A new international agency for sharing expertise on adapting to climate change will be split between Groningen and Rotterdam, junior environment minister Sharon Dijksma has announced. The Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation (GCECA), which is being set up by the Netherlands with backing from Japan and the United Nations' environment programme, will be launched next year. The Netherlands is investing €1m in the project. With a workforce of several dozen, the agency will develop an international network of universities and institutes, companies, government and financial sector firms to support organisations working on climate adaptation. In Rotterdam, the agency’s staff will be housed in a floating, climate neutral office complex, while in Groningen they will be part of the Energy Academy Europe. Announcing the launch of the project in February, Dijksma said: ‘Failure to deal adequately with climate change will increase a multitude of risks such as natural disasters, social and economic disruption and increasing political tensions. Many people are looking for good practices and guidance with regard to climate change adaptation. I am convinced the Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation can help address these challenges.’  More >

  Plastic recycling initiatives are doing little for the environment, according to a report published on Wednesday. The CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Analysis has analysed the effects of Dutch recycling processes, and concludes they result in low-grade plastic with limited uses, saving the country just 0.15% in equivalent carbon emissions. Some materials like films – it adds – are simply burned, as they aren’t suitable to recycle. So, says the report ‘The plastics circular economy: from raw material to waste’, local areas should spend more on processes to select better quality plastic for reprocessing. More plastic than fish There is international concern about the increasing use of plastic and pollution, particularly in the water chain. By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean, according to a recent report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The Dutch research, commissioned by the infrastructure, environment and finance ministries, suggests that the material now makes up 90% of packaging, and when people area charged for their waste, many put it in the compost. But even bioplastics, made from things other than oil, generally don’t break down naturally. ‘Recycling is not a solution to litter and the plastic soup,’ the report adds. Key time The report suggests more international rules limiting the use of the material in things like cosmetics, better filtering of groundwater, and a more extensive deposit system so customers return packaging to stores. It echoes concerns expressed by environment agencies and waste firms in recent months that the ‘Plastic Heroes’ recycling system – which reportedly costs €150 million a year – is anything but heroic. The report comes at a key time when a new coalition is trying to finalise its manifesto, with major differences on the environment between the four parties involved.  More >

The caretaker government's 2018 budget includes a €900,000 boost for the royal family, RTL news said on Tuesday evening. That increases the total budget for the royals, excluding security costs, to €42.3m, RTL said. The official pay for the king, queen and princess Beatrix will go up in line with other civil servants next year to €902,0000, €358,000 and €510,000 respectively. Other civil servants who work for the royal family will also see their pay go up in line with inflation. The rest of the extra expenditure will go on cars, horses, other vehicles and the use of the royal palaces, including lighting and heating, RTL said. The cost of telecommunications, advice and accountants has also increased.   More >

The king made his traditional speech and the finance minister presented the traditional suitcase to parliament. Gordon Darroch assesses the caretaker government's spending plans for 2018. Viewers of the television quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? will be familiar with the scene in which the presenter dangles a cheque for several thousand pounds under the contestant's nose for a few seconds, then theatrically whisks it away and proclaims: 'But we don't want to give you that!' Because there are bigger prizes still to be won. This year's Dutch budget felt a bit like that. For the first time in years the government has the luxury of money to spend: a €2.9bn budget surplus in 2017, predicted to soar past €10bn by 2021. In the words of the king, the Netherlands currently boasts a 'flourishing economy' and 'healthy coffers'. Yet the spending plans announced on Prinsjesdag were notably restrained. Opposition politicians complained of a missed opportunity to rebound from the years of austerity, but nobody was really surprised. Convention A new government is expected to take office within the next few weeks, and the outgoing caretaker administration is bound by the convention that it should refrain from making substantial policy decisions while its successor is being formed. There is also the new diktat of the houdbaarheidssaldo, which requires governments to future-proof their plans by calculating how much they need to keep back for long-term commitments such as healthcare. Once this has been factored in the amount left over is a more modest €1.7bn. The outgoing coalition managed to secure the new team's blessing for a number of small outlays: €435 mln for the elderly care sector, €270 mln to meet the pay demands of primary school teachers and €425 mln to ease the plight of pensioners and welfare dependents. Low incomes Politicians of all stripes agree that people at the lower end of the income scale should be the first to benefit after bearing the brunt of the recession, but the projected rise of 0.6% in disposable income is a small return on an economy growing by 3.3% a year. For many people rising living costs, from the price of apples to the new excess charge for health insurance of €400, will quickly swallow it up. More money is also promised for healthcare, defence and tackling the challenges of climate change, but the details of these will have to wait until the new government takes office. For the same reason the annual budget debate (Algemene Politieke Beschouwingen) was postponed and will now be combined with the forthcoming debate on the new cabinet's policy programme. Only then will we learn who will be getting the major prizes in 2018. What was announced on Tuesday Total government income €285bn, total expenditure €277bn Budget surplus to reach 0.8% of GDP National debt to fall to 53.7% of GDP Economic growth will be 2.5%, compared with 3.3% this year On average people will have 0.6% more to spend, those in jobs will notice a 0.7% rise, those on benefits 0.3%. Unemployment will decline by 50,000 to 390,000 €425m to repair spending power of pensioners and benefit claimants €160m extra spending on security and public safety €435m extra for nursing homes a year plus a further €130 for new staff €270m for primary school teacher’s pay €25m extra for the food safety board NWA €75m extra for the tax office to solve its organisational issues Own risk element in health insurance to rise from €385 to €400 a year Health benefits will rise by an average €130 a year You can read more columns by Gordon Darroch on his blog Words for Press.  More >