Emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases fell again in the second quarter of 2022. Due to the relatively mild climate and the high price of the gas, households and businesses used less natural gas. This reduced emissions by 9 percent.
Emissions fell most sharply in agriculture and industry, according to preliminary data from Statistics Netherlands and RIVM on Wednesday. Emissions fell in particular in the chemical, metallurgical and oil industries. In addition, greenhouse horticulture used less natural gas to heat the greenhouses.
This happened while the business community was producing more than a year earlier, according to data from CBS. In some sectors, high energy prices have caused factories to close or operate at a lower level. Some greenhouses also remain empty.
The emissions released during the production of electricity have remained more or less the same. Although the Netherlands is generating more and more clean energy from solar panels and wind turbines, polluting coal-fired power plants are also working harder to save natural gas. These two developments cancel each other out.
Aviation emits 61 percent more
Statistics Netherlands calculates emissions according to the international standards of the IPCC, United Nations climate panel. Emissions from international aviation and shipping are not included in this, as are emissions from biomass combustion.
If these are included, the reduction in emissions is less pronounced: minus 6.4 per cent. Aviation has even seen its emissions rise 61% from last year as the restrictions on the crown were lifted and more flights depart from Dutch airports.
Urgent goal in sight
As emissions dropped so dramatically in the first half of 2022, it seems very likely that the so-called Urgenda target will be met this year. At the insistence of the environmental organization, the court ruled that greenhouse gas emissions from 2020 should be at least a quarter lower than in 1990.
In 2020, that goal was achieved with heels over the ditch, thanks to the coronavirus crisis. But according to preliminary data, emissions increased again last year and the target was not met. By 2030, the government wants emissions to drop by at least 55%.
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