The decision may complicate the operation of the construction industry and reduce the number of livestock farms. The reduction of nitrogen emissions has been debated in the Netherlands for a long time.
In Holland, on Wednesday, the court ordered the country’s government to make significant cuts to nitrogen emissions.
The case was brought to court by the environmental organization Greenpeace.
According to Greenpeace, the Dutch government had not done enough to reduce illegally high nitrogen emissions from farming and the use of fertilizers as well as traffic and construction.
The court in The Hague found that the country’s government has not complied with European legislation, which aims to protect natural resources by, among other things, cutting excess nitrogen emissions.
In 2022, the previous Dutch government set a goal of reducing nitrogen emissions in some areas by up to 70 percent by 2030.
However, during the current government’s term, many measures leading to emission cuts have been abandoned, as farmers in particular have criticized them, the Reuters news agency reports.
– The measures have been largely insufficient to achieve the goal set for 2030, and there is no improvement in sight, the court ruled, adding that the government’s inaction is against the law.
Source: Reuters