Dutch to push fossil fuel phase-out at COP31 in Antalya
Climate minister Stientje van Veldhoven says the move away from oil, coal and gas will be a central Dutch aim at the UN climate summit in Antalya, which starts on 9 November.
Climate minister Stientje van Veldhoven calls the "transition away from fossil fuels" a "cross-cutting priority" for the Netherlands at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey. She says so in a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament. The summit begins on 9 November.
Earlier this year the Netherlands organised a special conference on the theme together with Colombia. Its results will be presented in Antalya.
The cabinet's national fossil-fuel "roadmap", published last month, will also get an international platform at the summit. The plan says the Netherlands wants to "minimise" the use of fossil fuels in 2050.
According to Van Veldhoven, the Antalya summit marks the start of a new phase, focused on carrying out earlier agreements. She adds that the Netherlands is in principle positive about host country Turkey's idea of boosting electrification.
Total energy use in the Netherlands fell from 3,134.2 PJ in 2016 to 2,591.9 in 2025, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) figures show.
Dutch energy use has fallen since 2016 and levelled off since 2023
PJ · 2016–2025
Dutch energy use has fallen since 2016 and levelled off since 2023 (PJ). From 3134.2 in 2016 to 2591.9 in 2025; highest 3151.3 in 2017, lowest 2591.9 in 2025. Source: CBS.
View data
| Period | PJ |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 3134.2 |
| 2017 | 3151.3 |
| 2018 | 3092.5 |
| 2019 | 3039.2 |
| 2020 | 2926.5 |
| 2021 | 3,023 |
| 2022 | 2701.9 |
| 2023 | 2608.3 |
| 2024 | 2618.4 |
| 2025 | 2591.9 |
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Tweede Kamer
The House of Representatives, the lower and more powerful house of the Dutch parliament. Its 150 members are elected directly; it can amend bills and holds the cabinet to account.
COP31 (Conferentie van de Partijen)
COP31 is the 31st Conference of the Parties, the annual UN climate summit where the countries that have joined the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) review progress and take decisions on global climate action. The 31st edition is held in Antalya, Turkey. For the Netherlands, the government sets out its negotiating positions for these talks, and the climate minister reports to parliament on them beforehand.