The Dutch greenhouse horticulture sector aspires to be climate-neutral in 2040. Besides generic policy and sectoral climate efforts, success will also depend on activities in other sectors: supply of external CO2 for crop dosing, waste heat and (renewable) electricity, for example. This study examines how greenhouse horticulture can be incentivised to achieve its climate targets with modified and/or additional (integrated) policies. Because of the low gas price and relatively high electricity prices, there is currently no incentive to switch to renewable heat sources.
The study notes that gas consumption in greenhouse horticulture is still not yet effectively priced, holding back the transition. Introduction of an individual CO2 charge for horticulturalists, possibly by adapting the present CO2 sector system, is seen as a promising measure. Sustainable heating technologies will become cost-effective compared with cogeneration if the Energy Tax and Renewable Energy Surcharge (ODE) tariffs for electricity and gas are in equilibrium and there is the same flat rate for all consumers.
The study also makes a series of recommendations for getting the infrastructure up to scratch and removing bottlenecks in the funding of relevant technologies.