The Hague, 28 January 2026
The District Court of The Hague ruled today that the Dutch State’s current climate policy infringes upon the human rights of the residents of the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire and results in unfair treatment compared to citizens in the European part of the Netherlands. With the current climate targets and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the State is not complying with international agreements. In doing so, the State is acting unlawfully towards the residents of Bonaire. Furthermore, the State has not taken sufficient measures to protect the inhabitants of Bonaire in the climate crisis. The court orders the State to draw up an adaptation plan and implement it by 2030 at the latest. The State must also set new binding targets for the entire Dutch economy within 18 months to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a fair contribution to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Marieke Vellekoop, director of Greenpeace Netherlands:
‘This is truly a historic victory. People on Bonaire are finally getting recognition that the government is discriminating against them and must protect them from extreme heat and rising sea levels. The State must also contribute its fair share to staying below 1.5 degrees of warming by implementing new climate targets. This means that the reduction of Dutch greenhouse gas emissions must be accelerated significantly. This is a huge breakthrough. The current climate policy is insufficient, and the cabinet can no longer get away with failing climate policy. With this ruling in hand, communities have a powerful new asset to hold governments to account.’
Onnie Emerenciana, plaintiff in the Bonaire Climate Case:
‘I am very happy. Today we are making history. Finally, The Hague can no longer ignore us. Today, the court is drawing a line in the sand. Our lives, our culture and our country are being taken seriously. The State can no longer look away. The next step now is to make funds and expertise available for concrete action plans to protect our island. We really have to do this together; Bonaire cannot solve this on its own.’
A detailed press release with further explanation of the ruling will follow later.
