Ten ideas to create a robust environmental policy from Netherlands Environmental Agency
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) has published recently a report: “Changing track, changing tack”, which summarizes 40 years of Dutch environmental policy and illustrates recommendations for the future that may also be interesting to other countries in the developed world. The Dutch approach to environmental problems has been very successful in improving environmental quality and may boost public opinion about environmental policy, something that is greatly needed, today, to build political support for the development of a new approach. The essay of PBL presents 10 ideas for national governments to modernize environmental policies. Some ideas aim at switching tracks to clean production and consumption, which has been facilitated by a change in consumer behavior and make industry more responsible. Others focus on the role of national governments in stimulating technological and social innovation, especially in market-based economies. With its 10 ideas, PBL intends to initiate a new public debate on the future of environmental policy. This debate will bring to a common understanding of the challenges that lie ahead and will develop a shared analysis of the barriers to be overcome and of the options to do so.