Background and request for advice
Efforts to make the Netherlands more sustainable are stalling. A major contributing factor is that many people feel the policies are unfair. They feel, for example, that high demands are placed on the public, while big companies are allowed to go about their business. Or that the average Dutch citizen is forced to shell out for costly sustainability measures, while people on a higher income do not have that problem. People in a vulnerable socio-economic position are most likely to be affected by sustainability issues such as air pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate change, whereas these people contribute least to these problems because they consume the least. Making sustainability fair means ensuring that everyone can take part and that everyone who is able to take part, does take part. The benefits and burdens should also be fairly distributed. This is not currently the case.
The main question addressed in this advisory report is:
What preconditions do sustainability policies need to meet to be both fair and effective?
Explanation
Based on our analysis, we draw the following four conclusions.
Government policy on sustainability is increasing social inequality
Sustainability measures have a significant impact on people's lives. Not everyone is able to keep up with these changes to the same extent. Government policy should enable everyone to take part in sustainability efforts. That is not currently the case. Many people are unable to use elements of the policy, such as grant schemes and loan facilities. As a result, large groups of people are missing out on the benefits of sustainability measures, particularly those who occupy a vulnerable position in society. For them, sustainability therefore forms an additional barrier to keeping up in society rather than helping them.
Injustice experienced by people places measures to improve sustainability at risk
Many people find the central government's current sustainability policies unjust because they increase social inequality. This undermines support and causes sustainability measures to stagnate. The resulting delay mainly affects people in a vulnerable socio-economic position. These people actually have the most to gain from sustainability efforts in the short and long term, such as lower energy bills and a green neighbourhood with clean air.
Government policy neglects the human aspects of sustainability efforts
For a long time, central government has paid too little attention to the social and economic impact when developing and implementing sustainability policies. This impact was not analysed in advance. In addition, many policies targeted citizens and businesses that cause a lot of pollution. These parties were persuaded to take measures to improve sustainability through grant schemes. This created a public perception that the polluter-pays principle was not being applied – on the contrary, the polluter was being paid. The focus on fast results at low costs for the government is understandable, but also led to not enough being done for less wealthy people and small business owners.
The government is not doing enough to encourage people who are able to improve sustainability to take action
Current sustainability policies do not ensure that everyone who is able to take sustainability measures actually does so. Many wealthy individuals and companies that are well placed to make sustainable choices on their own do not always do so in practice. This needs to change: fair and effective sustainability measures require everyone to take part according to their ability to pay.
Publication
The advisory report Making Sustainability Fair was presented to Minister Sophie Hermans of Climate Policy and Green Growth and State Secretary for Participation and Integration Jurgen Nobel of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment on the 3rd of December 2025.
Information or comments
To comment or for more information, please contact the project leader, Evert Nieuwenhuis, at evert.nieuwenhuis@rli.nl, or on +31 (0)6 21 92 65 01.