There is a large gap between ambition and policy towards 2040; emission reductions for 2030 stagnate
The Netherlands has a large gap to bridge to approach the EU ambition of 90% fewer European greenhouse gas emissions in 2040 compared to 1990. As of January 1, 2026, with current implemented policy (...
Adjusting the EU ETS, significantly more emissions, barely lower energy costs
The European Commission has proposed adjustments to the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS). Until 2050, these adjustments can lead to 33% more CO₂ emissions in the energy-intensive industry...
On Monday 23 March, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) organised another PBL Academy Lecture. The 2026 lecture, given by Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for...
Links between climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution highlight need for policies that work together
Environmental challenges are becoming increasingly interconnected, with climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and resource pressures reinforcing one another in ways that require policies in...
Reaching the 2030 climate goal is extremely unlikely; additional and structural policy is needed
It is extremely unlikely that the Netherlands will reach the climate goal of a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030. With current implemented policy, per January 1st (‘basis pathway)’*, the country is...
New global model shows how to bring environmental pressures back to 2015 levels by 2050
A first-of-its-kind study in Nature finds that with bold and coordinated policy choices—across emissions, diets, food waste, and water and nitrogen efficiency—humanity could, by 2050, bring global...
Reaching 2030 climate goal becomes extremely unlikely; extra policy with rapid effect is needed
It is extremely unlikely that the Netherlands will reach the legal climate goal of a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2030. With current implemented policy (‘proposed and adopted’)...
Climate researcher who bridges different disciplines
Spinoza laureate Detlef van Vuuren: “May the future be not only sustainable, but also just” The “greenhouse accountant of the world,” Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant has called him. A deserved...
The importance of understanding differences in climate policy scenario outcomes
To understand the consequences of climate policies, scientists use scenarios to explore the future. These influential scenarios are based on complex models of the global energy system. Between these...
Sizeable global emission gap in 2050 remains for net-zero pledges
The Paris agreement implies that greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced significantly. To limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, global CO 2-emissions must reach net-zero around 2050...
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
