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Cabinet announces a Groningen gas phase-out after years of earthquakes

On 29 March 2018 the cabinet said production at Groningen would be wound down. In the causal graph this event weakens Energy Security, a driver that strengthens Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population) — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

On 29 March 2018 the cabinet said production at Groningen would be wound down. Earthquakes and house damage had already accumulated under prior Rutte cabinets. A phase-out announcement is a completed energy act with a lag.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Mark Rutte

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.55 · verified

    He owned the delayed stop. NAM extracted. Courts later forced faster cuts.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactCabinet announces a Groningen gas phase-out after years of earthquakes
    2. weakensDriverEnergy Security
    3. strengthensIndicators (4)Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population)
    Mixed path

    impact weight 0.4 · Effect from 29 March 2018 · verified

    Late redress for induced earthquakes records a gap in managing a strategic gas field’s social cost.

    • Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population)

      via Energy Security

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.25 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.62)

      Observed

      10.4% · 10.2 above the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      7 readings, 2018–2024: fell from 11.1% to 10.4%.

      Above normal = worse

    • Inability to keep home adequately warm

      via Energy Security

      Worse

      Weakens · Relationship strength 0.24 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.6)

      Observed

      7.97% of population aged 16 years or over · 5.2 above the normal line (2025)

      Worse than normal

      8 readings, 2018–2025: rose from 7.77% of population aged 16 years or over to 7.97% of population aged 16 years or over.

      Above normal = worse

    • Access to electricity (share of world population)

      via Energy Security

      Worse

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.2 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.5)

      Observed

      91.6% of population · 8.4 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      4 readings, 2020–2023: rose from 90.4% of population to 91.6% of population.

      Above normal = better

    All indicators on this path (4)

    • Life expectancy at birth

      via Energy Security

      Better

      Weakens · Relationship strength 0.19 (weight 0.4 × strength 0.48)

      Observed

      80 Years · 2.3 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      6 readings, 2018–2023: rose from 79.5 Years to 80 Years.

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Reuters — Netherlands to halt Groningen gasReuters · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Rijksoverheid — Groningen gasGovernment of the Netherlands · High credibility · verified

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorMark Rutte
  2. contributed toFactCabinet announces a Groningen gas phase-out after years of earthquakes
  3. weakensDriverEnergy Security
  4. strengthensIndicatorPoverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population)

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Cabinet announces a Groningen gas phase-out after years of earthquakes. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/nl-groningen-gas-phaseout

https://factrail.ai/facts/nl-groningen-gas-phaseout

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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