These are the tax credits for companies that use a lot of oil, gas and coal. When you think of ‘subsidy’ you quickly think of money you receive from the government, but discounts are just as much of a gift. These can be seen as a subsidy, because they will cause companies to use more oil, gas and coal.

Including companies such as Tata Steel, Shell and KLM. But also consider shipping, generators of fossil electricity, and large consumers of fossil energy such as fertilizer makers.

For a better overview, you can view the study by Milieudefensie, which examined the top 10 major polluting companies.

While you pay neat energy taxes, companies that use a lot of oil, gas and coal receive enormous tax discounts. Think of Shell, Tata Steel and KLM. This costs every taxpayer (including you) €5,000 per year! That’s unfair.

We can also use this money to tackle the housing shortage, pay healthcare workers decently and make all homes energy efficient, instead of giving it to the shareholders of these companies.

In addition, large companies are exacerbating the climate and ecological crisis that the CEOs and shareholders themselves are hardly affected by. Its consequences fall on ordinary people, in the form of climate disasters, famine and extreme weather.

This is currently happening mainly in the Global South, but we are also increasingly feeling the consequences in the Netherlands. Consider the floods in Limburg, the impact of heat waves on the elderly, people with chronic diseases or people living in poorly insulated homes on a heat island in the city, and farmers who suffer from water shortages.

No, that will not happen, as long as the money released by abolishing fossil subsidies is distributed fairly.

By investing the money that is released smartly, for example in better care, making houses energy efficient or free public transport, the life of the average Dutch person will not become more expensive at the bottom line.

Abolishing these discounts may lead to some jobs disappearing, but many new jobs will also be created.

Companies that work sustainably and energy efficiently will be happy, and there is already a dire shortage of people there. There are countless unfilled vacancies, for example for installation technicians or environmental experts.

That is why the money released by abolishing fossil subsidies must be invested in retraining people, while maintaining their income.

For years the government has concealed exactly how much discount they give. At first it was said to be €4.5 billion, later researchers turned out to €17 billion. Then it became €37.5 billion. At the beginning of September 2023, the government said the amount is between €39,7 and €46,4 billion per year.