Emissions dropped further in 2023 but not as strongly as they did in 2022

Greenhouse gas emissions declined by six percent last year, according to numbers from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) and the RIVM, the national public health institute. The drop is mainly due to a reduction in the use of coal and natural gas to generate electricity.

The decrease is less than in 2022, when greenhouse gas emissions were nine percent lower than the year before. Just like in 2022, the drastic decrease in gas use is mainly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In addition, a more significant percentage of power in the Netherlands is being generated by windmills and solar panels.

Emissions from carbon dioxide or other gasses which contribute to global warming are now down by 34 percent compared to 1990. The goal is to achieve a 55 percent reduction by 2030, as stated in climate deals. The goal can be reached, but it is not a certainty, according to research by the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL).

Homes and businesses continued to slim down their use of natural gas last year. Emissions dropped by ten percent in the built-up areas, the CBS said.

Industrial firms also emitted fewer greenhouse gasses, but their three percent drop was less substantial than the rest. The yearly numbers show that industrial companies are burning much less coal. They are, however, using more petrol and petrol-related products.

Emissions from traffic and agriculture went up slightly in 2023 by two percent. An explanation for that from CBS was that the agriculture sector started heating their greenhouses more, using gas to do so. Other forms of emissions, like methane gas produced by cows and other cattle, saw little change.