Donald Pols, director of the Dutch environmental organisation Milieudefensie, has left the group to begin work at Tata Steel.
According to NOS, he has accepted the role as Director of Sustainability, starting on June 1.
Internally, his decision has caused frustration within the organisation. Under his leadership, the Milieudefensie led the charge against polluters such as Shell, Vattenfall, ING, and many others.
His decision is a significant break with the group, which lists Tata Steel as one of 28 major polluters with which Milieudefensie is at odds.
Tata Steel’s link to multiple health hazards
As confirmed by the RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), Tata Steel’s emissions have been linked to a myriad of public health and safety issues.
From noise, dust, and odour to more serious issues like high nitrous oxide levels, the company has faced scrutiny for years.
Residents of the IJmond, a coastal region of the Netherlands where Tata Steel operates, are “concerned about the health effects of Tata Steel’s activities,” according to the Province of North Holland.
The Milieudefensie has also criticised the company in the past for receiving climate subsidies despite having an improper climate plan.
Critics dub Tata one of the “largest polluters”
Pols’s decision to accept the position has been fraught with controversy.
Marty Smits, chairman of the Supervisory Board for the Milieudefensie, said in a statement that the group is “surprised and deeply disappointed by his decision to join Tata Steel, one of the largest polluters in the Netherlands.”
Pols, on the other hand, argued in a press statement that his previous experience with putting “external pressure” on polluters is exactly what qualifies him for the new role.
“At Tata Steel, I have the opportunity to demonstrate that industrial sustainability is not only enforceable but can also be driven from within,” he said.
What do you think of Pols’s decision? Let us know in the comments!
