In the so-called Urgenda case, the judge obliged the government to take measures against climate change. By 2020, emissions of CO2 and other gases that contribute to global warming had to be reduced by at least 25 percent. The Supreme Court ruled that at the end of 2019 in a case brought by the sustainability organization Urgenda. Lower courts had previously upheld the claim, but the state continued to litigate all the way to the highest court.
According to the Supreme Court, science has made it clear that climate change entails dangers. These can also seriously affect residents of the Netherlands in their right to life and well-being.
For a long time it was uncertain whether it would be possible to achieve the Urgenda target. The final emission registration now makes it clear that this has been achieved precisely. In total, emissions in 2020 were 8.8 percent lower than in 2019. The decrease was partly due to a strong reduction in coal use. Coal-fired power stations are major CO2 emitters. Luck is also a factor: 2020 was relatively warm, so less natural gas was needed for heating.
Corona measures
The corona measures also played a ‘limited’ role. Emissions from industry remained about the same as the previous year, but emissions from road traffic decreased by 15 percent. This decrease is related to the advice to stay at home as much as possible, according to Statistics Netherlands.
The main greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2). The gas traps heat in the atmosphere. As a result, the Earth is getting warmer. Melting ice caps and rising sea levels, heat, drought and extreme weather are the result. Methane, nitrous oxide and so-called F-gases also contribute to global warming. The effect of those gases is converted into CO2 equivalents, so that one clear number is obtained.
Emissions should continue to fall in the coming years. The Climate Act stipulates that the decrease must be at least 49 percent by 2030, compared to 1990. The cabinet wants to increase this to 55 percent.
The question is how exactly the figures for 2021 will turn out. Preliminary CBS figures showed in December last year that about 3 percent more greenhouse gases were emitted in the first three quarters than in 2020. The provisional figures for the fourth quarter will be published in mid-March.