Greenhouse gas emissions and removals in land and forests

In the Netherlands, greenhouse gas emissions from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) decreased from 4.4 Mt to 3.8 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq) between 1990 and 2022, according to the latest EU-level information (see Figure 3). Land use emissions are characterised by strong annual fluctuations; they depend on, among other things, weather conditions and land use management. This makes it appropriate to look at the multi-year trend for land use emissions, which shows the aim for 2030 is within reach for the Netherlands.

According to the latest LULUCF Regulation, EU Member States have a four-year emission budget for 2026–2029 and a . The Netherlands LULUCF target is an emission reduction or additional sequestration of at least 0.435 Mt CO₂eq compared with 2016–2018. Based on the latest national figures, this amounts to a provisional emission target for 2030 of 4.9 Mt CO₂eq. The target can be changed if the Netherlands exceeds the budget for 2026–2029. Based on the most recent national estimate for established and proposed policies (published in 2024), there is approximately a .