Dutch road traffic CO2 falls for first time since pandemic

Emissions from road traffic in the Netherlands fell in 2025 for the first time since the Covid pandemic, according to figures from the national statistics agency CBS.

Vehicles produced 26.6 million tonnes of CO2 last year, 1.6% less than in 2024 and 2.2% below the level of a decade earlier.

Passenger cars account for almost 58% of the total. Their emissions fell 1.9% on the year even though the distance driven rose slightly. Fully electric cars produce no CO2 while being driven, and around 7.4% of cars on the road were fully electric in 2025.

The saving covers tailpipe emissions only, not the CO2 released to generate the electricity used to charge those cars.

Emissions from vans and lorries, which together make up 40% of the road total, also fell, mainly because commercial vehicles were driven fewer kilometres.

The longer-term picture is more mixed. While car emissions were 9.1% lower than in 2015, those from vans and lorries were higher, as the distance driven by commercial vehicles rose over the decade.

The Netherlands remains well short of its climate law target of a 55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions on 1990 levels by 2030.