The Dutch news cycle was mainly dominated by two topics this year: the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the formation of a new coalition government. The formation process followed the general elections of March and was accompanied by various scandals and leaked formation notes. After a record nine months, in January 2022, at last a coalition agreement was formed—between the exact four parties that had also formed the preceding coalition. In the meantime, many existing environmental challenges lingered on or were exacerbated, without much political action being taken to address them. There were some notable changes to the political discourse on some of these problems, however. The need to address climate change, for instance, was put high on the agenda of the formation talks after the intense rainfall and high water of July 2021 in the south of the Netherlands and neighbouring areas in Belgium and Germany. In a press conference in early August, prime minister Mark Rutte (at the time, demissionary, now prime minister again) stated that ‘the Netherlands became seventh during the Olympic games. In the Olympic Games of the Climate, we can be number one too’ (translated by author). It remains to be seen, of course, whether this ambitious spirit will be met with corresponding actions. Considering various political and socio-economic developments in 2021, there are reasons to be both optimistic as well as pessimistic, as will be discussed below.