Boucke submitted his amendment together with Jimmy Dijk (SP) and Suzanne Kröger (GroenLinks).
4,500 schools
In his amendment, Boucke writes that the Netherlands is the European leader in solar panels, but he and the co-sponsors believe that additional steps need to be taken, for example on school roofs.
‘More than 4,500 schools in the Netherlands do not yet have solar panels, but have roofs that are suitable for this. If the electricity demand of these schools is made more sustainable, an additional CO2 reduction of more than 245,500 tons per year can be achieved.’
Subsidy scheme
Through the Sustainable Social Real Estate Subsidy Scheme (DUMAVA) of the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, schools can receive a subsidy to become more sustainable, for example by purchasing solar panels. This subsidy scheme is also open to other organizations that own social real estate and is largely oversubscribed with each opening round. With additional resources, Boucke believes that more schools can take steps towards sustainability.
The MPs want the extra resources to be available exclusively to educational institutions, so that schools have better access to financing for, among other things, solar panels.
Advised
Minister Jetten has advised against Boucke’s amendment – but also the amendments on extending the ISDE for wind turbines and solar panels and on the quality budget for solar parks.
The MPs want to use the money released from a Porthos reservation to cover their amendments. However, according to Jetten, that is not possible. ‘It concerns the release of money in 2023 that will now be used by the House for 2024. 2024 is a year in which we are already against the 3 percent standard (ed. for euro countries, the government deficit may not exceed 3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). That is why I must advise against all such expenditure due to budgetary prudence.’
If the amendment is adopted by the House of Representatives, the budget of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate for the calendar year 2024 will be amended. The House of Representatives will vote on the amendments in more than 1.5 weeks.