Subject: Dutch national elections 2025
Date: October 28, 2025

Written by: Tamara Kedves

The Dutch general elections of 2025 are taking place tomorrow, on the 29th of October. Voting is a chance to steer the national conversation in a direction that benefits Dutch youth and offers a chance for a sustainable future. As the debates intensify, several issues are being dissected by the party representatives. At Youth for Climate, we are, of course, most concerned about climate policies. What do the parties say about topics related to the climate, and what could the implications of these be in the coming four years (and beyond)? Let’s dive right in.

Key climate topics in the Netherlands

According to a recent EenVandaag opinion poll, around one in five voters (19%) now consider climate change one of the most important election topics (a notable decline from 30% two years ago). The following topics are currently at the top of the agenda.

Nitrogen and nature permits

The Netherlands has one of the world’s highest nitrogen emission levels due to the density of the population, intensive livestock farming, and heavy traffic. Nitrogen contributes about 10% of global warming, primarily through nitrous oxide: a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than CO₂. The so-called “Dutch Nitrogen crisis” began in 2019 with the ruling of the Council of State stating that current policies fell short of EU legislation, which led to canceling numerous construction and agriculture projects. Despite being in the middle of the process, it is still very difficult to obtain an environmental license. The incoming government will have to come up with a solution to the nitrogen crisis that permits economic activity and nature conservation at the same time.

Agriculture

The Netherlands is the second-largest exporter of agricultural products worldwide, just behind the United States. About 50% of the land area is dedicated to farming. The agriculture sector is responsible for approximately 15% of national carbon emissions and 45% of nitrogen deposition, which negatively affects biodiversity and water quality. The sector’s reforms have sparked heated discussions and even violent protests from farmers. Since the nitrogen crisis in 2019, debates have intensified over how to reduce emissions, focusing on farm size, livestock numbers, PFAS-containing pesticides, and whether government buyouts of farms should be voluntary or compulsory.

Fossil fuel subsidies

Fossil fuel subsidies became a major point of controversy in the 2023 Dutch election, especially highlighted by Extinction Rebellion’s 27-day highway blockade in The Hague. The government did promise to phase out subsidies, but this will now only take place at the EU level. Furthermore, there is a new scheme in place that subsidizes energy-intensive industries for their high costs of electricity under the EU emissions trading system, reducing the incentive to cut CO₂.

Internationally, the Netherlands backtracked on its COP26 Glasgow pledge to end overseas fossil fuel support by 2022, allowing exemptions and a transition period. The Netherlands, like Germany, Italy, and Japan, was among the countries that broke the commitment, whereas Canada, France, and the UK are still complying with their pledges.

Green hydrogen & Carbon capture and storage

The Netherlands aims to become a European hub for green hydrogen, with major projects in Rotterdam and Groningen. In Groningen, the NorthH2 project plans to construct an offshore wind farm dedicated to the production of hydrogen by 2030, while Shell’s Rotterdam facility is expected to be a leading Western green hydrogen production site. However, the high costs are a major obstacle

In addition to Hydrogen, the Netherlands is also working on carbon capture and storage (CCS). The Aramis project, aiming for 2030, has already secured a state subsidy of €639 million. The Porthos project will be ready in 2026 and will store 2.5 megatonnes of CO₂ each year in the North Sea, with €2 billion in state aid and €102 million in EU support.

Transport

The Netherlands has a hard time reducing emissions from transportation, which account for almost 25% of the overall emissions, with the aviation industry being the largest contributor. Schiphol will cut flights by 4.4% from November, mainly to reduce noise pollution. Meanwhile, the opening of Lelystad Airport for commercial flights might ease pressure on Schiphol, but it remains debated due to nitrogen concerns. A per-kilometer car charge is also under discussion, aiming to reduce car use and emissions. Many parties are supporting the idea of sustainable transport by public transit, cycling, and a proposal like a nationwide flat-rate ticket.

Gas extraction

After 60 years, gas extraction at the Groningen field ended in April 2024, due to controversy over earthquake damage to homes. A 2023 parliamentary inquiry found residents’ interests had been ignored, and compensation processes were slow and bureaucratic. The government took over damage claims in 2018. Extraction is still ongoing, but it is limited to smaller offshore and onshore fields, including the Wadden Sea. This has led to protests sparking protests over environmental risks. The “hand-on-the-tap” principle—stopping production when subsidence limits are reached—has proven insufficient. The shutdown has been contested, and the government has not ruled out restarting production.

