On April 8, Minister Heinen (Finance) informed the House of Representatives about the results of the exploration of possible additional climate measures for the financial sector. In the letter, the minister indicated that he has decided not to proceed with national climate legislation for the financial sector.
In the letter, the minister indicates that he has decided not to proceed with national climate legislation for the financial sector. On the one hand, because in his view the measures examined are not the right measures for a targeted contribution of the financial sector to the financing of sustainable transitions, on the other hand because the - internationally operating - financial sector benefits from harmonized, European regulations.
This conclusion is in line with the input DUFAS gave to the minister in early 2024. Investors and investors can make an important contribution to financing sustainable transitions. DUFAS has also been committed to this for years. One of the ways we do this is by advocating in Europe for an ambitious and feasible legal framework for sustainable financing. So that investors get the right information to take sustainability factors into account in investment decisions, to be able to respond to client preferences in the area of sustainability, and to be able to account for the impact of investments on sustainability. DUFAS members operate pre-eminently in an international environment, which is precisely why it is important that we make these agreements together in Europe.
In addition, DUFAS and many of our members have already signed the Climate Commitment for the Financial Sector in 2019. The Minister rightly points out in his letter that the financial sector shows good steps in reporting on emissions related to investments and on reducing those emissions in the 2024 Progress Report. In particular, the minister points to the current Financing Tables, in which the financial sector is working with InvestNL to remove barriers to financing the energy transition in the Netherlands. We remain fully committed to this as a sector.