Coal news and updates

 

The Netherlands will no longer provide money to new coal projects overseas, announced the prime minister today, joining the US in a bid to stop the growth of coal.

 

The pact, announced today by President Obama and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, means that the country will stop contributing public money to new coal-fired power stations abroad.

 

“The Netherlands is joining with the United States and a group of other countries in a bid to stop international public funding of new coal-fired power plants, for example by multilateral development banks,” said Rutte, during a joint press conference with Obama in Amsterdam today.

 

“We want to achieve an international level playing field, to ensure that private and public parties invest in green growth wherever possible.”

 

Obama arrived in the Netherlands this morning. His European trip will ostensibly focus on nuclear security, but the crisis in Ukraine is expected to cast a shadow over the proceedings.

 

Despite this, Rutte said during a press conference this morning that climate change was the first topic that he discussed with Obama during their meeting.

 

Former Dutch lead climate negotiator Maas Goote said that it was a “surprise” that climate change featured so prominently, given the distraction of Russia’s actions in Crimea.

 

 

 

Source: http://www.rtcc.org/