Greenpeace Netherlands is going to court to force the cabinet to withdraw current state aid to KLM, because climate conditions are lacking. As a first step, Greenpeace formally notified the government today.

 'The cabinet is failing to make firm agreements with KLM about combating pollution, says Dewi Zloch, Climate and Energy expert at Greenpeace. We want to emerge from this crisis green and honest. This billion-dollar subsidy for major polluter KLM is at odds with this. That is indigestible for anyone who is working hard on the transition to a sustainable society. This state aid plunges us deeper into the climate crisis, which is contrary to the duty of care that the Dutch government has towards its citizens. As the Supreme Court has previously confirmed in the Urgenda judgment '.

 KLM climate plan is missing

KLM does not have a solid climate plan and the climate policy of this cabinet falls hopelessly short for the aviation sector.

'Meanwhile, the kerosene blasts are flying around our ears, with airline tickets far below cost. That is untenable. This support package is intended to provide security for KLM employees. But that is precisely what the government has failed to do. Because although KLM is now being kept upright for the time being, this major polluter will not be made future-proof and thousands of people are still being thrown out. And that is not only a bad thing for climate, nature and health, but also for the employees of KLM who still have no certainty in the long term, 'says Zloch.

Greenpeace wants the government to impose a maximum number of megatons of CO2 emissions on KLM each year. 'That has to decrease every year, so that the major polluter emits less every year, says Zloch. This will not work with the so-called sustainability of aviation, because it is going far too slowly. Electric planes or, for example, flying on zero-emission fuel is really not getting off the ground for the time being. The number of flights will therefore have to be reduced considerably. To start with scrapping short-haul flights below a thousand kilometers. Because it is really not necessary to have several planes flying to Brussels or Paris every day '. The government has until 1 October at the latest to respond and enter into discussions with Greenpeace about whether they can meet these requirements. 

 Polluting aviation in the EU filled with billions

The corona crisis has left airlines worldwide on a state drip. In all, this amounts to EUR 32,5 billion in Europe alone. This is evident from the 'Airline Bailout Tracker'from Greenpeace, Transport & Environment and Carbon Market Watch. Greenpeace has previously protested against the KLM billions. In mid-May, activists cycled onto Schiphol's Aalsmeerbaan to unfold a banner between the parked KLM aircraft with the text 'No money without green'.

Photo right: Image bank Greenpeace

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