As seen by the ongoing dispute between farmers and the Dutch government over greenhouse gas restrictions, a top minister from the Netherlands has warned other European lawmakers that public support for the continent’s climate policies is dwindling.
Deputy prime minister Sigrid Kaag, who also serves as minister of finance, said that her government is finding it more and more difficult to persuade some segments of the electorate to support initiatives that will affect future generations.
One such initiative is the need to reduce nitrogen-based emissions, which has resulted in significant disruption, altercations with the police, and a political upset in the Dutch senate elections.
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Kaag, who heads the liberal D66 party, which is one of the four parties in the government said “We need to create that level of support and entice people, and inspire them,” but noted that “That is not always easy because the Netherlands, ironically, is more conservative than you would think.”
One of the world’s most densely populated nations, the Netherlands, is attempting to cut nitrogen-based emissions by persuading farmers to downsize their livestock herds or exit the business altogether.
With more than 11 million pigs, the nation boasts the highest density of livestock in the European Union (EU).
Story was adapted from Financial Times
