Climate neutrality is an important goal for the Netherlands and the European Union. By 2050, we aim to emit no greenhouse gases, to limit global warming and protect future generations. But what does it actually mean to be climate neutral? And which countries or cities are already on track to achieve this goal?

What does “climate neutral” mean? 

A region is climate neutral if its net greenhouse gas emissions are zero. Since a certain minimum level of greenhouse gas emissions is unavoidable, we can only become climate neutral by actively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. The remaining emissions are then compensated by this CO₂ removal. When more CO₂ is removed than emitted, we refer to it as negative emissions. 

European cities at the forefront 

The European Commission selected one hundred cities in April 2022, including seven Dutch cities, that aim to be climate neutral by 2030 (see image 1). This is twenty years earlier than the EU-wide target for 2050. These cities receive additional support, knowledge, and funding through the so-called EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. 

Examples of European cities that are already making great strides: 

• Lisbon (Portugal): investing in green mobility and has one of the largest networks of electric buses. 
• Malmö (Sweden): combines sustainable housing with social innovation. 
• Seville (Spain): completely restructuring its city center around pedestrians, cycling, and cooling. 

Although the one hundred selected European cities have ambitious plans to become climate neutral by 2030, as of 2025, none of these cities are actually climate neutral. Most are in a transition phase, where policy development, pilots, and investment plans are central. The European Commission views these cities as experimental testbeds, meant to learn and scale towards 2050. Progress is uneven, and success strongly depends on local implementation, funding, and collaboration. Thus, the cities are not all on schedule together, but they do form the leading group in the European climate transition.

Dutch leaders on the way to climate neutrality 

In the Netherlands, Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, and Eindhoven/Helmond (collaboration) have an “EU Mission Label” for their ambitious plans: 

• Amsterdam is pioneering with the circular housing project Schoonschip and focuses on energy savings, sustainable heating, and electric transport. 
• Utrecht follows the model of the 15-minute city, where all basic services are accessible within 15 minutes of walking or cycling. 
• Rotterdam is working on climate-adaptive projects, such as Recycled Park: floating islands and water storage, connecting sustainability with social innovation. 

The role of the KNMI in the path to climate neutrality 

The KNMI plays an important role in achieving climate neutrality in the Netherlands: 

National climate scenarios as a decision basis 

The climate scenarios of the KNMI form the basis for national and local plans such as the Delta Program, the National Adaptation Strategy, and municipal climate contracts, which are necessary to develop effective measures for mitigation (reducing emissions) and adaptation. 

Support for cities in climate planning

Cities actively working towards climate neutrality, such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht, can strengthen their strategy with KNMI data on regional heat islands, precipitation patterns, and water management. This enables them to invest more effectively in circular energy, green structures, water storage, and other climate mitigation and adaptation plans. Where should water buffers be located, where to green, where to cool? 

Scientific and financial substantiation 

The KNMI collaborates closely with national organizations such as the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and international networks such as WMO and IPCC. Additionally, it supports banks, insurers, and pension funds with insights on climate risks for infrastructure, loans, and premiums. 

Bhutan: climate neutral and happy? 

When we look at countries worldwide, Bhutan in South Asia is a unique example of a country that absorbs more CO₂ than it emits. Thanks to extensive forests and the use of hydropower, the country produces more sustainable energy than it consumes. According to the Bhutanese government, the country removed nearly three times more CO₂ from the air than it emitted in 2015.  

This status is possible because Bhutan actively manages its forests. Thanks to this human management, the additional carbon storage of these forests can be counted in the official climate accounting.

Bhutan values not only economic growth but also Gross National Happiness; a policy vision that centers on environment, well-being, and culture. Despite all efforts, Bhutan remains vulnerable to climate change, such as melting glacier water (from the Himalayas), forest fires, and landslides.

Different concepts 

There are various concepts in circulation regarding being climate neutral. CO₂-neutral refers only to balancing CO₂ emissions and removals (net zero CO₂), while greenhouse gas neutral and climate neutral refer to all greenhouse gases (net zero greenhouse gases). In a CO₂-neutral situation, there will likely still be other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, emitted. Greenhouse gas neutral or climate neutral is therefore a stricter requirement than CO₂-neutral (see image 2).