Court rules against Greenpeace; Dutch gov't doesn't have to do more against nitrogen

The Dutch government does not have to accelerate its efforts to reduce nitrogen deposition, the court in The Hague ruled in a case filed by Greenpeace. However, the judge is critical of the little progress the government has made so far in reducing nitrogen deposition in nature, NOS reports.

Greenpeace filed these summary proceedings, asking the court to force the Dutch government to develop an action plan to reduce nitrogen deposition to zero by 2040 at the latest. There are also ongoing substantive proceedings on the same subject, which will come to court in November and deal with the nitrogen case in more detail. Greenpeace filed the summary proceedings, too, because it feared that “waiting for the ruling in the substantive proceedings will be too late for the most vulnerable nature.”

The government argued that the environmental organization ignored other interests like the economy and employment in its demands. Reducing nitrogen emissions as fast as Greenpeace wants to would have a “disruptive effect” on society, the State Attorney argued during the hearing of this case in April. He said the government is well on its way to reducing emissions, but the drawback is that nature appears to be more sensitive to nitrogen than hoped.

The court ruled in the State’s favor, but it also criticized the lack of progress. It is clear that nitrogen-sensitive nature is “in poor condition” and that the current nitrogen policy “will not lead to nitrogen deposition in the most vulnerable habitats being reduced to a responsible level in the short term,” the judge said. He called Greanpeace’s concerns understandable.