Lawmakers support court-based investigation into climate activism

Photo: DutchNews.nl

Cabinet parties VVD and CDA have again joined forces with the far right. move back It calls for an “investigation” into how interest groups and private citizens are forcing governments to take action through the courts.

Court triumphs over citizen initiatives such as Urgenda and mobilization for the Environment has helped governments do more in the fight against climate change. But some argue that policy is decided by the courts, not Congress, and that this should stop.

A motion by the fundamentalist Christian SGP calling for an investigation into how citizens’ initiatives are legally used was backed by a majority of parliamentarians on Tuesday, with support from the ruling VVD and CDA parties in the ballot. bottom.

During the discussion, SGP Member of Parliament Chris Stoffer said that rather than organizations like Urgenda and the Mob acting in the general interest, they acted in much smaller and specific interests. said it does. A court will have to determine whether such groups are sufficiently “independent” to take legal action against the state, he said.

“Climate policy is a matter for politicians, not the courts,” Stoffer said.

anxiety

While Urgenda’s case has led the government to introduce tougher measures to combat CO2 emissions, Mob is focused on reducing nitrogen-based pollution.

D66 MP Joost Sneller (D66) said he was shocked that two coalition parties had sided with the opposition. “This is a concerning move, as access to the law is currently open to all persons and all organizations, but may now be restricted.”

He said the environmental groups in court were only trying to make sure the government would comply with its own laws.

UN agreement

Urgenda founder Marjan Minnesma told the trow She isn’t concerned about the motion, pointing out that it’s purely a ‘request for investigation’.

“Our specific concern is to ensure the survival of the planet, and that seems like a perfect example of a general concern,” she said. I didn’t come up with it, it’s enshrined in the United Nations climate agreement, approved and signed by our governments.

Old VVD and CDA sided with the extreme right Regarding the motion to consider entering into agreements with foreign countries to house and process asylum claims.