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In addition, individual line ministers were responsible for the development and execution of energy saving policy in the sectors covered by their
portfolios.
2
Upon the inauguration of the RutteVerhagen government, ministerial portfolios were reshuffled and responsibility for energy and climate policy
was reallocated. The newly formed Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment IM is now responsible for climate policy. The equally new
Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation ELI coordinates energy saving policy and is responsible for the green deal.
Responsibility for specific energy consuming sectors was also changed.
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1.5 Our audit: audit background, questions and
objective
The annual monitoring data on energy savings show that the Netherlands has failed to achieve the governments ambitions for many years. The
ambitions have been revised on several occasions since 1995, but they have rarely been achieved. A more detailed international comparison,
furthermore, reveals that the Netherlands uses significantly more energy per unit of production than other OECD countries,
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even after correction for specific national features of the Dutch economy CPB, 2010.
Against this background, the main audit questions were: 1.
Why have the energy saving targets not been achieved? 2.
What consequences does this have for the feasibility of the national and European energy and climate targets for 2020?
3. What opportunities are there to strengthen policy?
We answered the first two questions in respect of energy saving policy as a whole in the period 1995-2008. Our answer to the third question is
confined to the manufacturing sector because manufacturing is the
2
The responsibilities for specific energy consuming sectors were as follows: the Minister for Housing, Communities and Integration WWI was responsible for policy in the built
environment sector; the Minister of Transport, Public Works and Water Management VW was responsible for managing the volume of traffic in the transport sector; the Minister of
Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality LNV was responsible for policy in the agriculture and horticulture sectors; and the Minister of Finance was responsible for the execution of green tax
measures.
3
The Minister of BZK is now responsible for the built environment sector, the Minister of IM for the transport sector and the Minister of ELI for policy in the agriculture and horticulture sectors.
4
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD is an alliance of 34 countries established to coordinate social and economic policy.
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largest energy consumer and because a major European study of the impact of energy saving behaviour in households, schools and offices
commenced at the same time as our audit. The audit of the manufacturing sector revolved around two questions.
Firstly, is energy saving policy in the manufacturing sector more effective if it is consistent with the companies reasons for behaving energy
efficiently? To answer this question, we held a survey of companies in the manufacturing sector. The main findings are presented in chapter 5 of
this report. Secondly, are there inefficiencies in the energy saving policy for the manufacturing sector and, if so, where are they? To answer this
question, we commissioned CE Delft, an independent research and consultancy organisation, to investigate the relationship between policy
impact and associated costs cost effectiveness. CE Delft will publish a report on its investigation entitled Evaluatie energiebesparingsbelied in de
industrie. Kosten en effecten in de periode 1995-2008 Evaluation of energy saving policy in manufacturing. Costs and effects in the period
1995-2008. Its main findings are presented in chapter 5. The answers to these questions provide an insight into the results of the
Dutch governments energy saving policy and its impact on CO
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emissions and energy security. They will also contribute to the social and political
debate on reducing energy consumption and increasing the effectiveness of national energy and climate policy. The analysis of individual policy
instruments will also complement the policy options presented in the report issued by the Energy and Climate Working Group set up for the
Reassessment of government functions AZ, 2010. The Working Group has not made a decision on the policy alternatives but has indicated that
more study is necessary.
1.6 Organisation of this report
Chapter 2 of part I presents the main audit conclusions and recommendations. In chapter 3 we present the ministers response to the
audit and our afterword. In part II of this report, we consider the audit findings underlying the conclusions presented in part I.
