023
11 May 2023
Teasertekst
The Netherlands is required to meet the WFD standards by 2027. What government policy is needed to achieve the WFD objectives as quickly as possible and then consolidate the objectives achieved?
Advies bestand
Advisory report Good Water, Good Policy481.53 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2023/02

Background to and focus of the advisory letter

Plentiful supply of good-quality water is vital for health, nature, drinking water production, industry and agriculture. In force since 2000, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires all waters in Europe to meet its standards by 2027. Much has been done since then, but the framework’s objectives are still far from being achieved. Only a small percentage of Dutch waters are considered "good" status. In 2019, for example, 75% of surface waters exceeded standards for one or more pollutants. And in 2020, the biological quality of 90% of surface waters was still not good enough, mainly due to excessive loads of nitrogen and phosphate from fertilisers. Failure to achieve WFD objectives in a timely manner could mean that numerous activities in the Netherlands – both in agriculture and in the rest of the economy – are forced to come to a halt. There is also a risk that if the Netherlands fails to meet the WFD objectives, it could face fines from the European Union.

Against this background, in this advisory letter the Rli focuses on answering the question: what government policy is needed to achieve the WFD objectives as quickly as possible and then consolidate the objectives achieved?

Children playing in and around the water, with newly built houses in the background

Explanatory Note

In this advisory report, the Rli concludes that with the current Dutch policy, the WFD objectives cannot reasonably be met by 2027. Moreover, the implementation of that policy is being hampered by a number of factors, to such an extent that the WFD objectives are unlikely to be achievable beyond 2027 without the policy approach being tightened up. The Rli makes five recommendations that are expected to allow the WFD objectives to still be achieved, albeit later than 2027.

1. Improve the way the WFD follows through into all relevant policy areas and take mandatory measures to this end

The government must ensure that the WFD objectives and associated standards explicitly and bindingly follow through into legislation, regulations and decision-making in all policy areas that contribute to the WFD objectives being met. For example, general rules on fertilisers, plant protection products and the discharge of hazardous substances should be tightened up. The Rli recommends applying the Dutch Water Assessment [in Dutch: watertoets] (a formal advisory instrument to facilitate the integration of spatial planning and water management) more strictly for all spatial plans and decisions that affect or are likely to affect the water system. Spatial plans and decisions must be adapted if the Water Assessment shows that they bring about a detoriation in the current state of the water system. 

2. Make all groundwater and surface water abstractions subject to licensing or notification and reserve sufficient physical space for drinking water production

The Rli recommends making all groundwater and surface water abstractions subject to licensing in areas at risk of water shortage, specifically highlighting the importance of protecting groundwater and surface water intended for drinking water production. This water resource must meet the requirements to be imposed on it in terms of both quantity and quality. It is important to consider how the growing demand for drinking water can be met in future, so that it can be taken into account in spatial planning.

3. Reduce nutrient concentrations in groundwater and surface water by tightening up manure regulations, deploy instruments for the government's intended reduction of livestock numbers and improve purification in sewage treatment plants

The Rli recommends ensuring that manure policy is in line with WFD objectives. To reduce nutrient concentrations in water, the Rli recommends gradually scaling down the number of phosphate and livestock rights being traded, buying up these rights for a reasonable fee and taking them out of circulation. The Rli also recommends requiring water boards that still allow discharges of too many nutrients such as phosphate and nitrate to surface water to add a fourth treatment stage in sewage treatment plants by 2027 at the latest.

4. Ensure that the WFD objectives follow through into legislation on plant protection products, priority substances, emerging substances, drug residues, etc.

The Rli recommends ensuring WFD objectives follow through into plant protection policy and amending laws and regulations governing products in which priority and emerging (only recently found in water) substances are used. The WFD objectives will have to be incorporated into these laws and regulations.

5. Start assessing the effects of all measures immediately

It is important to quickly clarify what the remainder of the WFD challenge consists of. The Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management should therefore arrange for the expected effects of all current and proposed measures to be assessed. Additional measures should be taken where necessary.

Publication date

The advisory report was presented to the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management on 11 May 2023.

