A new report by CE Delft shows that the Port of Rotterdam is the largest emitter of CO2e in the Netherlands, facilitating emissions comparable to 60 times the total emissions reported by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, one of the largest airports in Europe.

The Port of Rotterdam is one of the largest ports in Europe and plays a crucial role in the global transport of goods and raw materials. The activities at the Port of Rotterdam are centred strongly around fossil fuels and therefore contribute to the emission of significant quantities of greenhouse gases, both in the port  and beyond.

Key findings of the study are:

• total emissions of the Port of Rotterdam are 604 Mton CO2e, of which approximately 4% (20.3 Mton) are emitted in the port area and 96% (584 Mton) outside the port. This amounts to 60x the emissions reported by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (10 Mton), one of the largest airports in Europe;
• apart from the winding down of activities by a number of power stations in the port area, there is no noticeable  downward trend in emissions from the fossil industry over the last 15 years, confirming that no reduction in fossil fuel activities has taken place;
• the Port of Rotterdam Authority has no plans to reduce the vast majority of these emissions;
• the existing European and national policy instruments have little to no impact on the indirect emissions from the Port of Rotterdam. 

Numbers tell the tale: we need a plan for the Port of Rotterdam. On October 31, 2024, Advocates for the Future, together with a group of concerned young people, handed over a letter to the board of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. In the letter, they call on the Port Authority to come up with a concrete climate plan to phase out fossil activities in the Port, in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The letter was supported by a broad group of social organisations. 

Read the CE Delft report here →