Most Dutch say cost of climate policy is unfairly split: SCP

A clear majority of Dutch people view the costs of climate policy as unfairly distributed, with most saying big polluters and richer households are getting off too lightly, according to research published by the government’s social policy advisor SCP.

Of those surveyed, 82% said the costs of tackling climate change were not fairly divided between citizens and businesses, and 78% said the burden was unevenly split between rich and poor households. Only 12% are satisfied with current climate policy.

Support for individual measures has held up, however. Green hydrogen still has 70% backing, offshore wind 62% and district heating networks 55%. But anger has grown over how the bill is being shared: 34% of respondents said they were “angry” about the attention given to climate policy compared with other social problems, up from 24% a year earlier.

A class divide

SCP researcher Yvonne de Kluizenaar said many people feel “big polluters … pay too little and are let off, while citizens are relatively heavily taxed”.

The report points to a widening gap between renters and homeowners. Those who can already afford to install solar panels, heat pumps or buy an electric car capture the bulk of available subsidies and the lower energy bills that follow, while tenants on lower incomes are largely excluded.

Earlier research by ING bank found that the lowest earners spend a rising share of their income on energy, while the highest spend proportionally less.

Concern about climate change itself dipped from 73% to 65% over the past year, though overall support for climate action has barely shifted. The SCP warns that it is the perception of unfairness, rather than scepticism about the science, that now most risks undermining public support for the transition.