The Netherlands managed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions last year, as coal-fired electricity generation fell out of favour.

In total, the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants fell 2% or 4.2 million tonnes compared with 2017, according to calculations by national statistics agency CBS and public health institute RIVM.

The Netherlands’ target is a 25% reduction by 2020 when compared with 1990, but the new figures put the drop at only 14.5% by last year.

At the same time, the amount of greenhouse gasses per head of the population is 34% above the European average, the CBS said.