NL again not doing enough to protect nature; Achieving nitrogen target "highly unlikely"

It is “highly unlikely” that the Netherlands will achieve its targets for reducing nitrogen deposition in vulnerable nature areas, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) reported on Thursday. There has been some improvement, but the Netherlands is still not doing enough to protect its nature.

The nitrogen targets are legally established using the critical deposition value (KDV), which indicates how much nitrogen a nature reserve can handle before a risk of damage arises. According to the targets, 40 percent of nature reserves had to be below the KDV by last year, 50 percent by 2030, and at least 74 percent by 2035.

According to the PBL, 30 percent of nature reserves were under the KDV in 2023. Under the current policy, that will only increase to 33 percent by 2030 and, at most, 39 percent in 2035.

Nitrogen deposition in nature has decreased by 32 percent in the past 20 years, but emissions are so high that the decrease did not make much of a difference. Half of Dutch nitrogen emissions come from agriculture. Almost 12 percent comes from traffic, and 2 percent from industry. About a third comes from abroad.

According to PBL, measures to reduce nitrogen emissions in construction, industry, and traffic have largely been implemented. But little has been done in the agriculture sector, and that is the biggest problem.

The deteriorating state of Dutch nature also affects other areas of life in the Netherlands. Due to the nitrogen crisis, many construction projects have come to a halt - a major issue given the housing shortage in the country. Just yesterday, the Council of State blocked the widening of highways around Utrecht because it would emit too much nitrogen into nature reserves.

The Netherlands could also start facing fines resulting from court rulings ordering the State to do more, and from the European Union for failing to meet agreed-upon targets.