Dutch Parliament buildings [credit: Wikipedia]
The descent into a climate fantasy world continues apace. Who’s next?
The highest court in the Netherlands has upheld a ruling requiring the government to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% of 1990 levels by the end of next year, reports BBC News.
The case was brought six years ago by the Urgenda environment group in a bid to force ministers to go well beyond EU targets.
However, the chances of the government reaching the target look slim. By the end of 2018, emissions were down only 15% on 1990 levels.
Dutch environment researchers believe that levels could be cut by 23% by the end of 2020 but believe the reduction could be as low as 19%.
The government in The Hague presented its climate accord at the end of June, with plans for a 49% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and phasing out coal-fired power generation starting in 2020.
While there have been cuts in methane and nitrous oxide as well as other gases, levels of carbon dioxide emissions have changed little in the Netherlands since 1990.
Last month, under pressure to act over a nitrogen oxide pollution crisis, Dutch ministers announced a cut in the daytime speed limit to 100km/h (62mph). The Council of State forced the government to act in that case, by declaring that rules for granting building and farming permits were in breach of EU law protecting nature.
In its decision on Friday, the Supreme Court said it had based its ruling (in Dutch) on the UN climate convention and the state’s legal obligation to protect the lives and well-being of Dutch citizens.
Full report here.
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
Wow. Democracy and human well being are just road hazards for the climate obsessed.
Time for the yellow vests.
Reblogged this on Climate- Science.press.
Starving them for energy doesn’t seem to protect the lives and well-being of Dutch citizens.
Lawyers are the last people to consult to determine policy. Their job is to merely interpret the law as produced by the political process for it to amended as necessary if required. The courts have no business telling government what to do.
Good luck trying to be like California…
DEC 20, 2019
California Dreaming: Using Only Green Energy Is A Mirage
https://climatechangedispatch.com/california-dreaming-green-energy-mirage/
And the Dutch Puritan ethic continues–with bigger hammers.
“A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people’s business. This minding of other people’s business expresses itself in gossip, snooping and meddling, and also in feverish interest in communal, national and racial affairs. In running away from ourselves we either fall on our neighbor’s shoulder or fly at his throat.”
“When our individual interests and prospects do not seem worth living for, we are in desperate need of something apart from us to live for. All forms of dedication, devotion, loyalty and self-surrender are in essence a desperate clinging to something which might give worth and meaning to our futile, spoiled lives. Hence the embracing of a substitute will necessarily be passionate and extreme. We can have qualified confidence in ourselves, but the faith we have in our nation, religion, race or holy cause has to be extravagant and uncompromising. A substitute embraced in moderation cannot supplant and efface the self we want to forget.”
The True Believer, Eric Hoffer
This is a case of the Governments that have gone along with the CAGW activists being hoist by their own petard.
If you keep telling people that times are desperate you have to expect those same people to challenge you when you don’t do anything about it.
Since when was it the business of the courts to decide on what aspects of science were “true” or not?
the beginning of the end for the Euroweenies’ economies
[…] über Netherlands told by court to cut greenhouse gases further — Tallbloke’s Talkshop […]
DECEMBER 20, 2019
Germany signs off on flagship climate plan
The package is intended to help Europe’s largest economy reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
That promises to be a huge challenge in a country that despite its green reputation abroad remains heavily dependent on polluting coal power and has a fondness for gas-guzzling cars.
https://phys.org/news/2019-12-germany-major-climate-reform-package.html
Sweden Looks To Ban Sale Of Fossil Fuel-Powered Cars By 2030
Dec 20, 2019
“Sweden will be the world’s first fossil-free welfare nation. The transport sector is responsible for a third of Sweden’s emissions of greenhouse gases, and thus has a significant role to play in the climate transition.”
The report should be completed by February 1, 2021, and should analyze the conditions for introducing a national ban on sales of new gasoline and diesel cars, and how to exempt vehicles running on renewable fuels and electric hybrid vehicles from such a ban.
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Sweden-Looks-To-Ban-Sale-Of-Fossil-Fuel-Powered-Cars-By-2030.html
Seem to me all they have to do is adjust their older figures downward. I understand that is acceptable to do in anything related to climate. You see happening a lot with older temperatures.
“slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% of 1990 levels”
They need to remember this is total emissions, so the Per Capita drop per person is 15 million Dutch in 1990 to 17 million 2019 equates to a 34% drop per person.
All true believers are asked to visit the nearest Soylent Green representative to do their part in the reduction.