At the end of February, Milieudefensie published the latest Climate Crisis Index, on the first working day of the government of ‘Climate Pusher’ Jetten. It shows that many companies in the Netherlands are not taking measures to combat climate change. Of the 28 companies surveyed, not one has a good, or even reasonable, climate plan. These include our largest banks, construction, food and transport companies, and oil and gas companies.
The Climate Crisis Index 1 shows that 28 major polluters still do not have a good climate plan and thus continue to contribute to dangerous climate change. While some companies are taking important steps forward, others are lagging far behind. The results call for action from the Jetten cabinet.
It is shocking, but true: none of the 28 companies still have a climate plan that complies with the Paris Climate Agreement. And this at a time when the climate crisis is becoming increasingly serious. Although none of the 28 companies score sufficiently, seven companies, including Vattenfall and BAM, are taking steps in the right direction. Seven others, including Exxonmobil, Vitol and Vion, score ‘very poorly’.
To limit global warming to 1.5 °C, companies must demonstrate in their climate plans how they will reduce their CO₂ emissions by 48 per cent by 2030 at the latest.
A good climate plan has clear interim targets
Many companies say they want to be climate neutral by 2050, but do not show how they intend to achieve this. In the recent Greenpeace court case concerning Bonaire, the judge made it clear that vague promises are not enough. Polluters must be able to show how emissions will be reduced step by step, with concrete interim targets for 2030, 2035 and 2040.
Of the 28 companies surveyed, BAM, ABP and AkzoNobel score well on their goal of reducing emissions by 48% by 2030. Vattenfall stands out with its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
Let’s get to work!
The new Climate Crisis Index was published on the first full working day of the Jetten cabinet and sends a clear message: the new cabinet must get to work immediately. This requires climate policy with concrete interim targets.
This can only be achieved by helping companies that want to accelerate their greening efforts and by stopping support for companies whose climate plans are on a collision course with the Paris Climate Agreement. The climate mission for the Jetten cabinet is clear: get to work!
How is the ranking compiled?
All 28 companies currently on our list
ABN AMRO • ABP • Ahold Delhaize • AkzoNobel • ASR • BAM Group • Boskalis Westminster • BP • Cargill • Dow • ExxonMobil • FrieslandCampina • KLM • LyondellBasell • NN Group • PFZW • Rabobank • RWE • Schiphol • Stellantis • Tata Steel • Unilever • Uniper • Vattenfal • Vion • Vitol • Vopak • Yara
NewClimate Institute assessed the companies on four points. The points below all count towards the final result, but are not all weighted equally:
- Identifying and disclosing emissions (10%),
- setting short- and long-term emission reduction targets with interim targets (40%);
- taking measures to reduce emissions (40%);
- taking responsibility for emissions that are still being emitted (10%).
Read Milieudefensie’s appeal to the Jetten cabinet here.
You can download the full report here.
You can find Milieudefensie’s page on the Climate Crisis Index here.
- The Climate Crisis Index is an overview of the climate plans of 28 major polluters. Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth NL) asked these companies to submit their plans. The research was conducted by the independent research agency NewClimate Institute. An earlier edition of the Index was published in June 2022.[↩]