Every year, the fossil industry receives even more subsidies and tax benefits than previously thought. This amounts to between 39.9 billion and 46.4 billion euros, according to a calculation by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. This is stated in the documents that will be released on Budget Day.
Insiders confirm reports from the NOS about this. It is a sum of all benefits. It is only a sum of all the benefits for the use of fossil energy and raw materials. Costs for consumers are not included. The piece also states that a large part of the benefits (approximately 17 billion) are laid down in international treaties or directives of the European Union.
A recent research report by SOMO, Oil Change International and Milieudefensie already reached a total of 37.5 billion euros. Outgoing Minister Rob Jetten (Climate and Energy) then said that the amount seemed familiar to him.
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Fossil subsidies are the target of discussion, which led to climate demonstrations last week in The Hague. There, demonstrators from Extinction Rebellion have been occupying the A12 every day since Saturday. They announced that they will continue to do so every day until the government stops fossil subsidies.
Additional greenhouse gases
In fact, it is mainly about tax benefits for businesses. The government thus encourages the use of fossil fuels. And according to scientists and environmental organizations, that is a problem for the climate. Because by making the use of petroleum products cheaper, the state actually has an incentive to emit additional greenhouse gases.
Jetten wants to abolish fossil benefits completely. Some fossil benefits have also disappeared in recent years. According to Jetten, the phasing out of fossil benefits cannot happen in one go. According to him, a phase-out plan should be drawn up for this. For a long time it was unclear how many subsidies and tax benefits went to the fossil sector.
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