ROTTERDAM, 5 February 2026 – Rotterdam says it has met its current coalition climate target (klimaatdoel), cutting city-wide CO₂ emissions to around 2,088 kiloton. That is roughly a 35% drop compared with 1990, well above the agreed 25% reduction.
Image: Alderman Chantal Zeegers at the pilot project for emission-free work in nature areas, together with Jos Bisschops of Stichting Zuid-Hollands Landschap (left) and Linda Boot of RET (right). Photograph: Rob Kamminga.
The city links the fall to changes you can see across Rotterdam, from homes moving away from gas and better insulation, to cleaner transport, more solar and wind power, and businesses taking steps to reduce emissions.
CO₂ figure drops to around 2,088 kiloton
Rotterdam puts the latest CO₂ emissions figure at around 2,088 kton. The baseline comparison used is 1990, with the city describing the current result as around 35% lower than that year. The city also points out that in 2023 emissions were still around 2,375 kton CO₂, and have fallen further since then.
What the city says is driving the change
Rotterdam connects the drop to a mix of everyday and city-scale shifts: more homes being insulated and moving away from gas, more people switching to electric driving or shared mobility, and wider adoption of renewables like solar panels and wind energy.
It also highlights that work on “gas-free living” (aardgasvrij wonen) and cleaner transport is showing up in more streets across the city, alongside efforts by local businesses to become more sustainable.
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Zeegers: “This is something the whole city worked on”
Alderman Chantal Zeegers, responsible for climate, frames the result as a shared effort across Rotterdam’s neighbourhoods, schools, associations, residents and entrepreneurs.
“This is something the whole city worked on. Residents, entrepreneurs, schools and associations: everyone contributed in their own way. We as a city and as a coalition delivered on our agreement. That gives confidence for what comes next. And I want to call on Rotterdammers: keep taking part, keep thinking along, and keep taking steps. Together, we make this city cleaner, healthier and stronger.”
Next focus: getting to 2030
With the current target met, Rotterdam says its next step is to cut CO₂ much further by 2030. The city frames that as continuing the work on insulation, cleaner travel, sustainability upgrades and smarter energy use, in cooperation with residents, businesses and partners.
The message is that this milestone is not an end point, but a push to keep momentum going, with the city presenting the 2030 goal as the next major marker.
