NOS News•
Greenhouse gas emissions fell by 9 percent in the past year compared to 2021. In addition, the so-called Urgenda target to reduce emissions by at least a quarter compared to 1990 has been met.
This is evident from an initial estimate by Statistics Netherlands and RIVM/Emission Registration of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022.
High natural gas price
The decrease is mainly due to less natural gas consumption by industry, households and agriculture. The industry emitted 11 percent less because of the high natural gas prices. Emissions in the built environment (households and the service sector) fell by 21 percent, also due to higher natural gas prices.
In addition, last year was milder than in 2021, so less natural gas was used to heat homes and offices. In agriculture, emissions were 10 percent lower, due to the same causes.
The electricity sector showed a decrease of 5 percent, mainly because the production of renewable energy grew to 40 percent. As a result, and due to the high natural gas prices, natural gas power stations consumed less energy.
Coal-fired power stations, on the other hand, consumed almost the same amount of coal as a year earlier. The transport sector, on the other hand, emitted more, mainly due to the partial recovery of aviation after the corona pandemic. Aviation emitted more than 32 percent more CO2 than in 2021.
Urgenda goal achieved
Compared to 1990, the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases emitted here has now fallen by almost 32 percent. That is the strongest decline to date. As stated, this means that the Urgenda target of at least a 25 percent reduction compared to 1990 has been met.
In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that the emission of CO2 and other gases that contribute to global warming must be reduced by a quarter. The case was brought by the sustainability organization Urgenda.
In 2021, it just failed to meet the Urgenda target. The target was achieved in corona year 2020.
The climate law sets the target to emit 55 percent less greenhouse gas in 2030 than in 1990.
