About us
Liberal Green is the network for sustainable economic growth of the Netherlands’ People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). It is one of the largest and most active thematic networks in the party. We make recommendations for election manifestos, write policy proposals for our members of parliament, and organize company visits and meetings that are open to party members as well as non-members. By doing so, Liberal Green also raises awareness about the VVD’s thinking on sustainability.
Liberal Green was founded in 2008 and has been a thematic network of the VVD since 2016. As an official network, we can submit amendments and motions at party conferences and nominate candidates for the House of Representatives and the European Parliament.
Our objectives
Liberal Green keeps sustainability high on the VVD agenda. We exert influence on the drafting of election manifestos, the party’s policy and strategy. We keep in touch with VVD politicians and, of course, VVD members, including at events organized by Liberal Green itself.
Liberal Green also communicates the VVD’s thinking on sustainability. We maintain relations with nongovernmental organizations, visit companies and occasionally reach out to the media. In these ways, we make every effort to bind (potential) members and voters to the VVD through Liberal Green.
Our positions
Our vision: Toward a sustainable economy: circular, innovative, clean and forward-looking.
Our mission: Liberal Green makes the VVD more sustainable. We exert a positive influence on politicians, party members and voters to cultivate support for the transition to a sustainable economy.
Our background: The Thematic Network Liberal Green was founded to make responsible choices for future generations on energy, climate, food and water. In 15 years, it has developed into the Netherlands’ liberal answer to climate change.
Members of Liberal Green endorse the following core principles.
Climate change is a challenge and an opportunity.
We take advantage of the need to make our economy sustainable to generate “green growth”. Challenges in energy, nature, food and water are also a chance to make money in sustainable ways.
We are optimists.
The Netherlands excels at innovation, including in climate adaptation. By innovating, in business and technology, we create new growth models for ourselves and other countries.
Freedom must be paired with responsibility.
We don’t buck our responsibility to the rest of the world, nor to future generations. We make our own economy sustainable instead of exporting pollution. We make our economy sustainable now in order to reach the climate goals of 2050.
We bring our prosperity in balance with climate and nature.
Not everything is possible everywhere. Clean growth is not just a vision of the future; it is increasingly urgent. We make choices for a healthy environment and a sustainable economy, informed by facts and scientific insights.
We support pioneers.
We prefer not to ban, but to stimulate. We oppose permanent government subsidies. We are in favor of public innovation- and transition funds when the market cannot yet reasonably invest.
The polluter pays.
Pollution always has a price. By factoring in the social costs of pollution, we make some products and services more expensive, and clean and sustainable alternatives competitive.
We need a greener tax system.
We shift the tax burden from income and investment to consumption. Green choices should always pay off. Pollution of the environment must be taxed. With these reforms, we encourage businesses to become more sustainable and we can simplify and abolish regulations.
The government sets clear limits and creates the right conditions.
The government articulates long-term goals, sets requirements for production and products, and enforces them. It develops reliable and understandable regulations, and makes resources available for sustainable investments. Entrepreneurs benefit from a clean and reliable energy supply, new revenue models and a level playing field.
We take the lead.
Climate change affects the entire world. That is why we want international action and a level playing field. What cannot be done internationally, we attempt in Europe. What cannot be achieved in the EU may be achieved with leading group of member states. We take responsibility for what we can do in the Netherlands.
The EU leads the way in the “new economy”.
We leverage the EU’s market power to advance the transition worldwide. We reduce our dependence on unfree countries by striving for strategic sovereignty.
We take a holistic approach to policymaking.
Transitions do not progress in a straight line. Sometimes we need to adjust. When a change is needed, we consider it in the context of other planned measures in order to set out a coherent policy.