The quality of the environment in the Netherlands has improved considerably since 1990. Emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, for example, have been reduced significantly as a result of measures taken to comply with European standards. Almost everywhere, the air quality meets the European requirements as cars become cleaner and emissions produced by manufacturing industry are reduced. Contaminated soil sites have been mapped, facilitating a systematic approach. Waste produced by industries and households is increasingly recycled. Although the water quality has improved marginally, a major effort will be required to comply with the European standards for 2027 as laid down in the Water Framework Directive.
The editors have selected the most important indicators. Together, they provide a picture of the state of the environment.
Recent vernieuwd
Greenhouse gas emissions, 1990-2018
Indicator | 22 juli 2020In 2018, greenhouse gas emissions were 2.7% lower than in 2017, a decrease of 5.1 Mton CO2 equivalents. Emissions in 2018 were 15.1% lower than in 1990.
Red List Indicator, 1995 - 2019
Indicator | 1 mei 2020Between 1950 and 1995, many species native to the Netherlands became endangered to some degree. Since 2005 the number of endangered species increased slightly. However, a noticeable... meer
Trend fauna - all species monitored - Living Planet Index Netherlands, 1990-2018
Indicator | 30 maart 2020The Living Planet Index of the Netherlands has increased with 3% since 1990. The trend has stabilised over the past decade.
Farmland birds, 1915-2018
Indicator | 17 maart 2020Changes in agricultural practices have caused a significant decline in breeding birds typical of agricultural areas in the Netherlands, starting from the early 20th century... meer
Land use in the Netherlands, 2015
Indicator | 8 januari 2020The Netherlands is a green country, with more than four fifths of its surface area used for recreation, agriculture, woodland and nature. However, land use varies greatly from... meer
