Last week it became known that the Dutch House of
Representatives [Tweede Kamer] wants the natural
gas-powered systems in its quarters at the Binnenhof to be replaced
with more sustainable alternatives during the Binnenhof's
renovation. This followed an earlier announcement that consumers
must make the switch to sustainable heat pumps as quickly as
possible. All of these plans spring from the National Energy
Agreement, the initial approach for which was revealed by the Dutch
Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Eric Wiebes, in
February. Wiebes wants all stakeholders to mobilise to achieve the
climate objectives together.
But even before the ink on this ambitious, carefully considered
plan was dry, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets
(ACM) decided to forge its own path. Not because it considers the
subject matter unimportant: in February, the ACM named the energy
transition as one of its four focus areas for 2018 and 2019. The
real reason
