In 2024, the Netherlands hit a major milestone: for the first time ever, more than half of its electricity came from renewable sources.
And almost all of this green energy (45%) comes from sunshine and wind, reports the website Our World in Data.
This marks a major turnaround from 2018, when more than 80% of the Netherlands’ electricity still came from fossil fuels.
How did this happen?
Well, it didn’t come from a single brilliant government plan or a wave of climate protests. Instead, it came from something deeply Dutch: the concept of polderen. (AKA, the fine art of getting things done through cooperation, compromise, and a lot of meetings. 🤝)
In June 2019, the Dutch Climate Agreement (Klimaatakkoord) was presented to the government. Its goal? To reduce the Netherlands’ greenhouse gas emissions by 49% compared to 1990 levels.
Most electricity in the Netherlands now comes from renewables.
— Max Roser (@MaxCRoser) August 1, 2025
This is today's @OurWorldInData Data Insight from my colleague @S_VanTeutem. pic.twitter.com/oW7mR4I5Rq
More than 100 organisations took part, including businesses, NGOs, industry leaders, and local governments. Together, they came up with over 600 specific agreements aimed at cutting emissions by 2030.
The bigger picture
This milestone shows that fast and meaningful energy transitions don’t always have to come from top-down government mandates.
READ MORE | Netherlands gets world’s first floating solar and wind farm (and it’s HUGE)
When different groups come together, share responsibilities, and commit to a common goal, real change is possible.
Are you as excited about this milestone as we are? Let us know in the comments what you think the Netherlands could cut down on to become even more sustainable.
