Netherlands to miss 2030 climate goal without further action, adviser says

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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Netherlands will miss its main 2030 climate goal unless it takes more action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, government climate policy adviser PBL said on Thursday.

Current policies are set to reduce CO2 emissions by only 44-52% relative to 1990 levels, it said, missing the 55% reduction target.

Meeting the goals had become harder, PBL noted, after the Netherlands’ new rightwing government scrapped plans for the introduction of new road taxes and announced the end of subsidies for solar panels.

Progress was also hindered by delays in the development of offshore wind farms, which could put the goal of making power generation climate neutral by 2035 out of reach.

Climate minister Sophie Hermans said her government remained committed to the climate goals, which include banning all CO2 emissions by 2050, and she promised to deliver additional measures in the second quarter of next year.

“More action is needed,” she said in a response to PBL’s report. “This government is determined to continue to work hard to meet the 2030 and 2050 goals.”

The euro zone’s fifth-largest economy will have to reduce CO2 emissions by a further 24 megatons by 2030 to have a realistic chance of meeting the goal, the policy adviser said.

CO2 emissions in the Netherlands were 34% below 1990 levels last year, dropping 6% from the previous year.

(Reporting by Bart MeijerEditing by David Goodman and Christina Fincher)