Cars in the Netherlands are more economical, but they emit more carbon dioxide

Car sharing, subsidies for electric cars, eco-zones, encouraging the Dutch to take the train: all these measures should ensure that we emit less CO2 from our cars in the Netherlands. This does not appear to be achieved in 2022. CBS today announces CO2 emissions figures from Dutch traffic in 2022.

Total emissions from Dutch traffic rose by 2.7 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year. This means that total emissions from traffic reached 26.9 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide; 700 million kilograms of carbon dioxide more than the previous year. This increase is easy to explain. “During the coronavirus pandemic, emissions from road traffic declined and remained 5.6 percent lower in 2022 than in 2019,” CBS wrote. In 2022, the pandemic is over and the Dutch are back on the road again.

Cars are becoming more environmentally friendly

Because we used our cars more often in the Netherlands, carbon dioxide emissions increased. The number of kilometers traveled rose by 5.6 percent in 2022. However, emissions per kilometer fell by more than 3 percent. “This is due in part to the increasing share of kilometers driven by electricity,” CBS wrote. Therefore, the number of more environmentally friendly cars will not exceed the increasing number of kilometers traveled in 2022.

The same goes for trucks. Light and heavy commercial vehicles traveled more kilometers than in 2021, while emissions per kilometer fell. Even in trucks, more economical engines don't outperform higher mileage. Carbon dioxide emissions increased by about 2.5 to 3 percent. Perhaps electric trucks and the first hydrogen truck can change that in 2024.

What is the share of cars in CO2 emissions in the Netherlands?

Statistics Netherlands includes passenger cars, commercial vehicles (heavy and light), buses and other vehicles within Dutch traffic. Cars are the biggest culprits with a share of 56.9 percent. In numbers: 15.3 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide. This means that cars will emit more carbon dioxide than air traffic in 2022. Airlines released 9.5 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide into the Dutch air. Would we be closer to that in 2023? We'll have to be patient to answer that.