A town in the Netherlands is making history by becoming the first to in Europe to definitively cut ties with fossil fuels companies in a move the industry hopes isn’t going to turn into a Europe-wide trend.
A local court in the Dutch town of Boxtel has raised the stakes for fossil fuels in Europe, ruling against an earlier decision to allow test-drilling for shale, while officials say the town will divest shares in some 200 fossil fuels companies.
Boxtel is a small town in the south of the country and only one of three others where shale exploration was being considered. In August, local authorities asked the court to withdraw the shale gas exploration license of UK-based Cuadrilla, saying too little was known about the potential environmental and health effects of fracking.
The Dutch government was hoping to begin test-drilling in Boxtel and two other locations in the second half of 2014, and had issued a report in August suggesting that risks associated with fracking could be managed under existing laws.
But the local court agrees with the municipal authorities.
In September, Boxtel became one of the first of 100 municipalities to temporarily ban fracking pending further research into the potential impacts. The temporary ban—a minimum of 18 months--came after Dutch bank Rabobank announced it would not lend money to businesses involved in shale gas extraction due to the environmental risks involved.
Read more: Dutch Town Gives Up on Fossil Fuels
A local court in the Dutch town of Boxtel has raised the stakes for fossil fuels in Europe, ruling against an earlier decision to allow test-drilling for shale, while officials say the town will divest shares in some 200 fossil fuels companies.
Boxtel is a small town in the south of the country and only one of three others where shale exploration was being considered. In August, local authorities asked the court to withdraw the shale gas exploration license of UK-based Cuadrilla, saying too little was known about the potential environmental and health effects of fracking.
The Dutch government was hoping to begin test-drilling in Boxtel and two other locations in the second half of 2014, and had issued a report in August suggesting that risks associated with fracking could be managed under existing laws.
But the local court agrees with the municipal authorities.
In September, Boxtel became one of the first of 100 municipalities to temporarily ban fracking pending further research into the potential impacts. The temporary ban—a minimum of 18 months--came after Dutch bank Rabobank announced it would not lend money to businesses involved in shale gas extraction due to the environmental risks involved.
Read more: Dutch Town Gives Up on Fossil Fuels
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