On 11 May 2023, Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mark Harbers took receipt of the advisory letter “Good Water, Good Policy”. L to R: Karin Sluis (Rli Council member and committee chair), Jan Jaap de Graeff (Rli chair), Mark Harbers and Niels Koeman (Rli Council member). Photo: Fred Ernst

Information or comments

For further information on the advisory report, please contact project leader Nicole van Buren at nicole.van.buren@rli.nl or +31 (0)6-10172005.

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Farmers with a future

Rli - december 2021
2 December 2021
Farmers with a future
Teasertekst
What kind of government policy can help agri-entrepreneurs determine their own future, within the boundaries of sustainability?
Advies bestand
Advisory report Farmers with a future1008.44 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2021/06

Background and request for advice

Agriculture in the Netherlands must become more sustainable. The necessary transition will have a significant impact on how farmers operate their businesses. The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure has considered which government policy will help agri-entrepreneurs to determine their own future within the boundaries of sustainability set by government and society. In other words: how can the government encourage farmers to use their entrepreneurial skills to earn an acceptable income within the boundaries that the environment imposes on their business? We spoke to farmers from different backgrounds to find out what they think about building a sustainable future for themselves.

The future of an arable farmer - employee

Explanation

Policies intended to foster sustainable agriculture currently emphasise the restructuring of agricultural businesses (buy-outs, expropriation) and the adoption of ever more detailed rules on how to farm. We believe that more should also be done to support agri-entrepreneurs who are willing and able to carry on their businesses sustainably. Government should make them part of the solution by allowing them to take responsibility for developing a future-proof (and in many cases multifunctional) business that is resilient enough to handle changes in policy. Government support for farmers – policy, money and expertise – is indispensable for this. We offer six recommendations in this regard:

1. Provide maximum clarity on farm-specific sustainability standards

Authorities will need to clarify the goals that must be achieved and the corresponding timeframes. These goals should be broken down into farm-specific standards, as far as possible per unit (plot/building). The standards must be set in a way that policy goals are actually met, obviating the need to tighten up standards for farmers midway.

2. Give agri-entrepreneurs as much freedom as possible within the framework of government standards

Standards set by government can be generic or specific, depending on the parameter concerned and the particular situation. In the latter case, the standards are specified in a permit. We recommend that these standards should, as far as possible, be laid down in goal-conditioned provisions and that it should be left to the agri-entrepreneur to decide on the means used to achieve the goal. We realise, however, that the necessary monitoring will require considerable effort.

3. Facilitate the establishment of an integrated sustainability performance certification system and create an independent authority to set up and monitor this system

We recommend that the national government should promote the introduction of an integrated sustainability performance certification system and an associated independent authority (with practical knowledge of the agriculture sector). The independent authority we are advocating can also play a coordinating role with respect to government oversight. An added advantage of such coordination is that it fosters learning from best practices.

4. Commit to proper farm-level enforcement

Giving farmers more freedom and more responsibility for their sustainable practices makes proper enforcement all the more important. The authorities will remain responsible for oversight and enforcement. However, the outcome of reviews by the certification authority (including possible decertification for legal infringements) may actually result in less (or, occasionally, more) government oversight. It goes without saying that the responsibility for penalising farms that do not abide by the rules remains with government.

5. Be actively involved in and support regional collective policymaking

In some regions, the tasks are shared between many stakeholders, for example to raise the groundwater level or restore biodiversity. Such tasks should be adapted into criteria for individual farms in regional collective policymaking processes in which the farmers themselves are involved. The national government must play an active role in such processes, with the province offering support.

6. Commit to improving the sustainability of the value chain and to changing consumer behaviour

Whether agricultural businesses can become more sustainable also depends on the extent to which their partners in the food value chain and consumers alter their practices and behaviour and support them in the transition to sustainable business practices. The national government must encourage lenders, supermarket retail groups, marketing cooperatives and consumers to do more to share the responsibility for the transition to sustainability.

Publication date

The advisory was presented to the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality on 2 December 2021.

More information

For more information about the advisory report, please contact project leader Nicole van Buren at nicole.van.buren@rli.nl or +31 (0)6 1017 2005.

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Green recovery

Rli - july 2020
July 2020
Teasertekst
The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure calls for a green recovery from the corona crisis in which the economy, employment and a sustainable physical environment go hand in hand.
Advies bestand
Advisor letter Green recovery1.48 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2020/04
photo of station traverse with large sticker on the ground with text 'Care for eachother, keep a distance of 1,5 m '

In its advisory letter, 'Green Recovery', the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) discusses the concurrence of economic recovery policy and the transition towards a sustainable society, which is an important aspect of the choices to be made.

