How can countries improve their ecological footprints?

The ecological footprint measures the supply and demand of nature. That is, we can use it to compare how a population consumes natural resources and how much the environment provides to sustain their lifestyle.

Global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, for instance, are a major contributor to our ecological footprints. Therefore, countries like the Netherlands are seeking sustainable modes of transport to curb their emissions.

In 2016, the Dutch government decided that all newly procured buses must be zero-emissions from 2025. Furthermore, from 2030, all buses in operation must be zero-emissions. Their focus is on electric buses, whose growth is already increasing rapidly. The number of electric buses increased from 360 to 770 between 2018 and 2019 and has reached 1,163 in 2020.

The government is diversifying emission-free transport options with hydrogen buses, which only emit water when running. They can run more than 400 km in 18 hours and refuel in only 10 minutes. The technology for hydrogen-fuelled buses can be applied to other modes of transport, including trucks, ships and trains.