Sustainable opportunities in a new era
December 1, 2011 | 1 min read
Transition
According to Ockels, gas could play a major role during the transition from fossil fuels, and in that period priority must be given to renewable energy production. “Every new gust of wind, every sunny day means a reduction in the amount of gas used. But the gas companies don’t want to reduce consumption because that will erode their profits.”
Today, the Netherlands has many sustainable initiatives. Companies such as Unilever, DSM and even Tata Steel have chosen a sustainable direction. But the government lags behind. “The Netherlands is in 18th position in Europe. We are one of the worst countries in terms of how much we pollute and how little we spend on renewables. Of all the countries, we are most dependent on fossil fuel – because of our trade. We trade 4 times more fossil fuel than we need. Maybe we have to learn that with trade goes responsibility and ethics. And we should stop it.”
References
This article may be reproduced according to our terms of use with attribution (and link, if online) to www.tias.edu. To be cited as: “Sustainable opportunities in a new era”, Wubbo Ockels, www.tias.edu, December 1, 2011.
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