Over the past five months, the coronavirus has changed social interaction and the way people live, affecting their appreciation of what is important in life and their expectations of the future. It is still uncertain if these changes are permanent or whether many aspects can go back to how they used to be, once a vaccine or medicine has been developed. What is certain, according to the Council, is the fact that choices can be made about how to bring the economy back on track. In its advisory letter, 'Green Recovery’, the Council discusses the concurrence of economic recovery policy and the transition towards a sustainable society, which will have an important impact on the choices to be made. The advice centres around the following question:

Which government investments or policy measures on the physical environment would initiate economic recovery, while also structurally supporting the transition towards a sustainable and vital economy, in the longer term?

In this advisory letter, the Council argues in favour of a green recovery from the corona crisis, in which economy, employment and a sustainable physical environment go hand in hand. According to the Council, increasing the sustainability of the economy and physical environment is, as yet, not adequately incorporated into considerations about economic recovery policy. The Council offers an assessment framework that can help policymakers and political parties in designing green recovery policy, when drafting election manifestos or drawing up the next Coalition Agreement. The Council also presents numerous concrete suggestions for green recovery measures. In some areas, where the experiences of past months put into doubt whether ‘business as usual’ is still the best course of action, it may be wise to pause measures and revisit previous decisions.

Urgent policy tasks regarding the physical environment

The transitions in energy, food and circular economy remain urgent, as do matters such as climate adaptation, also during the economic recovery after COVID-19.

Like COVID-19, these unavoidable sustainability challenges will also have a far-reaching impact on the economy, perhaps even more so. Therefore, recovery policy requires an inspiring government vision on the future, in which economic, ecological and social objectives are linked in a way that encourages and challenges citizens and entrepreneurs to put their shoulders to the wheel together.

Options for green recovery

The Council mentions various possibilities for society to emerge ‘green’ from the crisis. For example, immediate implementation of the Climate Agreement and the transition towards a carbon-free economy will have to be given full priority in government policy. However, much more is needed, across many areas, to ensure a healthy, safe, vital, accessible and sustainable physical environment. The Council makes suggestions for green recovery measures in the following policy areas:

  1. Making the built environment more sustainable
  2. Accelerate new housing construction
  3. Future-proofing energy infrastructure
  4. Making rural areas more sustainable
  5. Zero-emission mobility and transport
  6. Zero-emission aviation and shipping
  7. Climate adaptation

Publication date

On 10 July 2020, the Council issued its advisory letter, which was presented to the Ministers and State Secretaries of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK), Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) and the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK).

More information

For more information on the advisory letter, please contact project leader Bart Swanenvleugel, bart.swanenvleugel@rli.nl, +31 (0)6 52 01 26 91.

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European Agricultural Policy

Rli - may 2019
Subtitel
Working Towards Circular Agriculture
May 2019
Rli advice ‘European Agricultural Policy: Working Towards Circular Agriculture’
Teasertekst
The Council’s advice focuses on the possibilities for using the CAP to support the transition to circular agriculture.
Advies bestand
Rli advice ‘European Agricultural Policy: Working Towards Circular Agriculture.’254.23 KB
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Rli-infographic 1 - 'European agricultural policy for circular agriculture'2.23 MB
Rli-infographic 2 - 'Evolution of the common agricultural policy'9.64 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2019/03

Background and request for advice

The European Union’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is reviewed and revised every seven years. Last year the European Commission set out proposals for the next period that give the member states more freedom to use their funding allocations to pursue national objectives. Taking note of these proposals, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality asked the Council to advise on how to make best use of the CAP over the coming years to support the transition to circular agriculture – a form of agriculture that is future-proof, resilient and robust and that meets the requirements of environmental, climate, biodiversity, soil, water, animal welfare, landscape and public health policies.

