For climate change initiatives in six regions, the Netherlands will receive 623 million euros in European subsidies.

The funds will be used to fund regional networks for renewable hydrogen, green technologies for the chemical industry and steel production, and the retraining of 49,000 workers currently employed in the fossil fuel industry. These include the provinces of Emmen, West-Noord-Brabant, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, IJmond, Groot-Rijnmond, Groningen, and Zuid-Limburg.

The European Just Transition Fund, or JTF, which was established as part of the Green Deal, is the source of the grants. EU nations have committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, but the JTF is available for regions that will be particularly hard hit by the shift to a climate-neutral economy. The proposals for the six Dutch districts have now received approval from the European Commission.

According to the committee, the millions, which are accessible through 2027, will also be used to bring bio-based raw materials into the chemical industry. Energy-efficient housing, the creation of renewable energy sources, and climate-neutral logistics, such as the electrification of barges, are also supported.