Dutch court orders more effort against greenhouse emissions as deadline looms

A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday ordered the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions faster than planned, to ensure they are at least 25 per cent below 1990 levels by the end of 2020.

Last year, emissions of greenhouse gases were only 13 per cent below 1990 levels in the Netherlands, which is among the most polluting countries in the European Union.

The court upheld a 2015 ruling by a district court, handing a victory to the environmental group Urgenda Foundation, which filed the case on behalf of nearly 900 Dutch citizens.