‘flower-rich field margins enhance biodiversity’ - Photo: Lilian Pruissen

Advice

The Council stresses the importance of conducting a flexible agricultural policy and making flexible use of EU agricultural funds over the coming period. The changes needed to establish circular agriculture cannot all be made at once, primarily because the farming practices involved are still developing in an ongoing process of research, experimentation and innovation. The basis for payments to farmers should be periodically reviewed and revised in line with the growing body of knowledge, new insights and increasingly specific objectives for circular agriculture. This will be possible if the EU agricultural funds are gradually decoupled from income support and increasingly linked to results obtained from climate and environmental measures. These results-based payments can be calculated using a points system based on performance indicators. Periodically raising the climate and environmental performance standards will induce farmers to gradually incorporate circular agriculture principles and practices into their farm management.

The transition to circular agriculture is not limited to farmers alone, but is a task for the whole agri-food supply chain; it is not only agriculture, but the whole food system that will have to change. Linking the eco-schemes via a points system to private-sector sustainability schemes will lead to the emergence of a revenue model for circular agriculture, both for farmers and for other businesses in the agri-food chain. This linkage will considerably reduce the administrative burden, not only for the public authorities but for the agricultural sector as well.

The Council also advises repairing the proposed reductions in the EU budget for sustainable rural development and keeping this budget at least at the current level, and where necessary raising it to fund additional investments in climate and environment. The Council argues that this budget is indispensable for supporting the transition to circular agriculture through knowledge exchange, experimentation and sharing practical experience in soil improvement, biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation and adaptation. In addition, money should remain available to reward farmers for public services in the form of agri-environmental and water management.

Publication

The Council presented its advisory letter ‘European Agricultural Policy: Working Towards Circular Agriculture’ to Carola Schouten, the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, on 22 May 2019. 

More information

The advisory letter, explanatory memorandum and accompanying infographics can be downloaded from this site.

If you would like further information or wish to comment on the advice, please contact Hannah Koutstaal, project leader, at Hannah.koutstaal@rli.nl or call +31 6 11797505.

 

 

 

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National Environment and Planning Strategy

Rli - november 2018
Subtitel
Litmus Test for the new Environmental and Planning Policy
20 November 2018
National Environment and Planning Strategy: Litmus Test for the new Environmental and Planning Policy.
Teasertekst
What governance and steering arrangements will bring the government’s priorities within reach?
Advies bestand
Rli advice ‘National Environment and Planning Strategy: Litmus Test for the new Environmental and Planning Policy’849.29 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2018/06

Background and request for advice

The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations asked the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure to advise on the National Environment and Planning Strategy (Nationale Omgevingsvisie: NOVI). Specifically, the minister asked the Council how the ‘main governance and steering mechanisms, either in their current or an amended form, can be deployed effectively to realise the government’s priorities.’

This advice was requested to inform the preparation of the draft National Environment and Planning Strategy, which will be sent to the House of Representatives early in 2019. The Government Position Paper on the National Environment and Planning Strategy was published as an intermediary step on 5 October 2018.

The National Environment and Planning Strategy, or NOVI, is a new policy instrument introduced in the reform of environmental and planning law.

 

Photo: Spiegelwaal, Nijmegen, an example of a complex regional challenge: urban development, flood risk management, infrastructure and landscape quality | © Thea van den Heuvel /DAPh

Advice

The National Environment and Planning Strategy is the government’s main instrument for orienting spatial development in order to ensure a good quality environment. Essential to achieving this is a coherent and integrative approach to the major environmental and development challenges facing the Netherlands. The Council is concerned that there are too few signs of this in the preparation of the Strategy and in the arrangements for taking it forward. The main hindrances are the silo mentality and compartmentalised decision-making in government as well as inadequate teamwork between national, regional and local authorities. The Council considers a coherent and integrative approach – the key principle behind the recent reform of environmental and planning law – to be the litmus test for the new environmental and planning policy and as such the government has an important task in bringing this about. The Council also believes that to achieve this it is essential that the government provides clear political direction for the preparation of the National Environment and Planning Strategy. This is one of the Council’s recommendations in its recent advice ‘National Environment and Planning Strategy: Litmus Test for the new Environmental and Planning Policy’.

