How to change the Dutch climate policy framework for climate justice?

On Wednesday, January 28, 2026, judges in The Hague sided with residents of Bonaire and Greenpeace in the Bonaire lawsuit against the Dutch government. In this landmark case, residents of Bonaire – together with Greenpeace – made the case for meaningful climate action: faster reductions in CO2 emissions and fair protection against the impacts of the climate crisis. Protection that current Dutch climate policy so far has failed to provide. In this programme, we will reflect on what the lawsuit means in practice. The evening centres around the launch of the video ‘How to Care for Bonaire’ by Prof Poldergeist which exposes the absence of climate justice for Bonaire, and shows why the current Dutch climate adaptation framework falls short. Following the screening of the video, we will continue the conversation with experts and knowledge holders to highlight the discrepancy between how climate adaptation is currently imagined in the European Netherlands and how island communities themselves envision their future. It therefore offers policymakers and audiences in the European Netherlands a clearer understanding of the lived realities on the island and of why urgent policy change is needed to ensure climate justice across the Kingdom.

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How to care for Bonaire?