Study warns Netherlands is far from meeting nitrogen emissions targets in nature

Nitrogen deposition in natural areas is decreasing, but the likelihood of reaching legally established targets is “very small” if no additional measures are taken, according to a study by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

The conclusions are based on policies known up to May 1, 2024, two months before the Schoof cabinet took office. The current caretaker cabinet has canceled the National Rural Area Program (NPLG) and reduced funding for nature and nitrogen initiatives by billions of euros.

These changes do not yet appear in the RIVM monitor, though the previous edition also excluded the NPLG because it contained too few concrete measures.

Researchers observed, based on the data available at the time, that nitrogen deposition in natural areas is declining faster than expected. Still, the goals remain distant: by law, half of protected areas must have no excessive nitrogen deposition by 2030, yet the RIVM estimates only 32 to 34 percent will meet this target.

Research allows scientists to set the maximum nitrogen levels that various ecosystems can handle, focusing primarily on ammonia and, to a lesser degree, nitrogen oxides. Livestock farming leads the agricultural sector in ammonia emissions, while the industrial sector and traffic are the main sources of nitrogen oxides.

This limit is known as the critical deposition value (CDV). Exceeding it can lead to ecosystem decline through processes known as eutrophication and acidification.

Legally, almost 74 percent of Natura 2000 sites must be free from elevated risk by 2035, but RIVM researchers predict that only 33 to 39 percent will meet this standard.

Caretaker Agriculture Minister Femke Wiersma aims to eliminate the CDV and is drafting legislation to replace it with farm-specific emission standards. This would allow farmers and other business owners to choose how to comply, whether through alternative feed, barn technology that cuts emissions, or reducing the number of animals.