Recommendations

In its advice the Council makes eight recommendations concerning the substance of the Strategy, the process of preparing it, and working with the Strategy after it has been adopted. Three of the recommendations are:

  1. Ensure that the NOVI contains an inspiring and robust vision for the future of the Netherlands that enables public authorities, businesses, civil society stakeholders and the public to make future-proof decisions. Present this vision, in draft form, for discussion as soon as possible so that it can ripen and be enriched during the course of the political and social debate.
  2. A stronger political steer by the government and more inter-authority cooperation will be essential for policy alignment and integration.
  3. The choice for an area-based approach and the active involvement of national government in regional development implies a division of the country into about thirty regions, with national government having a policy presence in each of them.

Publication

The Council presented its advisory letter ‘National Environment and Planning Strategy: Litmus Test for the new Environmental and Planning Policy’ to Kajsa Ollongren, the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, on 20 November 2018.

More information

If you would like more information about this advisory letter, please contact Tim Zwanikken, project leader, at tim.zwanikken@rli.nl, tel. +31 (0)6 52874404.

 

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Accelerating housing production, while maintaining quality

Rli - june 2018
Subtitel
Opting for speed and quality
28 June 2018
Accelerating housing production, while maintaining quality
Teasertekst
How can the pace of house building be increased to produce enough homes to meet the demand?
Advies bestand
Accelerating housing production, while maintaining quality330.9 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2018/05

Background and request for advice

How can the pace of house building be increased to produce enough homes to meet the demand? The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has announced a series of measures to accelerate housing production. They include the launch of a dialogue with the regions, amendment of the Crisis and Recovery Act and the creation of a fund to make it financially feasible to construct housing in complex urban locations. In the National Housing Agenda 2018–2021, the minister and representatives of property developers, construction companies, home-owners and tenants, and landlords expressed the ambition of building 75,000 new homes annually until 2025.

In light of the public and political pressure to build houses quickly, the Council has drafted an advisory letter to the minister with a number of suggestions. The key question addressed by the Council is how to accelerate building production, while maintaining the quality of the living environment.

Woningbouwproductie

Explanation and points of departure

A central message in the advice is that the urgency of the building challenge must not lead to the subordination of other tasks that contribute to the quality of the living environment. After all, the new homes being built today will become tomorrow’s residential environments. The Council’s second message is that there is no quick fix for accelerating housing production. The Council therefore calls for a sense of realism on the part of all the stakeholders. The Council further argues that a lot of homes need to be built in the Netherlands, but not everywhere. Only in a number of regions that are experiencing persistent housing shortages.

In its advice, the Council makes a number of proposals for accelerating building production. The Council also expresses the view that in addition to increasing the number of houses being built, the minister’s policy should also be devoted to making the housing market more stable. At present, the production of homes is extremely sensitive to swings in the economy.

Recommendations

The recommendations concern short-term measures that can be taken to support the dialogue the minister has started in regions where the housing market is tightest, as well as measures that will have an impact in the longer term, but which should be taken on the short term.

  1. The minister should focus exclusively on regions where the housing market is tight and there are structural housing shortages, on the basis of a long-term commitment;
  2. The discussions of the regional round tables should address the following issues: improving the monitoring of planning capacity, producing good regional data, endeavouring to get away from the ‘greenfield-infill (re)development’ dichotomy in planning developments and prioritising locations and areas;
  3. Municipalities should strive to increase the building density at inner-city locations;  
  4. Resolve problems relating to the accessibility of building locations;
  5. Use existing instruments and develop new ones to persuade land owners to actually build in accordance with a zoning plan;
  6. Enable housing associations to invest more in building production by introducing a discount on the landlord levy for new-build properties;
  7. Adopt measures to make housing market policy more anti-cyclical over time.

Publication

The advisory letter ‘Accelerating housing production, while maintaining quality’ was presented to Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations Kajsa Ollongren and the presidents of the House of Representatives and the Senate on 28 June 2018.

Information or reaction

For more information about the advice, please contact Lianne van Duinen, project leader, lianne.vanduinen@rli.nl, tel +31 (0) 6 15369330.

