Energieakkoord and klimaatakkoord. The agreements as a coordination mechanism for dutch climate change policy

Abstract

The Netherlands has a long tradition of seeking consensus on objectives and mechanisms for the deployment of social and economic policy, through consultation and agreement between different stakeholders. This form of 'government by agreement' shows the multiform and decentralised nature of the socio-political and power spheres in the Netherlands. Central government agreements with the social partners, with other levels of government and even with opposition political parties, on elements of government policy have helped to shape governance in the Netherlands for centuries. Agreement-based governance ultimately represents an established aspect of the pluralistic society and the unitary but decentralised Dutch state. Against this backdrop, the purpose of this paper is to study Dutch energy and climate agreements in order to support energy transition and climate action. They will be considered in their perspective as instruments of collaborative and multilevel governance, as a framework for climate policies.