SECTION 2

A Policy Evaluation (Lecture of Frans Coenen)

Energy Saving: Ambitions and Results
Source: Netherlands Court of Audit (Algemene Rekenkamer)
a) Description of energy saving policy in The Netherlands.
Roelofs et al. (2011) said that reducing energy consumption has been an
ambition of the Dutch government and the European Union for many years.
Energy saving has been an important 'driver' to reduce CO 2 emissions and
fossil energy consumption.
b) Key questions of a policy evaluation process:
1. What
The object of this audit is implementation of energy saving policy in the
Netherlands. It would be more accurate to refer to 'improved energy
efficiency'. Yet the targets have not been attained and these are the audit
questions:
What consequences does this have for the feasibility of the national
(and European) energy and climate targets for 2020?
What opportunities are there to strengthen policy?
2. Whos evaluating for whom
The Netherlands Court of Audit evaluated implementation of Dutch
goverments energy saving policy both per-sector (manufacturing,
households, transport, and agriculture-horticulture) and the national level.
3. Why and when
The first national information campaign to increase public awareness of
energy use dates from the 1970s (Informateur, 2010). But the annual
monitoring data on energy savings show that the Netherlands has failed to
achieve the government's ambitions for many years. The ambitions have
been revised on several occasions since 1995, but they have rarely been
achieved. A more detailed international comparison, furthermore, reveals
that the Netherlands uses significantly more energy per unit of production
than other OECD1 countries, even after correction for specific national
1

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an alliance of 34

countries established to coordinate social and economic policy.

features of the Dutch economy (CPB, 2010). Against this background, the
main audit question is why have the energy saving targets not been
achieved?
The report presents realized energy savings for the period 1995-2007. This
ex-post evaluation was carried out by ECN in 2009.
4. How. These are the steps of audit methodology:
Potential explanations from literature study.
Combination of general and sector-spesific by collecting data.
Sector-wide audit questions (held interviews and studied policy papers,
monitoring reports and policy evaluations).
Audit questions on the manufacturing sector (internet based survey
questionnaire using the concepts of Theory of Planned Behaviour)
because manufacturing is the largest energy consumer.
Estimate of costs and benefits.
c)

Map and structure the policy and policy field with:

1. Rudimentary Goal Tree (Figure 1)
The goal of European energy policy is to base the economy on the
efficient use of a sustainable, competitive and continuous supply.
The Netherlands' energy and climate policy is in turn embedded in
European energy and climate policy.
National energy saving policy is an integral part of the Netherlands'
energy and climate policy.

Figure 1. Rudimentary Goal Tree.

2. Causal Field Model (Figure 2)
In the period covered by this audit, Dutch climate policy had three targets
for 2020: 20% improvement in energy efficiency, 30% reduction in CO2
emissions relative to 1990 and 20% share of renewable energy. These
targets are closely related to each other. Both energy efficiency (energy
saving) and renewable energy will reduce the need for fossil fuel. This will
in turn lead to a reduction in emissions of CO2 and other substances
(Roelofs, et al., 2011).

Reduced demand for

energy (energy saving)

Increased share of
renewable energy

Limited use of fossil fuels

Increased clean use of

fossil fuels

Lower emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses

Figure 2. Causal Field Model.
d) The quality of the policy evaluation assessment:
1. The chosen research methods are valid for answering the evaluation
question and providing an insight into the results of the Dutch
government's energy saving policy and its impact on CO 2 emissions and
energy security. They will also contribute to the effectiveness increasing of
national energy and climate policy.
2. The evaluation showed a change in the evaluated situation in terms of
policy effects by forming of voluntary agreements. Every sector has
entered into voluntary energy saving agreements with the government. The
underlying idea is that agreements reached through mutual consent will be
more effective than agreements that are impose unilaterally (Dijkgraaf et
al., 2009).
3. It cannot be said with certainty what part of the energy saving is due to
government policy. There have been many forms of energy saving policy
over many years and their effects can feed through for quite some time. In
studies by ECN, more than half the energy saving achieved in 1990-2003
is due to government policy (Boonekamp et al., 2005, p. 15; Harmsen &
Menkveld, 2005, p. 18). In 2006 the Ministry of EZ estimated 38 the

autonomous saving at 0.7% per annum (EZ, 2006). Since 2000 the average
saving rate in the Netherlands has been 0.8% per annum. It can be
concluded from the literature that the long-term autonomous saving lies
between 0.8 and 1% (for a summary, see Davidson et al., 2011). The total
saving is only marginally higher than the assumed autonomous saving.
This means that the policy has had only marginal impact at national level
since 2000.

REFERENCES
CPB. 2010. Dutch Energy Intensity In International Perspective. The EU KLEMS
Database, CPB Discussion Paper, Final Draft, The Hague.
Davidson, M.D., A. de Buck, M.J. Blom & M.H. Korteland. 2011. Evaluatie
energiebesparingsbeleid in de industrie. Kosten en baten in de periode
1995-2008, study conducted for the Netherlands Court of Audit, Delft, CE
Delft.
Dijkgraaf, E., J.M. De Jong, M. Spijkerman & O. Tanis. 2009. Effectiviteit
convenanten energiebeleid.
Harmsen, H. & M. Menkveld. 2005. Het EZ-beleid ter bevordering van een
duurzame energiehuishouding. Evaluatie-onderzoek 1999 - 2004, ECNC--05-068, Petten, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands.
Informateur. 2010. Kabinetsformatie 2010. Brief van de informateur aan 105 de
Tweede Kamer d.d. 7 Oktober 2010 ter aanbieding van zijn eindverslag
alsmede het regeerakkoord van VVD en CDA, het gedoogakkoord van
VVD, PVV en CDA en de bijbehorende analyse van het Centraal
Planbureau, House of Representatives, 2010-2011, 32417, no. 15, The
Hague.
International Energy Agency (IEA). 2009. World Energy Outlook 2009.
International Energy Agency, Paris.
Ministry of Economic Affairs. 2006. Evaluatienota klimaatbeleid. Brief van de
Minister van EZ dd 24 mei 2006 aan de Tweede Kamer over betekenis
Optiedocument en Analyserapport voor het energiebesparingsbeleid,
House of Representatives, 2006-2007, 28 240, no. 45, The Hague, Sdu.
Roelofs, M., S. van Leeuwen, C. Kreft, B. Bussink, J. Strijk, J. Verhulst, D. de
Wit, M. van Zeeland. 2011. Energy Saving: Ambition and Results.
Algemene Rekenkamer (Netherlands Court of Audit), The Hague.