Farmers’ protest in the Netherlands. — © EPA-EFE
Dutch measures to limit nitrogen emissions from agriculture are insufficient. These are the conclusions of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the University of Wageningen (WUR) and the engineering firm Deltares in a joint study.
Source: BELGA
Today at 07:41
According to the researchers, the plans that have been drawn up in the Netherlands at national and provincial level to significantly reduce nitrogen emissions from agriculture over the next ten years do not go far enough. Proposed measures, such as buying out major emitters, do help, but are not sufficient to achieve the set goals.
According to the researchers, “farmers will have to implement many more costly and far-reaching measures on their farms” if the government wants to achieve the goals in 2030 or 2035. In that case, livestock numbers must be reduced even further, nature reserves must be expanded and the use of hundreds of thousands of hectares of agricultural land must also change. It is “not plausible” that all this will be accomplished within ten years, “given the unprecedented scale of these tasks.”
The Netherlands has allocated more than 24 billion euros to make agriculture more sustainable. However, the provinces believe that such changes will cost more than double.
Not everything at once
The authorities advise to set priorities. “Not everything can be done at the same time”, measures must be implemented “bit by bite and step by step”. For example, areas where nature is in strong decline could be given priority.
The researchers also wonder whether the government is capable of transforming agriculture in such a short time. The proposals “require a machine that runs much faster than in the past”, while capacity and expertise have actually been reduced. Furthermore, it must be clear who is responsible for what. This prevents The Hague and the provinces from continuing to point fingers at each other.
How much will be left in new government?
Resigning Minister of Nature and Nitrogen Christianne van der Wal talks about a “task of unprecedented magnitude”. Like the researchers, she believes that the government should not wait for “perfect plans that have been worked out in every detail”. The minister believes it is a better approach to work on solutions step by step and to gradually adjust them if necessary. The minister says he is working on this in various ways.
The question is how much of Van der Wal’s plans will remain in a new government. Two key players in the cabinet formation, BBB and PVV, do not see anything in the current nitrogen rules.