The Netherlands also adopted the Dutch Climate Act (Klimaatwet) and concluded the Dutch Climate Agreement (Klimaatakkoord) in 2019. These established long-term targets (e.g. 49 per cent GHG reduction by 2030) and detailed sectoral policy measures. While both were already under development prior to the final ruling in Urgenda, the judgment increased pressure to accelerate their implementation and to introduce additional measures to ensure compliance with the court-mandated emissions reductions.
Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands (Supreme Court, 2019)
Photo credit: Lex Noordhoff via Unsplash.
Summary
- In Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands, the Supreme Court found that the Dutch Government violated Articles 2 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It upheld the Hague District Court’s Decision from 2015 and subsequent confirmation on appeal in 2018, affirming that the Dutch state must reduce greenhouse gases by at least 25 per cent by the end of 2020 compared to levels in 1990.
- The case was also important because it was the first to apply the ECHR to address climate obligations. The Court linked the rights to life and private life (Articles 2 and 8) to the duty under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for states to take action based on their share of responsibility. It recognised that climate change poses serious risks and impacts on the lives and welfare of residents in the Netherlands, which necessitate adequate mitigation.1
- While requiring the State to meet the 25 per cent emissions reduction target under the ECHR and UNFCCC, the Court deferred to the State’s discretion in how to achieve it.
Case Essentials
Current status
Implemented
Judgment Date:
December 20, 2019
Appeal or follow-up:
No
Last Verified:
08 Mar 2026
Full Case Summary and Files
View
Ruling
Remedy ordered
- Emissions target order: The Netherlands was directed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25 per cent compared to 1990 levels by the end of 2020. The Court did not specify how to achieve this, leaving policymaking choices to the government.2
- Court fees: The State was ordered to pay the plaintiffs’ court costs, estimated at around EUR 3,000.3
Compliance mechanism
- Hard deadline: 31 December 2020.4
Legal Basis
- Constitution: The Court held that the rights to life (Article 2) and to private and family life (Article 8) under the ECHR require the Dutch State to take adequate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.5 Under Articles 93 and 94 of the Dutch Constitution, courts must apply these ECHR provisions and follow the interpretations of the European Court of Human Rights.6 The Supreme Court emphasized its duty to apply international human rights provisions directly.
- International law: As a party to the UNFCCC, the Netherlands is expected to reduce emissions by at least 25 per cent by 2020. This reflects the minimum target identified by international scientific consensus (IPCC AR4) for developed countries, based on Articles 3 and 4 of the UNFCCC.7
Implementation
Government response
- Compliant: The government ultimately did meet the 25 per cent reduction target by the end of 2020. Yet, in subsequent years the 25 per cent reduction compared to 1990 levels was no longer met, partly due to a renewed increase in emissions following Covid-19 lockdowns.8
Legislation
- Coal phase-out: In December 2019 Parliament passed the Coal Prohibition Act (Wet verbod kolen), banning unabated coal power. After Urgenda, an amendment on 7 July 2021 tightened this further by capping coal plant output (35 per cent of previous CO₂ levels for 2022–24).9 The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy explicitly linked this measure to the ruling of the Court of Appeal in 2018.10
- Climate tax: The 2019 Climate Agreement Tax Measures Act (Wet fiscale maatregelen Klimaatakkoord) overhauled several taxes to support emissions cuts. Notably it removed the exemption for imported waste from the waste disposal tax, effectively extending the landfill tax to waste brought into the Netherlands.11 The Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy explicitly linked this measure to the ruling of the Court of Appeal in 2018.12
Policy
- Power plants: Nuon/Vattenfall’s Hemweg coal plant was ordered closed by 23 Dec 2019 (versus its original 2024 schedule) in light of the 2018 appeal ruling.13
- Subsidies: In March 2020 the government doubled its green energy subsidy budget (SDE+) from €2 billion to €4 billion for the year, explicitly to help reach the Urgenda target.14
- Other measures: The Netherlands also intensified efforts to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions, increase the use of biofuels for inland navigation/shipping, promote sustainable mobility, incentivise industrial investments for CO2 capture and reduction, stimulate energy-saving measures, enhance electricity grid capacity for more renewable energy, and prevent deforestation starting from 2020 onwards.15
