Dutch greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 25.5 percent lower than the 1990 level, as a result of which the target from the Urgenda judgment of at least a quarter less emissions has been achieved. This is apparent from the final emission figures published on Wednesday by Statistics Netherlands and RIVM. The Urgenda target stems from the 2015 climate case of the same name. The judge then ruled that Dutch greenhouse gas emissions must be at least 25 percent lower compared to 1990. That judgment has been upheld on appeal and in cassation.
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Statistics Netherlands notes that the electricity sector — one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases — has reduced its emissions by almost 40 percent between 2015 and 2020. This has to do with the closure of several coal-fired power stations. Emissions from coal-fired power plants have decreased by 80 percent in the same period. In the first corona year, 15 percent less traffic was also registered on Dutch roads, mainly due to the advice to work from home. And because 2020 was a relatively warm year, households made less use of central heating.
The decrease in traffic and the relatively warm year also helped
The guidelines of the UN climate panel IPCC are leading in determining the extent to which the Urgenda goals are being met. IPCC figures do not fully take into account emissions from biomass combustion, nor do they take into account emissions from aviation and maritime transport. When the greenhouse gas emissions are calculated on the basis of other guidelines, the Dutch emissions appear to be considerably higher.
Emissions from all Dutch economic activities are more than 20 percent higher than IPCC emissions, Statistics Netherlands writes. Emissions from the production of goods and services made for Dutch consumers, often abroad, are almost 40 percent higher than IPCC emissions. In the spring of 2021, emissions were again close to the level of shortly before the corona crisis, CBS announced earlier. This would make it more difficult to achieve the 2030 climate target.
A version of this article also appeared in NRC on the morning of February 9, 2022