 

 

Pieter Hooimeijer
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A Broad View of Heritage

Rli - december 2017
Subtitel
The interactions between heritage and transitions in the physical environment
18 December 2017
A Broad View of Heritage
Teasertekst
Transitions are going to alter the physical fabric of much of the Netherlands. What does this mean for the immovable cultural heritage of the Netherlands?
Advies bestand
Advice A Broad View of Heritage603.06 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2018/01

Background and request for advice

Transitions and other developments are going to alter the physical fabric of much of the Netherlands. The consequences of developments like the energy transition, climate adaptation, urban development, upscaling in agriculture, technological innovations and demographic changes will be considerable, but are also subject to uncertainties and will work out differently in each region. The Council for Culture and the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure have investigated what this means for the immovable cultural heritage of the Netherlands. The conclusion is that it will not be necessary to overhaul policy, but that what is needed most is a change in culture within the heritage sector itself.

A Broad View of Heritage

Recommendations

  • Attend to the quality of area
    The transitions will require more attention to the quality of both rural and urban areas.
     
  • Make good use of the new environmental strategies (under the forthcoming Environment and Planning Act)
    Stories about heritage can be a source of inspiration, help generate support for change and be an integrative force for a shared vision for the future.
     
  • Put the user centre stage
    The heritage sector must shift its focus from ‘selection and designation’ to ‘brokerage and conversion’. Encourage temporary and new uses by looking at heritage assets through the eyes of the user and adapt policy instruments to match this perspective.
     
  • Keep the target groups in mind
    The councils observe that greater effort should be made to gain support and active involvement from young people and Dutch citizens with a migration background. Make use of their stories about heritage to engage them in discussions about the future of an area.

Publication

The Council for Culture and the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure submitted their advice ‘A Broad View of Heritage’ to the minister of education, culture and science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, on 18 December 2017.

More information

For further information on the advice, please contact Tim Zwanikken: +31 (0)6 52874404, tim.zwanikken@rli.nl

 

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Risks assessed

Rli - june 2014
Subtitel
Towards a transparent and adaptive risk policy
June 2014
Risks assessed
Teasertekst
In this advisory letter the Council recommends that less importance should be attached to numerical norms within safety management policy.
Advies bestand
rli2014-04risksassessed.pdf500.91 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2014/06

Instead, the emphasis should be on a separate description of risks, probabilities, and consequences.

Introduction

The discussion about a new risk management policy is not new. This advisory letter follows on from a series of thorough reports on the topic, all of which seek change. It recognises that practice is changing and suggests that now is the time to formalise ongoing developments, making the implicit fully explicit.

The Council proposes a risk assessment framework in which decision-making is less reliant on numerical norms. Greater weight should be attached to moral considerations such as the fair division of benefits and costs, with the concerns of all stakeholders taken into consideration in an open and transparent process. Risks are seldom certain; a scientific approach can, to some extent, reveal the degree of uncertainty they entail. Nevertheless, people have expectations and beliefs with regard to the outcomes of that uncertainty. This is why there are varying opinions about risks and their acceptability within the societal debate. If it is to take due account of the various expectations and opinions, risk management policy must be both adaptive and transparent.

The Council goes on to examine why new insights have not been incorporated into policy. This advisory letter presents elements for a transition programme which will form a solid foundation for a new assessment framework. As the first step in implementing this advice, the Council recommends that attention should be devoted to policy dossiers such as the Delta Programme and the ‘Basisnet’ system (designated routes for the transport of hazardous materials).

Publication date

This advisory letter was submitted to Ms Melanie Schultz van Haegen, Minister for Infrastructure and the Environment, and her State Secretary Ms Wilma Mansveld on 26 June 2014, together with an advisory letter on the same topic produced by the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR).

Risks assessed
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Recovering the costs of environmental damage

Rli - june 2014
Subtitel
An advisory letter on financial indemnity requirements for high-risk companies
June 2014
Recovering the costs of environmental damage
Teasertekst
An advisory letter concerning financial indemnity requirements for high-risk companies when recovering the costs of environmental damage.
Advies bestand
rli2014-05recoveringthecostsofenvironmentaldamage.pdf260.01 KB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2014/05

Introduction

In the Netherlands, the risk of serious environmental damage is relatively small. However, the environmental impact of a disaster or a soil decontamination project can be significant. If a serious incident occurs, it is not always possible to recover the costs of remediation from the party responsible. The government and Parliament are therefore considering the introduction of mandatory indemnity requirements for companies whose activities pose a high risk of serious environmental damage.

