During a seminar at the Netherlands Court of Audit on June 5, 2025, representatives from the Scientific Council for Government Policy, the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth, and the Council of State spoke about how justice can find a permanent place in climate policy.
An important theme, according to council member Barbara Joziasse of the Netherlands Court of Audit: “If people perceive a policy or measure as just, the support for it will be greater.”
The Netherlands Court of Audit has conducted research in recent years into the efficiency and effectiveness of investments in sustainable energy sources. At the bottom of this page, you will find several examples. During the seminar, participants addressed the attention that has been given to the justice of the distribution of costs and benefits in investments in the energy transition.
From justice council to scorecard
Participants engaged in discussions about how justice can be integrated into the policy cycle of the energy transition. There were various ideas, such as establishing a so-called Justice Council consisting of 1,500 citizens, including representation from future generations (the empty chair for the future) that can make proposals to the House of Representatives. Or concrete tools for municipal officials and for the Central Planning Bureau so that the distribution of burdens and benefits can be incorporated into their models. Another example is a scorecard that can plot the effects of policy for various social groups based on justice principles.