High pollution levels revealed in the Netherlands

A new report conducted by Natuur and Milieu has revealed high levels of pollution in air, soil and surface water in the Netherlands, with exceptionally high carbon emissions, according to the Economist.

Soil is particularly bad in the country, with large quantities of phosphates and nitrates. Surface water was also found to be at unhealthy levels, below the European Union’s guidelines. Emissions of nitrogen monoxide and dioxide are triple the EU average, and it is only by purchasing a vast amount of emission rights that the country has managed to stay below its Kyoto targets.

There are several reasons why the Netherlands has poor environmental results. The manure produced by livestock in the country is far greater than any other nation, which effects the quality of the soil and the water. The country is also well positioned as a transport hub, with Amsterdam an airline hub, as well as ports and canals that it an important shipping hub. As well as this, there are the many refineries, steelworks and chemical plants that may the Netherlands one of the energy capitals of Europe.

The 2012 Environmental Performance Index and Pilot Trend Results compiled by Yale University ranked the Netherlands 16th in the world, which is an indication that its environment as a whole is relatively good.

Posted by Claire Manning