At the request of the State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment, Ms Wilma Mansveld, the Council produced an advisory letter examining the possibility of requiring high-risk companies to provide financial indemnity against the costs of remedying environmental damage which is caused by, or comes to light upon, the termination of their operations. The Council also examined the possibility of liability insurance. The Council’s assessment is based on two key considerations:

  1. The recovery of costs which would otherwise fall to public sector authorities
  2. The degree to which financial indemnity requirements would encourage companies to take preventive measures

It is also necessary to take the potential effect on companies’ competitive position into account. In essence, the question is one of equity and justice. Is it reasonable to expect society to pay the costs of remedying environmental damage which has been caused by a private sector organisation? In the Council’s opinion, whether this is an issue which calls for a legislative solution is a matter of political and societal debate.

Publication date

The advisory letter was submitted to Ms Wilma Mansveld, State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment, on 3 June 2014.

Hansenn / Nationale Beeldbank
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Influencing behaviour

Rli - march 2014
Subtitel
More effective environmental policy through insight into human behaviour
March 2014
Influencing behaviour
Teasertekst
This advisory report is concerned with the use of behavioural knowledge to support policy in pursuit of environmental objectives.
Advies bestand
influencing-behaviour.pdf4.62 MB
Extra adviesbestanden
Influencing behaviour analysis1.1 MB
Adviesnummer
Rli 2014/02

Introduction

The Netherlands faces the challenge of rendering society and the economy more sustainable. This advisory report is concerned with the use of insights drawn from behavioural science in pursuit of environmental objectives. Using behavioural knowledge in this way seems only logical, so why does it demand special attention?

More effective environmental policy through insight into human behaviour

Knowledge about behaviour

The government must take charge in matters which relate to general societal interests but which will not be achieved automatically. Maintaining a clean and healthy environment is just such an objective. It will not be achieved ‘automatically’ because it is not always possible to rely on members of the public showing the most sustainable, environmentally responsible behaviour.

Individual behaviour is influenced by many factors, including personal circumstances, priorities, and motives. Some people attach little or no importance to the environment, perhaps because they are unable to foresee the consequences of ongoing environmental decline. Others may believe that adopting sustainable behaviour is difficult or expensive. And sometimes, sustainable behaviour is simply not the obvious choice.

Human behaviour is complex and varies according to the situation. The public response to policy measures is often difficult to predict based on the usual assumptions about the rationality of behaviour. The effectiveness of environmental policy would be significantly enhanced if the development process were to make (more) deliberate and systematic use of behavioural knowledge: insights into how and why people act in a certain way in a certain situation. Fortunately, there is now a substantial body of knowledge about human behaviour, its mechanisms, and how people are likely to respond to government (policy) interventions. Policy processes are now beginning to draw upon this knowledge in earnest. In 2009, the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) published an advisory report entitled ‘The human decision-maker: on the psychology of choice and behaviour’, which calls for behavioural knowledge to be used to the greatest possible extent in support of good policy.

The Behaviour Analysis Framework and Behaviour Quick Scan

The Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) is now going a step further by establishing direct links between behavioural knowledge and policy options. It does so by means of the Behaviour Analysis Framework developed to accompany this advisory report. The Framework will help policy-makers to conduct a thorough analysis of the relevant determinants of behaviour, which include an individual’s knowledge and skills, his or her motives, personal circumstances, and the choice processes which come into play in a given situation. The Behaviour Analysis Framework has been condensed to form the Behaviour Quick Scan. It is a useful tool which makes it far easier to take human behaviour into account when selecting policy instruments, which may range from legislation to measures which encourage and facilitate civil initiatives.

The advisory report is in two sections: Part 1 (Advice) and Part 2 (Analysis). Both are available in English and can be downloaded from this website. The accompanying Behaviour Analysis Framework and the Behaviour Quick Scan are available in Dutch only.

Four case studies

The Council has applied the Behaviour Analysis Framework to four case studies in the environmental policy domain:

  • Sustainable mobility (peak-hour avoidance)
  • Household energy efficiency
  • Reduction of food wastage
  • Domestic waste management (separation of organic waste at source)

The most significant findings are presented throughout the body of the advisory report. A full account is published separately, in Dutch only.

Publication date

The advisory report ‘Influencing behaviour – more effective environmental policy through insight into human behaviour’ was presented to Ms Wilma Mansveld, State Secretary for Infrastructure and Environment, on 5 March 2014.

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