Bright red sky: if we could literally see CO₂

This week, news sites reported that the Netherlands emitted more greenhouse gases in the last quarter than last year. If you zoom out over the years, however, it seems that Europe is slowly but surely moving in the right direction. The EU is currently on track to reduce CO2 emissions by 54 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. But let's be clear: the climate battle of this century is far from won.

To achieve climate goals, governments and businesses must work together and ensure sufficient funding. The solution is complex and multifaceted. But suddenly, an unexpected idea occurred to me: make CO₂ visible. Although it may be unfeasible, it could have a significant impact.

Hear me out. People mainly react to what they can see, hear, smell, or feel. Only when our senses are stimulated do we realize the seriousness of something. That's why we're afraid of fire. But that's also why lead remained undetected in water pipes for decades: invisible, odorless, and therefore easy to ignore.

CO₂: also odorless, colorless, and therefore intangible. Yet the climate crisis poses a long-term threat to life itself. What if... we could see CO₂? If every gram of emissions were visible as it made its way through the streets of the Netherlands? Would our behavior change? Our choices, our policies?

The Netherlands blushes

In our hypothetical world, the sky turns bright red with every gram of CO₂ we emit. Exhaust fumes form red streaks above roads, and factories are shrouded in red fog.

We didn't just choose red for no reason. It is the color of danger, of blood. Our brains react instinctively to it. Research shows, for example, that looking at red increases our heart rate. If there is one color that can motivate us to take climate action, it is red.

Tata Steel takes responsibility

Greenhouse gas emissions per euro earned in the Netherlands are currently more than 9% below the European average. That sounds good. But in our new world, we can see it clearly and literally before us: there is much room for improvement. Take IJmuiden, home to Tata Steel. With 8.5 million tons of CO₂ per year, it is the largest polluter in the country. A red haze hangs low over the fields surrounding the site. Day in, day out. A warning that a green future is by no means a given here.

Since that red glow, the pressure on the company has increased significantly. Climate action gained momentum, and Tata could no longer hide behind abstract figures. There was only one thing to do: go green. The steel giant quickly began to reduce its emissions.

Working from home or by train

Change is also in the air in the daily lives of Dutch people. Just as smoking in company or littering are becoming less and less acceptable, a new social stigma is slowly emerging: the red sky. People talk about it at the kitchen table and at birthday parties. That glow is not just air pollution — it is a visible symbol of wrong behavior. Something to be ashamed of.

You can see the same effect on the roads. On Monday mornings, a broad red stream hangs over the A2 motorway, like a scar across the asphalt, stretching endlessly to the horizon. Traffic jams have become a new climate signal. As a result, people are increasingly leaving their cars at home. They are opting for the train, getting on their bikes, or working from home. And they are voting for greener policies. A green government.

If it could be done without hassle

Perhaps a red sky is what we need: visible urgency. No reports or statistics—just a color. If it were possible in the real world without hassle, this might be worth considering for a new cabinet.