Frequently asked questions

Increasingly, people are trying to minimize their impact on the planet. They switch to green energy, cycle more or reduce their meat consumption. However, as long as governments and pollution-heavy companies – as well as their shareholders – fail to take responsibility, it’s much harder for consumers to make sustainable choices. This is because consumers are in many ways dependent on the range of choices offered to them by institutions and companies.

Individual actions matter indeed. But we can only create a healthier climate by working on solutions together, and by making sure that these solutions are fair to all human beings living on Earth. Pollution is not an individual problem, but a collective one. For example: insulation is important, but we cannot expect every household to have budget for this and take it up themselves.

Collectively, however, we can make climate solutions affordable to everyone. And we can make sure that civilians get ample chance to weigh in on schemes designed to make their neighborhood more sustainable. In the end, we want everyone to have access to living essentials that are healthy, sustainable and affordable.

Our government calls itself the greenest one ever. We know, however, that this is far from true. Unfortunately nothing substantial is being done to live up to the Paris Climate Accords. Indeed, much of our money flows directly towards pollution, deforestation and unsustainable industries.

The fossil industry, for example, catches billions of euros every year. Our food production system destroys ecosystems and causes an enormous amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Not to mention the destructive ties that many Dutch companies have to palm oil, petrol and coal.

Nederland is een rijk land met wereldwijd veel economische invloed. Wij willen dat de regering die invloed gebruikt om een einde te maken aan de klimaatcrisis en de ellendige gevolgen die veel mensen nu al ondervinden. Door te blijven investeren in grote vervuilende bedrijven en hun aandeelhouders en niet te kiezen voor mens en klimaat, investeert de overheid in een economie zonder toekomst.

Juist nu kan de overheid die bedrijven de goede kant op duwen en van Nederland een internationale koploper maken, in plaats van een hekkensluiter. Bijvoorbeeld door voorop te lopen met een eerlijke energietransitie, die bedrijven zelf betalen en die geen mensen dupeert. Bijvoorbeeld door te stoppen met het subsidiëren van vervuiling en dat geld te investeren in groene oplossingen voor iedereen en de wereld te laten zien dat en hoe dat kan.

We advocate explicitly for fair climate policies, meaning we demand that everyone be sure of a stable income and a well-working social safety net. The transition to a society that values Earth and respects its limits, will actually bring about a surge in ‘green’ jobs – think the construction of windmills, or insulating houses. With a fair distribution of wealth, we can guarantee a just society for all.

We advocate for a future without fossil fuel, and without nuclear energy. The Netherlands can live up to the Paris agreement without relying on nuclear energy and without causing nuclear waste. Nuclear power plants are not necessary here, and also not practical as they are more expensive than other solutions. Besides, nuclear power plants take too long to build, whereas renewable energies such as wind and solar are readily available.