Thousands attend climate march in Dutch capital

AMSTERDAM – Thousands of people, many warding off rain under umbrellas, have packed a central square in Amsterdam to march for more progressive climate policies in the Netherlands.

Organizers estimated that 30,000 people were attending Sunday’s march.

One carried a banner with the simple appeal: “Do something.”

In January, an environmental research institute said the Netherlands wasn’t doing enough to cut greenhouse gas emissions to levels ordered in a landmark court ruling.

The Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency said that the target of reducing emissions by 25 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020 is “out of reach.”

Dutch lawmakers have approved legislation that set as benchmarks a 95-per cent reduction of emissions by 2050 compared with 1990 levels and a 49-per cent cut by 2030.

However, a plan to achieve the targets hasn’t been approved.