The Netherlands announced Wednesday that it will exit the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), as this legal framework stands in the way of the climate goals set in Paris and offers “too much protection” to fossil fuels.
“In the coming period I will make a proposal to the cabinet and the House for the termination of our membership (…) The treaty still offers too much protection to the fossil fuel industry,” explained Energy and Climate Minister Rob Jetten on his official Twitter profile.
With this decision, the Netherlands aligns itself with Spain, which decided last week to withdraw from this initiative, which, although slightly modified, does not satisfy countries such as France or Poland, which are already working on other alternatives.
The ECT allows energy companies, especially those related to fossil fuels, to sue countries in a court system if they consider that the legislation goes against their interests. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) called the treaty a “serious obstacle to climate change mitigation”.
Italy is the only EU country that is not part of the ECT, since it left it in 2016. At the end of October, at the Council of the European Union, the countries of the European club will have to position themselves for or against the modernized ECT.
Read More: The Netherlands announces that it will withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty
