Dutch parliament votes to close down country's coal industry | Environment | The Guardian

Dutch parliament votes to close down country's coal industry | Environment | The Guardian

 Five Dutch coal-fired power stations were closed last year but the country still has another five plants in operation, three of which came online in 2015. Photograph: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Arthur Neslen

Friday 23 September 2016 13.55 BSTLast modified on Friday 23 September 2016 13.57 BST

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The Dutch parliament has voted for a 55% cut in CO2 emissions by 2030, which would require the closure of all the country’s coal-fired power plants.

The unexpected vote on Thursday night by 77 to 72 would bring the Netherlands clearly into line with the Paris climate agreement, with some of the most ambitious climate policies in Europe.