Jeanette R Semeleer: Charting climate just futures - a central banking perspective on fostering climate justice for the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Opening remarks by Ms Jeanette R Semeleer, President of the Central Bank of Aruba, at the 70th Anniversary of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, The Hague, 15 December 2024.

The views expressed in this speech are those of the speaker and not the view of the BIS.

I. Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to briefly address you today at the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The signing of the Charter marked a watershed moment in the transition to a new constitutional system of the Kingdom. To be more exact, " -a new constitutional order in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in which they [the constituent countries] will conduct their internal interests autonomously and their common interests on a basis of equality and will accord each other assistance-".

Notwithstanding the history of the Charter and the spirit in which this was conceived 70 years ago, allow me to share some reflections as a central banker, on the Charter from a contemporary climate justice perspective.

II. Charting Just Climate Futures

In terms of climate change, the case of justice centers on several questions addressing the problem of the distribution of emission reduction burdens among countries, in addition to the uneven distribution of adverse impacts of climate change over countries and people. These questions are particularly relevant considering the diverse local conditions and respective emission contributions in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

However, climate justice also concentrates on the imbalance in the distribution of power in climate policy development, as well as the deficit in the recognition of diversity, in addition to the inclusion of multiple perspectives in climate governance.

While questions of distributive justice are well acknowledged and oftentimes contested, it is the latter question of justice in climate policy and governance in the Kingdom of the Netherlands that draws our attention in review of the Charter of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.