Ref. Ares(2021)2102752 - 25/03/2021
From:
(CAB-VON DER LEYEN)
Sent:
Thursday 25 March 2021 09:26
To:
CAB VON DER LEYEN ARCHIVES
Cc:
(CAB-VON DER LEYEN);
(CAB-VON
DER LEYEN)
Subject:
FW: Brief Rabobank aan mevrouw Von der Leyen-verzoek om
advies
Attachments:
EC Green threshold of the EU Green Taxonomy.pdf
From:
@rabobank.nl <
@rabobank.nl>
Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2021 9:18 AM
To:
(CAB-VON DER LEYEN) <
@ec.europa.eu>
Subject: Brief Rabobank aan mevrouw Von der Leyen-verzoek om advies
Heer
goedemorgen,
volg ik voor de coöperatieve Rabobank de
ontwikkelingen in onze politiek-bestuurlijke en maatschappelijke omgeving in Brussel en Den
Haag.
Rabobank is in Nederland een van de grootbanken, met een geschiedenis van 125 jaar in de
agrarische kredietverlening. Meer informatie vindt u op: https://www.rabobank.com/nl/about-
rabobank/profile/index.html
Ik wil u om advies vragen.
Mijn bestuursvoorzitter
wil bij mevrouw Von der Leyen zorgen uitspreken over
een actuele discussie over de Green Taxonomy, met name de discussie over de drempelwaarde
waaronder productiefaciliteiten als ‘groen’ kunnen worden gekwalificeerd.
Naar welk mailadres kan deze brief gestuurd worden, of kunt ervoor zorgen dat zij deze brief
onder ogen krijgt?
Vriendelijke groet,
Rabobank Nederland
@rabobank.nl
Postbus 17100, 3500 HG Utrecht
Croeselaan 18, 3521 CB Utrecht
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Rabobank
Ref. Ares(2021)2102752 - 25/03/2021
Managing Board
Postal address
PO Box 17100 (UC001), 3500 HG Utrecht, The Netherlands
Visiting address
Croeselaan 18
Her Excellency Mrs. Dr. Ursula von der Leyen
3521 CB Utrecht, The Netherlands
President of the European Commission
Telephone
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 130
E-mail
@rabobank.nl
1049 Brussels, Belgium
Date
March 24, 2021
Subject
Green threshold of the EU Green Taxonomy
Dear President von der Leyen,
With this letter we would like to express our concerns on recent developments regarding the EU
Green Taxonomy. Specifically, we would like to urge the Commission to ensure the 100 grams
CO2 per KWh for production installations is included in the Commission's Delegated Act, in line
with the Technical Expert Group’s recommendations. The recent attempt to weaken the threshold
by allowing ‘gas back-up’ as Sustainable for Finance under the Green Taxonomy is in our view
undesirable and a risk to the credibility of the Taxonomy.
We believe there is a sufficient regulatory framework to ensure grid stability and back-up capacity
that is needed in the years to come as the transition to a renewable energy based, climate neutral
economy progresses. We firmly believe that the Taxonomy should exclusively include and
appreciate green and renewable technologies, in line with the recommendations of the Technical
Expert Group. Only then, the purpose of identifying and labelling green finance can be attained.
Making fossil fuels eligible to qualify sustainable finance under a higher threshold undermines
the Taxonomy as a science-based standard and would stimulate the status quo rather than
stimulate a green energy transition.
Analysis from civil society organisations shows that up to half of all EU gas plants are running
below 2000 operational hours a year and could therefore be included in the Green Taxonomy
with the new proposal (cf EEA data on large gas turbines and engines reported to the EEA for
the year 2019). We strongly feel this development is in conflict with the Presidents’ Green Deal
and the ambition to increase the current climate targets. In order to meet these ambitious targets,
giving clear guidance to financial institutions on what can be considered green investments are
crucial in order to accelerate the transition.
Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.
Registered at the Chamber of Commerce. Number 3004.6259 / VAT-number NL.8032.81.183.B.01
2/2
As financial institution, we support your continuous efforts to show global climate leadership,
and we feel the Green Taxonomy could lead the way globally to empower the financial sector as
accelerators of the transition to a renewables-based, climate-neutral society. That is why striking
the right cord with the Green Taxonomy is of crucial importance to us.
Of course, we are available to exchange with you on this issue.
Yours sincerely,
Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.
Registered at the Chamber of Commerce. Number 3004.6259 / VAT-identificationnumber NL.8032.81.183.B.01