This study, commissioned by Natuur & Milieu, assesses the extent to which the Dutch aviation sector is on track to meet established climate targets, and which additional policies could be implemented to achieve the further emission reductions required.
The Netherlands has set targets for the sustainability of aviation for the years 2030, 2050 and 2070. These targets were established by the national government, aviation sector stakeholders and knowledge institutions in the Sustainable Aviation Agreement, and were adopted as national objectives in the Aviation Policy Document 2020–2050. Based on current policy, the 2030 target is unlikely to be met. Whether the 2050 and 2070 targets will be achieved is also uncertain.
As additional policy, a CO₂ cap per airport could, first of all, ensure that the climate targets are met. For the year 2030, the study also examined whether a further increase in the aviation tax could enable the 2030 target to be reached. A further increase for flights in the medium-distance category (from € 49 to around € 70) and the long-distance category (from € 73 to around € 110), compared with the already announced differentiated aviation tax, would likely be sufficient to bring the 2030 target within reach.