Do we need the fossil fuel industry for a fossil-free future?
Professor Richard van de Sanden, scientific director of EIRES and group leader at DIFFER, argues that the current discussion is too focused on completely eliminating fossil fuels, while they are still present in many products. A better approach would be for the Netherlands to reconsider its industrial strategy and switch to a decentralized energy infrastructure, such as solar panels on roofs.
Van de Sanden sees opportunities for innovative, small-scale production that uses green electricity. He believes that the transition to sustainable technologies will mainly come from new players in the market, not from established fossil fuel or chemical industries.
In the debate at De Balie on 28 November 2024, he joined to discuss this with various stakeholders.
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