Sources
1 Meguro, M., ‘State of the Netherlands v. Urgenda Foundation’, American Journal of International Law, 114(4) (2020), pp. 729-735, <https://doi.org/10.1017/ajil.2020.52>
2 Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands [2019] ECLI:NL:HR:2019:2007 [8.2.7], [8.3.5]
3 Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands [2019] ECLI:NL:HR:2019:2007 [9]
4 Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands [2019] ECLI:NL:HR:2019:2007 [8.2.7]
5 Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands [2019] ECLI:NL:HR:2019:2007 [5.9.1], [8.3.4]
6 Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands [2019] ECLI:NL:HR:2019:2007 [6.6]
7 Urgenda Foundation v State of the Netherlands [2019] ECLI:NL:HR:2019:2007 [7.2.1], [7.2.5], [7.2.7], [7.3.2], [8.3.4]
8 Mayer, B., ‘The Contribution of Urgenda to the Mitigation of Climate Change’, Journal of Environmental Law, 35 (2023), pp.167-184, <https://doi.org/10.1093/jel/eqac016>
9 Netherlands, Kingdom of the, ‘Wet van 7 juli 2021 tot wijziging van de Wet verbod op kolen bij elektriciteitsproductie in verband met beperking van de CO2-emissie’ [Act of 7 July 2021 amending the Prohibition of Coal in Electricity Production Act in relation to the reduction of CO2 emissions], 28 July 2021, Staatsblad van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, 382, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2021-382.html>, accessed 9 September 2025
10 Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, ‘Brief van de Minister van Economische Zaken en Klimaat Aan de Voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal’ [Letter from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to the President of the House of Representatives of the States General], Kamerdossier 32813 [Cabinet Approach to climate policy] No. 303, 11 March 2019, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-32813-303.html>, accessed 17 December 2025
11 Netherlands, Kingdom of the, ’Wet van 18 december 2019 tot wijziging van enkele belastingwetten en enige andere wetten (Wet fiscale maatregelen Klimaatakkoord)’ [Act of 18 December 2019 amending certain tax laws and some other laws (Climate Agreement Tax Measures Act)], 27 December 2019, Staatsblad van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, 511, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2019-511.html>, accessed 09 September 2025
12 Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, ‘Brief van de Minister van Economische Zaken en Klimaat Aan de Voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal’ [Letter from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to the President of the House of Representatives of the States General], Kamerdossier 32813 [Cabinet Approach to climate policy] No. 303, 11 March 2019, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-32813-303.html>, accessed 17 December 2025
13 Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, ‘Brief van de Minister van Economische Zaken en Klimaat Aan de Voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal’ [Letter from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to the President of the House of Representatives of the States General], Kamerdossier 32813 [Cabinet Approach to climate policy] No. 303, 11 March 2019, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-32813-303.html>, accessed 17 December 2025
14 Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, ‘Brief van de Minister van Economische Zaken en Klimaat Aan de Voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal’ [Letter from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to the President of the House of Representatives of the States General], Kamerdossier 31239 [Stimulation of sustainable energy production] No. 313, 9 March 2020, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-31239-313.html>, accessed 17 December 2025.
15 Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate, ‘Brief van de Minister van Economische Zaken en Klimaat Aan de Voorzitter van de Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal’ [Letter from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to the President of the House of Representatives of the States General], Kamerdossier 32813 [Cabinet Approach to climate policy] No. 303, 11 March 2019, <https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-32813-303.html>, accessed 17 December 2025
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Case Essentials
Current status
Implemented
Judgment Date:
20 Dec 2019
Appeal or follow-up:
No
Last Verified:
08 Mar 2026
Full Case Summary and Files
View
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