In September 1999, the fifth Dutch National Environmental Balance (MB99) was published. While the environmental quality since 1985 had been considered in preceding balances, this fifth balance represents an attempt to shift the time horizon for data availability back as far as possible. The MB99 also contains an outlook for 1998 to 2003, serving as a background document for the chapter on transport. The following conclusions can be drawn from the MB99: (1) Despite the growth in car kilometres, the emissions of carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and lead from passenger cars were lower in 1998 than in 1970. Particulate emissions (PM10) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in 1998 were the same as in 1970, after increasing between 1970 and 1985. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from passenger cars have continued to increase since 1970; (2) Most of the emissions due to traffic and transport will decrease in the nearby future, except the CO2 emissions; (3) The number of passenger kilometres in air transport from and to the Schiphol airport increased by a factor 75 between 1955 and 1997. In comparison, this factor is 13 for the increase in number of passenger kilometres for cars and 1.5 for public transport; and (4) the increased energy use by passenger transport (only cars and public transport) between 1960 and 1997 (a factor 7) was caused mainly by the population growth and the increased transport need per capita (a factor 4).
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