Nuclear power plants

The caretaker climate minister Sophie Hermans (VVD) intends to set up a state-owned company to construct and operate new nuclear power plants since private investors are not ready to risk their money. At the moment, the Netherlands only operates one nuclear power plant.

Since the 2023 elections, nuclear energy has gained broad political support, except for GroenLinks–PvdA, marking a notable shift from a decade ago. However, financing remains a key challenge, and parties promoting nuclear have scaled back spending commitments, mainly focusing on small modular reactor (SMR) technologies.

What do the parties say about climate policies?

To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled an overview of the climate-related positions of the six highest-polling parties. This is not a complete list of their policies; rather, it serves as a guide to the main directions these parties are taking on climate and sustainability.

	Nitrogen & nature	Agriculture	Fossil fuel subsidie	Green hydrogen & CSS
GroenLinks-PvdA	reduce intensive livestock farming, 30% more nature protected areas (both land and North Sea)	reduce livestock numbers, end factory farming, expand organic farming, ban PFAS	phase out fossil fuel subsidies, don’t allow banks, insurers and pension funds to invest in fossil fuel companies or projects	invest in Groningen as a key player in the transition to hydrogen
VVD	calculate nitrogen precipitation ceilings for each sector, more sector-specific policies	innovate food production, farmers should be able to monitor their own emissions and have targets that work for their businesses	–	invest in hydrogen, realize CCS projects, take part in international carbon market
PVV	increase permitted nitrogen limit, less protection of nature areas	prioritize national food supply, protect farmers from expropriation	–	opposes CCS
CDA	lower emissions in all sectors by 2035 without halting operations, adjusting it based on scientific evidence	enable stable farming businesses, more innovation and circularity, set clear standards for PFAS	–	accelerate sustainable hydrogen economy, keep investing in CCS
D66	halving nitrogen emissions by 2030, adding 50 000 hectares of additional nature	advocate for EU agreements on circularity, CO2 pricing and animal welfare, more agroorestry, more plant-based products, ban PFAS	quicker phase out of fossil fuel subsidies, introduce flat energy tax rate on natural gas and electricity	focus on green hydrogen
JA21	increase nitrogen limit, exempt constructions and infrastructure from nitrogen requirements	support farmers, focus on food security and technological innovations, stimulate organic farming	–	–

	Transport	Gas extraction	Nuclear energy
GroenLinks-PvdA	no commercial use of Lelystad Airport, CO2 ceiling for airports, electrify train rails, expand train network, introduce nationwide affordable public transport, only sell electric vehicles from 2030, in favor of km charge	no new licenses for gas extraction in Groningen, recovery of Groningen and North Drenthe, no gas drilling, phasing out Friesland gas extraction	no public money for nuclear power, no new power plants
VVD	allow commercial use of Lelystad Airport, allow to increase flights in Schiphol, opportunities for regional airports to develop, opposes km charge	keep extracting gas from small fields and the North Sea	build four new nuclear power plants supported by the government, invest in SMRs
PVV	allow commercial use of Lelystad Airport, allow to increase flights in Schiphol, increase max speed on highways, ban emission-free zones, opposes km charge	more gas and oil extraction in the North sea, no export of Dutch gas, keep gas power stations open	build new nuclear power plants and SMRs
CDA	preconditions for commercial use of Lelystad Airport, introduce CO2 ceiling per airport, ensure public facilities (e.g. hospitals and schools) are accessible by public transport, opposes km charge	–	build two new nuclear power plants, stimulate SMRs
D66	no commercial use of Lelystad Airport, limit flights from Schiphol, set standard emissions, introduce nationwide affordable public transport, promote electric cars, nationwide zero-emission zones, in favor of km charge	phase out gas extraction, no new licenses for gas extraction under the Wadden Sea, stop importing gas from countries with authoritarian leaders	open to the possibility of nuclear energy
JA21	allow commercial use of Lelystad Airport, doesn’t decrease flights in Schiphol, get rid of passenger tax, no ban on petrol cars, opposes emission-free zones and km charge	invest in gas extraction in the North Sea, abandon the gas-free goal, continue gas extraction in Groningen	build four new nuclear power plants, produce SMRs in the NL before 2035

In addition to the above-mentioned parties, several smaller parties are concerned with climate change and sustainable policies (such as PvdD, VOLT, and SP). To learn more about which parties align with your values, you can use the VoteMatch website!