Taco Bosman’s Post

Dutch companies can play a big role in decreasing global emissions. Read more about their value chain emissions and where to get started here in NRC.

Monday, the opening day of COP29 started off on the wrong foot by showing once again that carbon markets are being touted as a primary mechanism for addressing the climate crisis. After a long day of theatre around agenda setting, countries adopted dangerous rules for carbon markets without any negotiation or debate about it. The drive to start COP with a win sets a dangerous precedent around the integrity of the negotiating processes. But this is far from a win for people and planet. Carbon markets, through carbon credits and offsetting projects are a dangerous distraction and a false solution since this approach fails to deliver the urgent and equitable climate action needed. Instead of investing in direct deep emissions reduction, companies rely on these schemes and their unproven techniques to compensate and neutralize their emissions. To make matters worse, these schemes frequently lead to violations of human rights and land rights, forcing communities off their land, and failing to respect the stewardship that local and Indigenous people have over their territories. It displaces responsibility, reinforces systemic inequalities by allowing wealthy countries and corporations to continue polluting while exploiting people, land and resources in mostly low-income countries. This undermines a real approach to a climate just world. Leaders at COP29 still have some space to come up with strong guidelines for the observing body, but let us be clear: stop relying on false solutions like carbon credits and offsetting projects. The real solution? • Prioritize binding regulations to make companies responsible for taking real, transformative climate action based on human rights and in line with 1.5 degrees of the Paris Agreement; • Carbon markets cannot deliver the finance which is so direly needed. Scale up direct public financing mechanisms (under 6.8 and through the new climate finance goal to be negotiated on this COP). Climate finance should be grants-based, needs-based, science-based, accessible and based on needs and priorities of local people. To be continued... See our latest factsheet on Carbon Offsetting as a false solution here: https://lnkd.in/eittZmXC See all Milieudefensie's priorities for COP here: https://lnkd.in/eMnyvZ38

🌍 The Dutch Business Landscape: Navigating Climate Change Challenges According to BNP Paribas, the Dutch business sector faces vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. However, due to its leadership in sustainability, it is relatively well-positioned to absorb the additional cost pressure associated with energy transition. This assessment is based on climate indicators from MSCI ESG Research, including exposure to fossil fuel sectors, carbon intensity of business activities, and revenue from sustainable economic activities. MSCI data reveals that the carbon intensity of Dutch businesses is nearly 50% below the developed market average. This lower intensity suggests reduced susceptibility to energy transition risks. Notably, despite significant contributions from climate-intensive sectors like agriculture, energy, and industry to the national GDP, the exposure to such risks remains limited. This could indicate that sustainable innovations in carbon-intensive sectors have led to lower CO2 emissions compared to international counterparts. Netherlands' longstanding battle against water has instilled the understanding that climate management requires collaboration and reliable governance. With 59% of Dutch territory exposed to flood risks, substantial investments are made in protection measures. To meet new, stricter water safety standards by 2050, infrastructure such as dikes and dams needs reinforcement, with costs repeatedly adjusted upward due to climate change. When assessing customer creditworthiness, BNP Paribas factors in country risk, considering governments' capacity to mitigate climate risks. Consistent governance and long-term vision imply lower risk. BNP Paribas combines various data sources to estimate annual climate damages, incorporating assessments of flood risks and heat-related productivity loss. BNP Paribas also considers the direct consequences of warming in evaluating physical climate risks. Employing a heat model with productivity loss as a benchmark, the bank assesses risks at both macro and individual business levels, utilizing its ESG Assessment tool to evaluate clients' preparedness for ESG challenges systematically. By leveraging these assessments, BNP Paribas aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of climate themes throughout the credit chain, empowering businesses to navigate climate-related challenges effectively. [Source: BNP Paribas analysis based on MSCI ESG Research climate indicators]

It is far from enough to electrify step by step and hope that sustainable energy will automatically replace fossil energy. Rich countries need another 220 years at the current rate of decoupling to reduce their CO2 emissions by 95 percent. Text Tim de Jong Vrij Nederland Professor of system transitions and climate change Heleen de Coninck explains why sustainability is counterproductive with small steps. https://lnkd.in/eCZv8_Gx

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) released a report assessing whether the Netherlands could technically achieve climate neutrality WITHOUT changing lifestyles and our orientation towards economic growth ❓ (https://lnkd.in/esvMk3iY). ✅ Their answer: Yes, this is narrowly technically feasible, but only if we make consistent policy in this direction and take quick action across virtually all possible areas.   After an assessment it seems like a natural question to ask: Does this assessment mean that we can make a plan to achieve climate neutrality without changing lifestyles and our orientation towards economic growth ❓   ❌ My answer: No, we can’t.   This study re-emphasizes why we need to let go of economic growth as a policy goal and change our collective lifestyle to respect planetary boundaries. It does so primarily for three reasons: 1.    Political reality: When has our political system ever delivered consistent, timely policy in a given direction for twenty years in a row? Even if technically feasible, it seems implausible that we would practically manage to implement these possibilities. So, let’s not make it a plan. 2.    Carbon tunnel vision: the study shows climate neutrality can be achieved, but there are many more planetary boundaries to be considered. A technical transition towards climate neutrality might exacerbate problems for other planetary boundaries, as these scenario’s rely on rapid scaling up of both biofuels (requiring land) and renewable energy sources (requiring rare earth metals). We can’t afford to have our plan to limit climate change include exacerbating biodiversity loss. 3.    Responsibility: The study mentions that these pathways – which target only 2050 – reduce emissions by about 80% in 2040, thereby not meeting the 90% reduction in 2040 that will likely become an EU-wide target. Even that EU-wide target falls short of what would be internationally just. We previously explained this here: https://lnkd.in/e_QVxw2i. The PBL, too, has examined what fair climate goals for The Netherlands might be: https://lnkd.in/eyHyn6Xw. Depending on the principle chosen, the reduction in 2040 would need to be between 90 and well over a 100 %. So, both I and the PBL conclude: It is not possible to achieve climate neutrality without changing lifestyles and our orientation towards economic growth in 2050 in an internationally fair way.  🌄 I would really like to see a follow-up study from the PBL on the question: what is the lowest emission budget necessary for the Netherlands to achieve a decent quality of life for all its citizens ❓

