Judges have ordered the Dutch state to take action to reduce nitrogen-based pollution in the country’s most vulnerable habitats or face a fine of €10 million in 2030.

This year’s targets do not have to be met but the aim to reach a 50% reduction in five years time must be a reality, the court said, adding that the state had been negligent in not making reducing nitrogen-based pollution a priority.

The case was brought by Greenpeace, which argues the Netherlands is not doing enough to protect the natural environment from the impact of excessive nitrogen.

The case is a “last chance to save the most vulnerable habitats because if nitrogen emissions don’t go down, we risk losing unique plants and animals,” Greenpeace said at the court hearing last November.

The campaign group wants to force the government to cut nitrogen emissions drastically and the courts to check the government’s approach to dealing with the problem against the European bird and habitat directives.

• What’s all the fuss about nitrogen in the Netherlands?

These directives are the cornerstones of EU nature protection policy and led to the creation of Natura 2000, a pan-European network of protected areas. The Netherlands has some 160 areas which fall under the Natura 2000 network.

Since the right-wing government came to power this summer, it has become increasingly confused about what it intends to do about the nitrogen issue.

In September farm minister Femke Wiersma scrapped the previous administration’s plans to reduce nitrogen emissions and it is still unclear what she intends to replace them with.

The biggest sources of nitrogen-based pollution are fossil fuels, used in vehicles and energy generation, as well as farming, through the use of artificial and manure-based fertiliser.

Both Greenpeace and the Dutch state have the right to appeal against the verdict, but the court did order the government to start tackling the problem immediately.