Energy transition conversation of the day during FHI Federation Congress

Climate change, transition, recalibration, economic opportunities, courage, uncertainty: all themes that came up during the FHI Federation Congress and caused a stir. Ruud Veltenaar's lecture also provided a philosophical approach to the challenges that lie ahead. Because the energy transition, which is currently being fully set up, affects us all. Moreover, there are still many questions among the members, as became apparent during the dialogue between the audience and the closing discussion panel.

By: Dimitri Reijerman

The program was kicked off by Nick van de Sande, secretary of VNO-NCW/MKB-Nederland. His story was primarily focused on the state of affairs regarding the Climate Agreement and the role of Dutch entrepreneurs in the choices that need to be made. Van de Sande emphasized the need for 'unburdening' to make the transition a success by formulating clear policy for both citizens and businesses.

One of the plans of the employers' organizations is to develop an 'SME test'. This tool should provide information from the government about financial support measures for making the economy more sustainable. "You can have such good goals, but if you can't translate them into manageable chunks, the transition will not be a success," said Van de Sande.

To FHI, the secretary expressed the wish that the trade association should actively involve itself in all plans, because in his view, technical knowledge will be of great importance in the implementation. “Make yourself indispensable,” said Van de Sande.

Van Veelen's vision

Piet van Veelen, chairman of the FHI branch for Building Automation, board member of the FHI executive board and as such also member of the executive board of MKB-Nederland, took over. Together with Andreas Meijer, deputy director of Branches at FHI and discussion leader of the Federation Congress, and FHI director Paul Petersen, Van Veelen has put the energy transition as a topic high on the agenda of FHI.

Van Veelen indicated that companies should not be so hesitant and can take concrete steps themselves to quickly and cost-effectively become sustainable. His own company, Vedotec, has already made considerable progress towards climate-neutral operations, partly by applying extensive insulation and installing solar panels.

According to the GA chairman, there are still a number of major challenges to make the energy transition a success. For example, it is questionable whether there are enough alternative energy sources available to make the transition at a rapid pace for all industries. There is also a dire shortage of trained technical personnel: "Where do I get the people if everyone has to use a heat pump?", Van Veelen wondered. And as a third challenge, he mentioned the lagging education: are new people being trained in the right way?

Striking

Ruud Veltenaar, a Special Professor, entrepreneur and philosopher, was the talk of the day. He outlined in no uncertain terms his vision of the future in what he sees as a 'confused world', in which man can no longer put himself centrally and can plunder the earth. Simply because Mother Nature does not need us, according to Veltenaar.

The philosopher referred to companies that he sees as sickening, such as Coca Cola – responsible for a substantial part of the plastic soup – and Shell – the amount for which the company bought the Nigerian oil field OPL 245 is not in the country's interest: both giants would only have eyes for the interests of shareholders. According to Veltenaar, this can be explained by the fact that companies do not see the difference between taking the lead – and choosing the positive path with leadership – or managing: maintaining the status quo until this is impossible due to uncontrollable climate change and uncontrolled migration flows. He therefore concluded his argument with the saying "be the change you want to see in the world", originating from Gandhi.

Political insights

Hayke Veldman, a member of the VVD parliamentary party, was up immediately after Veltenaar's fiery speech, but immediately said the wise words: "never speak after a philosopher". Veldman delved into the subject matter surrounding the Climate Agreement, but stated that he did not apply any taboos in public discussions. Nevertheless, he emphasized the VVD vision, in which the party advocates a 'smart' CO2 tax. But what exactly this should look like is still unclear.

The afternoon was concluded with a discussion, in which the previous speakers entered into a dialogue with the audience. This showed once again that the subject of energy transition and the CO2 issue has become increasingly important among entrepreneurs. The panel members were asked questions ranging from the arrival of electric cars to the (im)possibilities of hydrogen, but after half an hour it was really time for drinks. Because FHI members will be talking about a subject as diverse as energy transitions and sustainability for many years to come, with or without a philosopher.