Ironically, Holland’s largest threat from global warming, and its solution to it can be found in the same thing: the sea. With a quarter of the country lying below sea level, the Dutch take environmental issues very seriously, and have a long history of countering the sea. In past times, windmills were used to help pump water from flooded plains. Today, the iconic windmills have been updated to help reduce the pollution that is raising sea levels around the world, and engulfing areas, such as the Netherlands.
Holland currently has the largest offshore wind farm development plan in the world, with over 2,000 wind turbines already installed all over the country. The goal here is to meet 10% of the country’s energy demand by 2020, and so far, they seem to be breezing through it!
High population density and extensive economic activities are expanding, which is great for Holland, but not so great for the environment. To counteract this issue, the Dutch government, public, and business community have been giving sustainable development serious thought, and government funding for environmental protection has grown considerably over the years.
So far, the Netherlands has proved to be effective in pursuing its energy policy targets, with greenhouse gas emissions having almost stabilised, and must be commended for its sense of innovation in launching its renewable energy initiatives. But while Holland is on the right track to meet its Kyoto targets, challenges still lie ahead, and some areas, such as the energy demand of the transport sector, leave no space for milling around.
