Long-term agreements on energy efficiency

LTA3 and LEE

The Netherlands have made commitments in the Kyoto agreement to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases by 6% in 2008 – 2012 in comparison to 1990. Energy efficiency improvement will make an important contribution in reaching this objective. Since the early 1990's, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has been making long-term agreements (or covenants) with various energy-intensive sectors as part of Dutch energy policy. The voluntary agreements, or LTA's, are aimed at promoting energy savings in the Netherlands.

LTA is successful
Over the past 15 years LTA1 and LTA2 have led to an overall energy efficiency improvement of more than 2% per year; at the end of 2007 there are more than nine hundred participating companies from almost 30 sectors. LTA is succesful. Not only because of the savings percentage. Even more important is the fact that the participants deal with energy in a systematic manner. Energy forms a fixed part of their business operations. Another factor for success: LTA is constantly evolving. The first covenants focused primarily on process efficiency. In LTA2 energy management outside the direct process (chain efficiency) and the use of renewable energy also became an important point of interest for the LTA participants. 
<Read more: How it all started>

LTA3
In 2007 the Dutch cabinet introduced its new policy plans. They included ambitious objectives in the field of climate and energy, set down in the programme of activities entitled 'clean and efficient'. That led to the 'sustainability agreement' in which VNO-NCW, MKB Nederland and LTO make clear agreements with the national government. In the last 15 years LTA proved to be a succesful instrument. Due to that fact the LTA participants have decided to intensification, broadening and extending of the LTA2 covenant. That led to LTA3, which has a term of validity until 2020. On 1 July 2008 the LTA2 participants signed LTA3.

Four long-term agreements

• LTA1: 1999 - 2010 (Supermarkets en Netherlands Railways)
• LEE: 1999 - 2020 (ETS enterprises) 
• LTA3: 2001 - 2020 (non-ETS enterprises)
• LTA-e+: 2007 - 2011 (Flower bulb growers and Mushroom growers)        

International LTA interest
The succes of LTA draws great attention from other countries. The fact that companies and institutions voluntarily work together with each other and with the government on such a scale wins much international praise. SenterNovem also coordinates several international energy efficiency projects.