Webinar Klimaatakkoord.nl “Sustainable mobility: between skepticism and optimism”

The webinar by Klimaatakkoord.nl (25 February) debated on the need to become more sustainable much faster. The climate targets are not yet within reach, the growth and cost reduction of electric cars is stalling and not everyone can afford such a car yet. Yet some of the speakers envision a 'whole country driving electric', even during this lifetime. Floor Alkemade and Auke Hoekstra joined the debate.

Floor Alkemade acknowledges the importance of new technology but urges the national government to take the lead: “We also need a system change. Think of concepts such as the compact city, the 15-minute city: the municipalities want to take the car out of the city, but there has to be an alternative. So already when you build such a neighborhood. The government, companies and municipalities must take the lead in changing the system. But I still see too often that this does not happen because there is fragmentation. Someone does mobility, another does energy, a third does cost efficiency. The national government doesn't want to force things, but is far too reluctant to do so. Now we should see the benefits of lockdowns with home working."

Although the Netherlands is 'world champion of charging stations' with the highest density per 1,000 inhabitants and has shown strong growth in numbers of electric cars in recent years. Auke Hoekstra also stresses the necessity for change: “Keeping a charging station occupied for three days when your car has long since been charged? Just put a tariff on it, and you'll learn to ignore it. Many people only charge their cars once every three days. A mileage tax only in 2030? Nothing, track-and-trace with GPS boxes in the car can be done much more quickly and easily than Italy or France, for example. And his prediction of when the electric car will become cheaper than the petrol car? "That will probably be somewhere from 2026 onwards…. We will need a transition period of fifteen years. But by 2030 you can't get rid of a petrol car here."

Link to the webinar klimaatakkoord.nl  (in Dutch)