Dutch government ordered to cut nitrogen emissions by 2030: Victory for Greenpeace

A Dutch court has ordered the government to cut nitrogen pollution in protected nature areas after a case brought by Greenpeace Netherlands

Greenpeace brought the case to the courts as it argued the government was failing to address critically high levels of nitrogen oxide pollution, mostly from farming and transport.

The organisation called it the “last chance to save the most vulnerable habitats because if nitrogen emissions don’t go down, we risk losing unique plants and animals,” at a hearing last November.

Nitrogen pollution can degrade soils and inadvertently fertilise trees, grasslands and tolerant species. These then outcompete more sensitive plants and fungi leading to a loss of biodiversity. If it makes its way into the ocean, it can cause ‘dead zones’ and toxic algal blooms.

Nitrogen pollution is the third most influential driver of human-caused biodiversity loss after habitat destruction and the emission of greenhouse gases.

The ruling means the Schoof administration now has to ensure that nitrogen levels fall below harmful thresholds in at least half of the country’s most vulnerable habitats by 2030 or they will have to pay a €10 million penalty.

It isn’t a particularly large charge for the Dutch government but it adds pressure for them to tackle an ongoing problem in the Netherlands. It also represents a win for Greenpeace and could mean more NGOs taking governments to court.

The ruling follows earlier verdicts that have highlighted the ineffectiveness of the government’s nitrogen-cutting policies. Since 2019, a series of rulings has seen a freeze on permits for construction, tighter rules on animal feed and more.

The court said that without tangible regulatory and financial measures, targeted at agriculture,