Strategisch ESG perspectief: Governance of Scope 3 #strategie De klimaat- en biodiversiteitscrisis kan niemand alleen oplossen, maar samen kan het wel. Quotes: “Because climate action is more effective when many sectors combine forces, it is important to form coalitions that involve key stakeholders quickly and smoothly.” “Many corporations now measure and report the Scope 1 emissions from their owned assets. But these are only a small percentage, typically less than 20 percent, of the emissions under their control. The remaining controllable emissions are embedded in the products and services they purchase from their suppliers.” Samenwerking in business ecosystemen is de start van oplossingen richting een regeneratieve wereldeconomie.

📢This week is Dutch National Climate Week📢 Read about it on https://nkw2024.nl/ and join us for a daily step towards a more sustainable future! 📌 Wednesday 13 November: check your own and your employer’s financial service providers Banks and insurance companies play an important role in financing both unsustainable and sustainable industries. Check how sustainable your bank, insurance company and pension fund are on eerlijkegeldwijzer.nl. Does that make you want to send them a compliment or a complaint? Does it maybe even make you want to change to another provider? Changing banks is almost certainly easier than you think, this tool will do the hard work for you: https://lnkd.in/d_26s8pn   In 2023, Scientists for Future NL asked our universities to bank, invest and insure sustainably: https://lnkd.in/d_8v9kS5 Progress is slow and can be helped with more pressure from employees, so ask your employer whom they bank, invest and insure with, and ask them to change to a more sustainable provider, for example by emailing your sustainability coordinator and/or head of finance. You can find a template for an e-mail on https://lnkd.in/dh-AYqkb!

The United Nations Convention on Climate Change - #COP29 - comes to an end. Another BIG meeting, yes. And the action is with EACH of us. Each small step is a good step! Take business travel: a dilemma to crack each time. International collaboration matters, and so does the goal of net zero. We must weigh it all in.   #ESG #Sustainability #zeroemissions KPMG Nederland #GreenerTogether  De klimaatconferentie van de Verenigde Naties – #COP29 – loopt ten einde. Nog een grote bijeenkomst, ja. En de actie ligt bij IEDER van ons. Elke kleine stap is een goede stap! Neem zakenreizen: een dilemma dat elke keer opnieuw moet worden opgelost. Internationale samenwerking is van belang, en dat geldt ook voor het doel van ‘zero emission’. We moeten allemaal hieraan meewerken!

📢Today marks the start of the Dutch National Climate Week and of course S4F doesn’t want to miss out on that!📢 https://lnkd.in/d78JDJac and https://nkw2024.nl/ provide an overview of the events organised and tips on steps towards a sustainable future that you can take yourself. And we share some inspiration too! This week, S4F sends out a newsletter with five sustainable actions that you can take from your own home or at work, on your own, with your colleagues or with friends and family. Are you curious? Sign up for the newsletter at https://lnkd.in/dUQ5XRnW or keep an eye on this account for daily news about the actions. And... did we mention that you can win a prize? Take photos of yourself while doing at least two different actions and send them to us, and maybe you’re the person we’re sending a S4F mug to! Why not get started right away? Find today’s action below!   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 📌 Monday 11 November The Hague has recently become the first city in the world to ban advertisements for high-carbon products and services. This is an important step, because fossil fuel advertising undermines climate policy by normalising and promoting unsustainable behaviour. And your town could be next! Step 1️⃣ Check if you can find the contact details of your municipality on this website. Step 2️⃣ Click on this link to generate an email template. Add your name, place of residence and the email address of your municipality. Make other edits if you want. Step 3️⃣ Press send! 😊 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ See you tomorrow for action 2!

🌍🚨 Climate Change Alert: The Cost of Inaction 🚨🌍 A recent paper from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact reveals a stark reality: doing nothing about climate change is six times more expensive than investing in climate mitigation. According to the study, a 2% rise in global temperatures could lead to roughly a 19% reduction in global income. This economic impact is hard to communicate, primarily due to uncertainty and a short-sighted perspective. The study underscores the pressing need to overcome biases related to long-term uncertainties. It shows that the world economy is on course to face a 19% income reduction within the next 26 years, regardless of future emission choices. This projection is in stark contrast to the lower costs of climate mitigation required to limit global warming to 2°C. 🌱💼 The message is clear: Investing in climate mitigation now is not just an environmental imperative but also a sound economic strategy. Let’s make informed decisions for a sustainable and prosperous future! #ClimateChange #Sustainability #EconomicImpact #ClimateAction #Sustainability #EconomicGrowth